I urge… that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
One Sunday many years ago I was given a telling-off at the
end of a service I had led. My offence? In the course of the service I had
offered a prayer for the prime minister of the day. And a quite cross man said,
“I just don’t understand how you can pray for that man!”
Obviously he hadn’t voted for the prime minister in
question at the last election! Fair enough – we all have our political views,
and disagreement is inevitable. (Indeed, disagreement is healthy if we
put any value on democracy.)
But what surprised me was that this man presumably believed
that as Christians we should only pray for people we like or agree with. Which,
surely, is utter nonsense.
I can’t remember now
what I said in reply, but I hope I had the presence of mind to remember Paul’s
words to his young pastor-colleague Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-2…
As far as Paul is concerned, we Christians have a
responsibility to pray for absolutely anybody and everybody (“all
people”), and our prayers can take a full range of forms (“petitions,
prayers, intercession and thanksgiving”), and their purpose is, among
other things, that our lives might be “peaceful and quiet” and, still
more, “godly and holy”.
That’s pretty comprehensive! But I wonder how seriously we
take it? Some churches, judging at least by the content of prayer in Sunday
worship, seem never to extend beyond the little bubble of their own existence.
Is this a word to some of my fellow-ministers, pastors and
worship-leaders? “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear!”
But I haven’t yet got to the point in Paul’s words which
touches on the confrontation between me and that man that Sunday morning.
Having told us we should pray “for all people” Paul then goes on to pick one
particular group: “for kings and all those in authority”.
Well, there aren’t too any kings (or queens) around these
days; but there are certainly plenty of people “in authority”, or at least in
positions of power and influence: there are presidents and prime ministers;
there are politicians; and, like it or not, they are decision-makers who affect
the lives of all of us.
So why wouldn’t we pray for them! – whether we like
them or not. The second part of verse 2 suggests that it’s in our own interests
to do so because our prayers make a difference. And when Paul speaks of
“kings and those in authority” he’s speaking, let’s remember, of people who in
his day were likely to be cruel, brutal tyrants. Didn’t Jesus pray even for the
men who were crucifying him?
I sometimes wonder if I should be ashamed of a weakness I have
for political cartoons. Why? Because they hold up public figures for mockery.
They confirm the prejudices it’s so easy to get into our heads – “Politicians?
Oh, they’re all in it for what they can get… they’re a load of liars… you can’t
trust a word they say…”
No doubt there’s some truth in these prejudices; politicians
are, after all, sinners just like the rest of us. But they are
prejudices. We don’t know what goes on in the heart of any other person, and,
as Jesus taught us, we should be very careful about judging. It’s certainly
right that those who make the decisions that affect our lives should be called
to account, and it’s good that there are people (including the cartoonists) who
“speak truth to power”. But it’s a sad state of affairs if we descend into
out-and-out cynicism.
Cynicism – the tendency or habit of always believing the
worst of another person – is a poison; just as rust corrodes metal, so cynicism
corrodes personality, and we become habitually sarcastic, jaundiced and prejudiced.
Is this the way of Christ?
How many of us, I wonder, would actually like to be a
politician? Whatever we in Britain may think about our present prime minister,
would we like to be in 10 Downing Street? Two years of pandemic… the health
service verging on collapse… shocking corruption in the police service… steeply
rising prices… drug and knife crime… Would you like the job of sorting that lot
out?
And now, to cap it all, war in Europe, and the frightening
threat of it spreading further and wider. That too?
From outside, it’s all so easy. To me, hearing the
President of Ukraine pleading with Europe to enforce a no-fly zone over his
tormented country, well, it was what is known as a no-brainer – “Of course,
give the man his no-fly zone! – it’s the least we can do!” But then you listen
to the arguments – the arguments of those contemptible politicians – explaining
how this course of action would very likely make things far, far worse and,
well, perhaps it’s not so simple after all…
So… pray for the politicians, don’t simply despise them.
And pray not only for the ones in position at the moment, but for the
generations still to come…
Oh God, the Lord of all peoples and all lands, please
guide the deliberations and decisions of those who lead the nations, even those
who do not acknowledge you. Please raise up men and women of stature, honesty, integrity
and principle to replace them in due course. And in your mercy grant peace to
the people of Ukraine, and to all the people of our world. Amen.
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