The sad fall of David Laws

I do not want to be a hypopcrite. I am not a fan of David Laws. Contrary to some commentators, I was not impressed at the recent £6billion cuts in public spending. They represented a shockingly unprincipled U turn by the Lib Dems who had consistently opposed such cuts this year for fear of a double dip recession. And the suggestion that they did not hit the vulnerable is absolute rubbish! They were a disgrace from what once was apparently a left of centre party.

That the Lib Dems are no longer a left of centre party is in part due to David Laws. The Orange with which Laws, Clegg and Huhne were associated was a clear attempt to move the party closer to neo liberal economics of the sort associated with the party to whom the Lib Dems are now blissfully betrothed. Indeed the recent educational proposals and the assurance that Liberal Democrats will go into the lobbies to vote for it is a clear sign of the victory of Laws and co.

However, I am uneasy as to the circumstances that have brought abour Laws' downfall. Of course he has questions to answer on the subject of his expenses. Nobody should rule out the real possibility that those answers will be at least close to satisfactory and indeed I can see that he had no alternative but to step down while the matter is resolved. Still there are two matters that disturb on the David Laws story.

The first of these is the way the matter was brought into the public domain. The Daily Telegraph has had the relevant information for some time. I find it hard to believe that its publication was not to some degree related to that newspaper's campaign against Capital Gains Tax increases which have been proposed by the Liberal Democrats and accepted by the coalition. Is there not a warn across the bows for those who do not do the bidding of the Daily Telegraph? Words like blackmail come to mind.

Secondly there is the sexuality issue. Today the Sunday Telegraph says it had no intention to out Mr Laws concerning his sexuality. Yet to defend himself, it has been necessary for Laws to out himself. His actions seem to have been motivated not by a desire to cream of excess expenses but rather to protect himself from his homosexuality entering into the public domain.

Now today we like to think that we are enlightened on matters of sexuality. Yet many gay people still live with dread at disclosing their sexuality to their nearest and dearest. This is especially the case where a person has been brought up in a strong religious tradition. Laws was brought up in a Roman Catholic family and even today the Roman Catholic Church uses terms like "disordered" to refer to homosexual feelings. And Roman Catholicism is not alone in this. Note the relative silence of much of the Christian church concerning the men jailed in Malawi for a gay relationship. Does not the church seem at times keener to disown a gay Bishop than one who calls for the imprisonment of gay people. Given the vulnerability of young gay people even in supposedly liberal Britain I suggest that the church in all its forms needs to develop greater sensitivity on this issue.

I think that our country does not come out too well if it looks into a mirror on this matter. A bullying press and remnants of homophobia make unsavoury bedfellows. More than that this matter undermines the self righteousness adopted by the Liberal Democrats concerning the expenses scandal. They are not better than the rest but share in being tainted. Perhaps the last word should belong to a man named Paul who lived nearly 2,000 years ago-

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3v 23).

When we realise that such is true of all of us we may rediscover the virtue of kindness and decency.

Development awareness under attack

The last government was certainly committed to issues of international development. As well as increasing aid budgets there was also a serious attempt to inform the public on aid issues.

Sadly the incoming government does not share this commitment to promoting awareness. Now it has wielded the axe.

Among the casualties are Greenbelt where the Department for International Development has been able to use a partnership to engage with faith communities in a positive manner. This is after all a gathering with imense interest in development issues.

Other cutbacks include a range of educational issues. These include real engageme4nt with young people.

Not so long ago making extreme poverty history was a major cause. It is far from being achieved. Whilst it is good that the government is ring fencing the overseas aid budget, the case fo development aid and how people can be involved in it is not a mere option.

In due course this will be seen as a major error which does not fit in with the coalition's talk of creating a "big society."

Following the Ascended Christ - A sermon for Ascension Sunday based on Acts 1: 1-11

Ascension does not make a lot of sense in our scientific world. Thanks to the likes of Galilieo and Copernicus we can no longer believe in heaven being up there and hell down below. Instead we know that we are but one planet circling one of the billions of stars that are out there in the cosmos.

