Dear All,

As I write, we are in the throes of a general election campaign; and as you read this, you will soon know the outcome of that election.

I have observed many factors at work, including different ideas of what matters to us as a society; what is the proper tone for debating matters of public interest; and what counts as ‘true’ in the context of political debate. There has been a notable lack of generosity in the conduct of the campaign.

Politics is about power, and religion is about love, and the general election campaign find these two things often in conflict.

Famously, Jesus said that we should render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. We can’t and shouldn’t opt out of the things that relate to power and authority in our society. And a good society leaves space for care and compassion by individuals, love being something you cannot and should not compel.

While justice and care for the poor and oppressed is properly the concern of all of us, and so a matter of what governments do and facilitate, it cannot discharge us from everyday acts of kindness and love. These are, in the end, the whole meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must be free to love; and we must love one another. It’s about treating others with respect and tolerance.

Every blessing,

Stephen