Marriage of love, or of convenience?

Through the mouth of His prophet, Amos, YHWH asked the question "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?" (3:3)

Those words came to my mind as the post-election saga slowly came to an end. The U.K. has a government again. But who would have guessed, even a week ago, that the Conservatives would have joined forces with the Liberal Democrats - almost the old Tories and Whigs coming together!

Like a lot of folks, I am pleased with the eventual outcome - but concerned about the longer-term implications! Is this really a marriage of love - or is it simply one of convenience? There are a number of Liberal Democratic policies with which I have real problems. In the past, the House of Lords has proved to be a bulwark against some of the more extreme legislative proposals brought forward by the last administration. I would be loathe to see it changed, as the LibDems would want. Although I am a lover of Europe, and have dear friends in a number of European countries, I am totally opposed to the E.U., and would gladly see the U.K. withdraw from it. The LibDems are very pro-E.U. I find it difficult to forget that it was a Liberal - David Steel - who introduced the Abortion Act (1970), responsible for the deaths of countless unborn children. And when the new Scottish Executive (as it then was) decided to abolish Section 2A (Clause 28 in England/Wales), the Liberals were right there supporting its abolition - in spite of repeated polls that showed that some two-thirds of the Scottish population wanted it to be retained.

Still, as I have written elsewhere, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating", and we shall now just have to wait to see how events transpire. Once again, I return to my favourite theme - the sovereignty of Almighty God. There is more than a little truth in the old saying that "Man proposes, but God disposes"! He is still on the throne, and I take comfort in that. The hymnwriter got it absolutely right when he wrote "God is working His purpose out, as year succeeds to year" (Basil Harwood). May we be found co-operating with Him as much as we hope that the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats will co-operate in the government of the U.K.