When I respond to a Comedian...

Love the Hat. Image from here.

Russell Brand is a well-loved, and essentially talented, comedian and celebrity. Known for many reasons, he has been filling up my social media feeds over the last couple of days, as a result of the interview below, between Brand and Jeremy Paxman. It is an interesting watch, and you might like to do so, if you have the time:

Brand raises some interesting ideas, even as Paxman (characteristically!) takes it out of him fairly robustly. A number of people in my social media circles have shared this video, some uncritically, some critically, and with some Christians hailing him as a modern-day prophet, or likening Brands' views to those of Jesus...

I would like to suggest that, whilst Brand is a winsome and gifted communicator, he is wrong about the political system, and that actually an informed, winsome, and carefully robust evangelicalism might just provide the results of his 'social revolution' without the violent aftermath that tends to go hand in hand with revolution. My friend Peter Ould makes the point regarding revolution very well here.

So what am I suggesting? Firstly, that the political system is only as broken as the people that are involved in it. I don't think that the UK has a perfect system, but it is a good one, with checks and balances. To not vote - as Brand says he chooses - is to abdicate responsibility for the power exercised in the name of all voters, and is a disservice to one's fellow human beings. We are lucky in the UK to have political freedom, and the vote, in contrast to many countries where democracy is a mockery at best or a distant dream. 

Revolutions start with individuals, and as a Christian I cannot concieve of anything more radical than an individual choosing to truly live out New Testament teaching on social justice, gospel proclamation, and so on. Whether we start with the topsy-turvy kingdom vision of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, or the powerful exhortation of Paul in Romans 13 to 'be subject to the governing authorities', Christian engagement with power and culture can be radical and powerful.

A Christian engagement with politics, should, in my opinion, be borne out of a deep understanding of some key doctrines. Firstly, that of Imago Dei, the Image of God in every human being. Linked and next would be the Doctrine of Creation, that this world is valuable, that 'stuff' matters, because God made it and loves it and is going to redeem it. Finally, the notion of stewardship, often ignored in the Christian tradition, that advocates care and respect for created things in an active sense. All these tie into one of the threads that runs through scripture, that of Justice, which echoes another key theme, that of order.

Christian engagement with Justice has historically been a mixed bag, but many examples bear the fruit of the truth of the Gospel, the bigger story about everything. I am inspired by William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian who lead the successful campaign to end slavery even against other Christians and those of other faiths and none. I am inspired by Everett Koop, a Surgeon General of the United States, who stood boldly for babies and the unborn, and for the rights of those who suffered from Aids. I point to contemporary examples too, like Archbishop Justin Welby, MP David Burrowes, and others who grasp the complexity yet use their position to speak well of what is right, not just what is popular.

So rather than gesticulating a bit (I have a webcam, and occasionally wild, so I could make a terrible video, but I will spare you) and calling for revolution, can I make some suggestions? That rather than blog/tweet/whinge/vine about the inadequacy of politicians and the political system, we actually engage with it? Perhaps by meeting MP's and local councillors, communicating with them, or even joining a political party? Certainly we should be voting! On a personal level, we can get involved with things that do the good that others are not doing. I am involved with a project that delivers furniture to people in need, but has tendrils covering food, clothing, wellbeing, childcare, and even some education. Read about the Arches project here. If you don't have such a thing in your church, consider foodbanks, street pastors, Christians Against Poverty, and so on.

Think too about bigger issues. I call the bigger picture a 'Crisis of Human-Hood', but there are specifics. Slavery. People trafficking. The sex trade. Ethical consumerism. Consider the source and ethics of the stuff you buy, eat, and drink. And do some research into the plight of 27-million-human-beings-trapped-in-modern-day-slavery. Consider the campaign to end violence against women. Or think about suicide and mental health awareness. Or even lad culture, which is often on our doorstep or even in ourselves. Whatever we do, though, should be done coherently and carefully. I may blog soon about social justice and the future, about how we shouldn't foster dependency, and about how real justice has a transforming vision.

One of us cannot do everything. But we can all do something. And I think we should. Sometimes because the Government isn't doing anything, and always because Jesus wants us to.

Because none of this makes sense without a bigger story. Without the Gospel. Understandings of Justice, wellbeing, and human flourishing that exist without the Gospel are doomed to fail. History bears this out - even as it bears out the tragedy of what happens when Christians ignore or dilute the Gospel. I think Jesus died on the Cross, really and literally, and he rose again in glorious Resurrection, really and literally, because he loved us, and wanted to provide a way out of sin into glorious life. This life is part of the Kingdom of God, which has begun but is not here yet. It starts with individuals - like me, and Russell Brand, and anyone really - accepting Jesus and making him Lord of their life, and ends with a triumph that echoes eternally throughout the whole of creation. The Gospel is a bigger, better vision, and it must be proclaimed and lived out/embodied. When both proclamation and 'doing' are seen, the world begins to be changed....

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Thanks for reading! I'd love you to connect with me via Twitter or Facebook. I've arguably covered a lot in this post! I've shied away from recommending a particularly political perspective (though my friend Johnny makes a good case for one in his post for Threads), but rather would encourage thinking and action. I would encourage you to read my post about The Image of God Being Broken, and also my post about Lifetime Justice. In terms of a political vision grounded in the Christian story, I would heartily recommend 'The R Factor'.