Political beauty contest?

The campaign to become the new leader of the Conservative Party (and thus Prime Minister) has filled much news media in recent days.  Of course, it is only members of the Conservative Party who will ultimately make the decision, but many of those of us who are not included in that group have found the campaign of interest.  There was some amusement as the number of Tory MPs who initially indicated that they would stand for election grew into double figures.  As the rounds have progressed, however, we are now left with the final two who will battle it out for the prize of becoming the UK Prime Minister (certainly not a role I would relish in the current climate!)

As part of the election process, the various candidates have sought to highlight their particular take on the future (particularly with regard to Brexit) and what they will be able to bring to the office of P.M. and Party leader.  Personally, I rather enjoyed Rory Stewart’s idea of visiting various parts of the country, engaging with ordinary people, and addressing the concerns which they raised.  He certainly seemed to bring something new to the campaign.  One of the comments made by a number of people about Rory Stewart was that ‘he tells it as it is’ – i.e. he is a politician who speaks the truth.  Many people who disagree with his way of seeing things seem to admire him in that respect.

Of course, that gets to the heart of one of the key issues surrounding this or any other political debate: can we trust the words and promises which are spoken?  In some instances, issues relating to the personal lives of candidates have been highlighted.  Is that relevant?  Is it just about electing someone who can be a good leader of the country, or should we take note of how they live their lives outside politics?  Some would say that a person’s private life should be kept separate.  Others would argue that a person’s choices and actions in their private life reflect their character and as such are bound to influence their public life.

The selection process may have appeared at one level a little like a political beauty competition; who can manage to appear the most attractive to the voters?  Perhaps most of those who will cast their vote will be able to judge only by appearances and spoken words, without ever being really sure of what is in a person’s mind and heart.  I am reminded of an account in the Biblical book of 1 Samuel, when the prophet Samuel is told by God to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king.  One by one, Jesse’s sons pass by Samuel.  It seems that by outward appearance they were impressive, but each time God says, “no, he’s not the one”.  In the end, Jesse has to fetch the youngest son, David, from the fields.  Although on the face of it he seems the least likely choice, he is the one God has chosen.  Samuel is reminded, ‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16.7).

Paul urges us to ‘pray for all those in authority’ (1 Timothy 2.2).  Whether or not we like either of the two remaining candidates, we are called to pray for them, and we need also to pray that those who are eligible to cast a vote do so wisely.  Finally, we need to continue to pray urgently for our nation and its leaders, for God’s blessing and guidance.  Prayer changes things!