Election Call

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As a habitual early riser, even on weekends, I was, as usual, listening to Premier Christian Radio while having my breakfast. It was the Saturday after the General Election and the presenter was inviting people to phone in to comment with a Christian response to the election result. Unique was away at cub camp and Geof was still soundo upstairs. As usual, I quickly became lost in my own thoughts for a while with half an ear on tuned in to the radio. Then my attention was drawn to a song they were playing. I was singing and dancing along, as I generally do in the privacy of my own kitchen, waiting for them to announce the artist when it went straight to the ad break.

Frustrated that I would not hear the name of the song, I immediately rang up the studio (I have their number memorised from entering all the competitions) and the lovely young man told me the song was ‘You Lead’ by Jamie Grace. Before I hung up I added that I wanted to just leave a word of encouragement for the listeners who felt discouraged by the election result. To my surprise I was asked if I would speak live on the radio and I was asked to wait for their phone call.

By this time Geof was stirring so I filled him in on what was happening so he could listen on the radio upstairs. In the meantime, my father in law with impeccable timing, rang and I had to hang up on him, promising I would call later. Finally, the call from the studio came and I was invited to make my contribution and share what God had laid on my heart.

I shared that I believed that as Christians we must remember that God is sovereign and the outcome of the election was not a whoops moment but he would use it to fulfil his good and perfect plan. He has everything under his authority and, unlike us, he sees the whole picture. With our human brain we may hypothesise all the different possible outcomes but in my experience God always goes for the one that I never thought of. We really cannot begin to imagine how God will use this.

I also reminded the listeners that above all we must pray for our national and local leaders to have godly wisdom and that we are called to be salt and light in our communities and do what we can to help those in need in our local communities.

After I finished the call, while brushing my teeth, I was praying and reflecting on (literally staring into the mirror) my brief conversation with the telephone operator who had answered my initial call. He had been very direct in expressing his sadness with the election result and his concern for the vulnerable people in his community. I think I was asking God for an overall sense of direction for the church; what he was calling the church to do. I was reflecting (still looking in the mirror) on the community activity local churches had been engaged in over the past few years. Suddenly, I was gobsmacked by God’s response; an interesting experience with a mouth full of toothpaste. I realised that if the government feed the hungry and provide shelter for homeless, how would the church connect with society?  Through initiatives like Street Pastors, food banks and winter night shelters, all of which run near our home and all over the country, the work of churches has been given higher profile and recognition. If the government provides this themselves, then churches would probably remain more distant from many people in our society.

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the broken hearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.[a] 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favour has come,[b] and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel,[c] he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Isaiah 61 (NLT)

I have started to consider that this may well be what God is calling the church to do. How can we be salt and light in our community by being what the government is unable to be and to continue doing what we are doing at the grass roots such as running the shelters and filling food bags? I really believe that God is urging the church to mobilise and build on the good initiatives that have begun and to be his hands and feet in our communities.

Our challenge is to pray and seek God as to what part we can play as individuals and discover how God wants us to utilise our gifts and talents to further his kingdom in our communities.