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Young Christian Leaders Changing the Political landscape.



Part Two


Further to my last blog post and carrying on with the idea of Christians in politics, I must add that I firmly believe that it is right for young Christian leaders to start to get involved in politics. But politics starts at the grass roots level, in the community. It is there that any young Christian Leader who is shepherding a church congregation must start.  If they are interested in knowing what is going on in the local community then it is at local level that the politics start.
Many Ideas come from grass root local community groups. These are past upwards to people on parish, town or city councils, they are debated, appraised and in some cases legislated. For the young Christian Leader it is these ideas that they will have more hope of influencing, if they are involved.
Not long ago I was working with a local charity that was primarily concerned with looking after the mental wellbeing of young people, especially young women. During one staff room strategy debate the thorny issue of Abortion came up. Because I was not the only Christian in the room and because I was a man, I waited to see what the other Christians would say. I might add that the non- Christians were also waiting to see what Christians were going to say. Unfortunately, the debate descended into Pro-life verses pro- choice arguments. Not the result I was looking for.
However a few weeks later the topic was again brought up, this time one young Christian woman discussed ideas that everybody could accept, ideas centred on young vulnerable women having adult female mentors, having father figures, not just for young men. These ideas included giving them social skills and life skills to help them make good choices. This young women didn’t just come up with the ideas she came with solutions and concrete ways to implement her ideas, I can say all her ideas were implemented. Time will tell, on how successful these ideas will be and how many young women have been saved from going through an abortion.
The issue for Christians is that abortion is very emotive, but we don’t control the agenda. The agenda is controlled by secularists whose first option is always the easiest route- ‘what does the nation’s law say’. Christians on the national stage can’t win the argument. But at grass roots level they can influence and convince people of other alternatives before the topic of abortion comes up.
It’s not about wearing our Christianity on our sleeve; it’s about bringing wisdom immersed in our worldview to a situation. Christ doesn’t even have to be mentioned. If you want to influence then get involved first in grass roots politics at community level and then take it from there.

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