Nice work - if you can get it!

In the Broadway Musical show Crazy for You, is a number by George and Ira Gershwin entitled "Nice work if you can get it: and you can get it - if you try."  It came to mind as I read the news that former U.K. Prime Minster Gordon Brown had made his first speech in the House of Commons since his Labour Party lost the last General Election.  Indeed, he would appear to have seldom, if ever, set foot in the Chamber during the intervening months preferring, instead, to concentrate on writing a book about the financial crisis which, in the eyes of many, was largely of his personal making.  During those months he was, of course, drawing the full salary of a back-bench M.P. - £65,738 (before expenses!) - but, apparently, not representing the very people who, for reasons that I am unable to fathom, re-elected him as their Member of the U.K. Parliament!  It would seem that Mr Brown is still somewhat lacking in integrity, and has not yet found his famous "moral compass"!

I cannot help but wonder how many 'ordinary' employees, on any level of salary, would be able to retain their employment if they took as much time off to attend to a personal project!  Surely it is time for politicians to be required to be 'on duty' for a minimum number of hours each week - or lose a percentage of their salary for time taken off!  Of course, the problem is that the only people who are in a position to make any changes to the working conditions, and salaries, of politicians are - politicians.  As the last couple of years have shown, too many were (are??) more interested in feathering their own comfortable nests, and in toeing the party line,  than in finding out the views of the people who elected them, and representing those same people in the various debates and votes.  As the saying goes - "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas (or Thanksgiving, if you are reading this on the other side of 'the pond'!)."

Of course, the Body of Christ has much for which to answer in this situation!  For too many years, the majority of those who call themselves 'Christian' (a much devalued term, in our modern western society!) either ignored the political realm entirely - in spite of the fact that they were/are effected by it on a daily basis; or did no more than recite a written prayer for the Queen and her ministers of government!

I don't honestly know if I coined the phrase myself, or if I heard it from another, but I suspect that it is true to say that we get the government for which we failed to pray!  However, the promises of Almighty God stand above all of the fickleness, the self-centredness, and the spin doctoring of even politicians; and He has said "... if my people who are called by my Name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (II Chron 7:14; RSV - my emphasis).

As Scotland is already anticipating elections to both the Scottish Parliament and local Councils, in May of next year, may it be that those who are called by the name of the King of kings will take seriously the call to pray - that God might yet raise up an army of committed men and women who will serve Him, by their service of their constituents; and seek His wisdom in every decision that they make.

Happy Families!

It's probably a card game that isn't even known by today's children but, when I was young, Happy Families was a favourite - along with Snap, and Donkey; and non-card games like Ludo, and Snakes and Ladders!

The announcement of the new Shadow Cabinet, earlier today, reminded me of the Happy Families game.  Not only do we have Ed and Dave (and I don't believe, for one minute, that brother Dave will be out of the limelight for very long!), but we have the (in my opinion!) aptly-named Ed Balls and Mrs Balls (who, for some reason, prefers to be known by her maiden name of Yvette Cooper), and even a set of twins in the Eagle sisters!

So, is this a sign that renewed "new generation" Labour will favour the family unit, in the destruction of which their immediate predecessors (New Liebour - no, that isn't a typo!) played such a prominent part?   Sadly, I doubt it.  It looks to my 'non-professional-political-commentator' eyes like the usual cronyism that is one of the hallmarks of the Labour Party - and has been for as long as I have taken any real interest in politics.

These are the very people who stood (or sat!) by and watched the banks spend untold millions on useless assets.  These are the very people who allowed a property boom that was fuelled by people borrowing six times their annual gross salaries (and more!).  These are the people who watched a preponderance of television advertising that encouraged people to get into ever greater debt.  These are the people who ran the whole country into debt by spending money that the nation didn't have.  The only thing, I suppose, for which we may be thankful, is that young Ed didn't invite his immediate predecessor as Labour leader - the redoubtable financial wizard, "no more 'boom and bust' Mr Brown", to be the shadow Chancellor!

