The current politics of Britain are as amazing as anything in my memory: the leader of the Conservative Party exiting when not required to do by his parliamentary colleagues and the leader of the Labour Party refusing to leave when told to go by his parliamentary colleagues.
In Christian Ministry I have never been much attracted to siding publicly with party politics and when I read the rants of Church leaders that do I am even less inclined. But as David Cameron left Downing Street yesterday - unable to move straight into his £3.5 million West London home because it is currently rented out at £7,800 plus per month, and humming happily as he returned into the PM's house after making his public announcement - it illustrates a vast contemporary trend that stretches deep into the life of modern Britain. It is a trend further illustrated in the public faces of the referendum campaign who quickly disappeared from view, at least until Boris was resurrected last evening. When the going get's tough the tough just go.
Into this whirling world of 'I'm off now - byes' has stepped Jeremy Corbyn.
He represents many strange anomalous things over against proper contemporary politics. Teresa May decimated the front bench of politicians she sat with but (unless another surprise is in store) she will incongruously face Mr Corbyn at her first Prime Minister's Questions.
Quite a lot of leadership theory seems to revolve around instant departure; in the business world as well as politics, in the church as well as in education. Yet Mr Corbyn, together ironically (he's a republican) with the Queen represents those outdated qualities of sticking at it. As such they haunt the swirling world of proper 21st century leaders with the potential value of enduring.
Christians may think all sorts of things about all of this. But at least they should recognise that the apparently quirky quality of enduring is, in their discipleship and in the church, a very divine quality.
He represents many strange anomalous things over against proper contemporary politics. Teresa May decimated the front bench of politicians she sat with but (unless another surprise is in store) she will incongruously face Mr Corbyn at her first Prime Minister's Questions.
Quite a lot of leadership theory seems to revolve around instant departure; in the business world as well as politics, in the church as well as in education. Yet Mr Corbyn, together ironically (he's a republican) with the Queen represents those outdated qualities of sticking at it. As such they haunt the swirling world of proper 21st century leaders with the potential value of enduring.
Christians may think all sorts of things about all of this. But at least they should recognise that the apparently quirky quality of enduring is, in their discipleship and in the church, a very divine quality.
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