As I write there is turbulence in Westminster; our Prime Minister is fighting for her political life as cabinet ministers resign, and MPs and pundits rage against the deal for being too harsh, too weak, too vague or too specific. I suspect it’s not her deal they are angry about, but any deal. They are like the people of Jesus’ day who complained about John the Baptist being too dour and Jesus being too joyful!
But whilst it’s fun to poke fun at our politicians, the Bible actually tells us to do something else: to respect our leaders (whether we agree with them or not) and to pray for them. In Romans 13 Paul reminds us that ‘the authorities that exist have been established by God’ and that since we owe them honour, then that’s what we should give them. And in 1 Timothy 1, Paul urges that ‘petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for… kings and all those in authority.’
By respecting our leaders and praying for them we are not only feeding our own faith, but as we actively place our own trust in God’s sovereign rule, we point others to the God who is our strength and refuge and our hope in times of trouble.