Voting is a responsibility, not just a right

The General Election on Thursday 7^th May looks as if it is going to be one of the most important and closely contested elections in decades.     

Whilst politicians may not have a good reputation at the moment, as Christians’ I believe that it is not just our right, but also our responsibility to vote in the general election. 

God’s desire is for every sphere of culture to be transformed, business, media, education, arts, religion, family and politics. 

In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done, and his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.  However flawed our political system and leaders may be, it is within parliament that the policies which shape our country are made, and that is why as Christians we need to engage with the democratic process and make our voices heard. 

In the 2010 general election there were 15.9 million non-voters, people who saw no point in voting, or didn’t believe their vote would make any difference.  Imagine what impact they would have had if they voted.

Voting is one of the important ways where we as Christians can seek to promote the common good in our community, a small but important way that we strive to build a more just and merciful society.  If we care about the sort of society we want to live in, if we care about the things that matter to God, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and justice for the poor, then we need to make our voices heard on May 7^th. 

Best wishes Simon

If you want to see who is standing in your constituency visit yournextmp.com

There is an election forum taking place on Monday 27^th April at 8pm, in the Parish Rooms of St Mary’s The Mount Church on Glebe Street, with the candidates standing in the Walsall South constituency.