26th November 2007: after several weeks of frantic 'are we really going to do this?' conversations, today I took the train up to Westminster to start my new 'life' working inside Parliament for 24-7 prayer. My first meeting was with the irrepressible David Landrum, a great friend of 24-7 and co-ordinator of Prayer for Parliament, who is to be my sometimes-boss and guide into the jungle of political life.
I guess it's fair to ask at the outset, 'why is a prayer movement getting involved in politics anyway?' Shouldn't we be concentrating on 'spiritual matters' and steering clear of the messy and controversial world of public life? For me, the answer lies in a full understanding of our 3 primary aims: prayer, mission, and justice.
Prayer is the heartbeat, the place where everything starts. Our society is at a crossroads, the GPS is on the blink, and the moral compass got lost under the seat a while back. There is a woeful lack of vision in politics, with all the main UK parties seeming to have 'winning power' as their only discernable goal. There has never been a more important time to take seriously the biblical command to 'pray for rulers and those in authority'!
Jesus call to mission was all embracing. He sends his followers out to every nation and in to every area of life. The political arena is as valid an area for Christian mission as any other; just as broken, just as hurting, just as in need of redemption, and uniquely visible in terms of a place where the Gospel message can be put on display for all to see.
A heart for justice means a heart for individuals; the poor, the oppressed, and the forgotten. However, the causes of injustice in our world are complex and at least some of them can only be addressed at the level of society as a whole. For me, it's time to take a break from pulling drowning people out of the river, take a walk upstream, and try to stop them falling in.
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