Christianity, the undercover agent of politics

So writes Michael Burleigh in today’s Sunday Times. Chronicling the relationship between religion and politics Burleigh decries the fact that ‘having little historical sense, many do not grasp that Christianity itself promoted the idea that each individual was sacred, regardless of whether he was Greek or Jew, bond or free.’

He goes on to assert that ‘Christianity helped establish the moral boundaries that separated kings from tyrants; and from Francis of Assisi to the Salvation Army, it has a good record of looking after the disadvantaged.’

Given the esteemed company with whom we are enjoined this is heady praise indeed for contemporary Salvationists. But this praise invokes increased responsibility. As does the high regard with which the Salvation Army is widely held. We need to resist the temptation to ‘dine out’ on our past glories. Rather we must continually seek to practically, provocatively and persuasively allow our faith to inform our political involvement.

So on Wednesday, as soon as we’re finished doing an assembly at one of our local schools we’ll be heading to Westminster to join with thousands of others calling for trade justice.

‘Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.’

Isaiah 10:1-2

Christians - the (not-so) undercover agents of politics?