I recall, when I was in the Merchant Navy, meeting the most rabidly socialist person I had ever met - a ginger-headed Scouse baker.  However, when the time came for a postal vote for an election, he informed me that he would be voting for the Conservative candidate in his home constituency!  His answer, when I asked him why, was illuminating.  He informed me that, while he espoused Labour principles, he always voted Tory because they ran the country, while Labour politicians merely lined their own pockets!  As I look at Peter Mandelson pocketing 33% more, each month, in his EU pension than I receive each year in my own occupational pension, I recall my former shipmate - and conclude that he was absolutely right!

Is every 'Christian' a disciple of Jesus?

In spite of the regular claims that we in the U.K. live in an increasingly secular society, we just can't seem to get away from the 'God thing'!   Mind you, some recent figures suggest that the real 'problem' is the vociferousness of a minority that gives them a prominence and a level of publicity that is well above what they, numerically, deserve!  For example, the number of people returning to the Anglican Church, alone, on "Back to church" Sunday (Sept.27th) last year, could have filled the O2 Arena in London twice over - and still left a queue of some 7,000 people (the highest-quoted membership of the National Secular Society!) outside, without a seat!

It was on this morning's 'Sunday' programme on BBC Radio 4, and in the context of a Christian Socialist Movement church service that, reportedly, always precedes the annual Labour Party Conference, that the statement was made that: "Labour's new leader, Ed Milliband, is not a religious believer himself; but the last three leaders of the Party - John Smith, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown, were all committed Christians."

It begs the question - "What did the reporter understand by the term 'Christian'?"  Sadly, John Smith died before he had the opportunity to become the 'figure in the limelight' that his two successors were, so it is perhaps difficult for anyone outwith his circle of personal friends to make any comment on his personal faith in the Lord Jesus - the depth, or the lack, of it.  However, when it comes to Messrs Blair and Brown, there is adequate evidence to suggest that neither of them was, or is, a true disciple of Jesus.  Yet that is what a Christian ought to be!  And that discipleship ought to be visible to others.

The true believer - as opposed to the person who makes a vocal claim - is supposed to be recognisable by his/her actions!    I often used to explain to my pupils that, provided my vocal cords were operating satisfactorily, I could say anything I wanted, and make the most outrageous claims!  But my mere calling myself a multi-millionaire doesn't add one single penny to my bank balance!  And anyone who spent some time with me would quickly come to the conclusion that I am not such a multi-millionaire.  The clothes I wear; the house in which I live; tha car I drive; the food I eat; the holidays I take; all point to the fact that my personal income is considerably less than the return from investments that a multi-millionaire would enjoy.

Jesus put it quite simply! "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?  So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'" (Matt 7:15-23; RSV)


The test, then, is not what I claim, but the way(s) in which I act.  I would suggest that those who deliberately deceive a whole nation; those who extravagently spend other people's money to the extent that those people are left almost bankrupt; those who speak socialism, while owning multiple properties, and having millions in their bank account; those who are unable to control their own emotions, and throw items around the office to the accompaniment of words that are certainly not found within the pages of the Bible; are not living as disciples of Jesus, regardless of any soundbite they might provide.


Perhaps there is enough of 'the divine spark' in the mindset of the British electorate, that it was the blatant hypocrisy of such national leadership that led to the defeat of the Labour Party at the General Election earlier this year.  If that is the case, then it is a salutary lesson to all politicians, regardless of party allegiance, to put honesty and integrity at the top of their personal agendas!


But, of course, that doesn't apply only to politicians, and others in the public eye.  It applies to everyone who takes the name of Christian.  Let our actions speak much more loudly than our words; let others see Jesus in us before they hear us speak about Him; let us be, not just those who call themselves Christian, but true disciples of Jesus, serving others in His Name - and bringing glory to Him.