So we don't have to waste time thinking of the Ascension of Christ being like one of those Apollo launched that so excited me in my school days. We don't have to speculate how far he will have got presuming he is travelling at the spped of Light. For this is one Christian festival that we certainly need to liberate from excessive literalism.

I'd rather think in terms of Jesus passing into a new dimesnion of being. I can't be particularly specific in how I understand that but let's not worry. We do not need to understand everything. And any healthy spirituality takes seriously the place of mysterry in faith.

What Ascension does tell us is that the Jesus whom our Easter faith proclaims to have been raised from the dead is more that just recuscitated. He is alive. And yet he is no longer physically present with us.

This could be seen as an end of the Jesus story, a time of despair. And yet it is not. For the departure of Jesus is linked to farewell instructions that his followers should be his witnesses not just in Jerusalem where he has been crucified, not just in nearby Judaea, not just in despised Samaria but to the very ends of the earth. It is as if a local phenomenom is against all the odds to go global.

And the means by which this is to happen is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In a way this tells them that whilst a physical presence is to be removed from them, they are still in the company of divivnity for Jesus is unleashing his own Holy Spirit.

What this means is that what has hitherto been limited in terms of time and space is now to be global and for all times. The Jesus story has not ended but expanded for a new unlimited audience! The seeming defeat on the cross has now given way to new endless and unlimited possibilities.

And at the heart of these possibilities lies the church, the people who follow the path of Christ. On many occasions that church will fail. At times it will do unspeakable wrongs that defame the name of Christ. But at the same time it remains a means of continuing the Jesus story. And at its best it grasps the truth that its supreme purpose is not about perpetuating an institution but pointing to the Kingdom of God which is at the heart of all that Jesus has said and done.

Sometimes Ascension has been described as the most political of all the celebrations of the church. It points to Jesus as being exalted to the right hand of God above all the powers and authorities. This does not mean a justification of the practice of Christendom through which the church has all too often associated itself with the powerful and sought their favours.

No! What this means is that communities of Christ followers are challenged to see their true calling as being to follow the man from Nazareth rather than the tinpot Caesars of the world. And the man from Nazareth points us to a whole new way of being which casts aside domination and lives in solidarity with the poor, the weak and the downtrodden. The now exalted man from Nazareth points us to the wonder of God's liberation.

Go back in time! Go back to Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry attending the synagogue in Nazareth associating himself with words from Isaiah.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
because he has annointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."

What a contrast to the tawdry evasiveness of our recent General election! What dynamite that is contrary to so much of what we are told is rerquired of us to be good British citizens. But this is the path to follow if we are to be followers of the Ascended Christ.

May we identify with his liberating word!

General Election 2010 - The aftermath

Well the General Election is over. Seats produced litle correlation with votes cast. But we always knew that would happen. Indeed the only form of electoral reform on the table, the Alternative Vote system, will probably only be marginally proportional to the current system.

Much of our media showed immaturity in wanting Gordon Brown to evacuate Downing Street at maximum speed.he rightly hung on until it was clear that Cameron was in a position to form a government. This took time as proper negotiations always do. A sense of entitlement may be understandable but is hardly attractive.

I regret that the "progressive alliance" didn't happen. The maths were always difficult. Sadly tribalism with Labour and an antipathy by some to electoral reform made it unlikely to ever succeed. Labour deserves the strongest censure for this.

As for the Liberal Democrats, I regret that they have committed to a 5 year coalition with the Conservatives. The stench of privilege will certainly not be challenged. I am one of those who voted Liberal Democrats to keep the Conservatives out - never again!

Some of the things the new government are aiming at doing are desirable. This is particularly true regarding the removal of some of Labour's assault on civil liberties including ID cards. I hope that they are serious about Lord's reform by which I mean a fully elected upper chamber elected on STV on a rolling basis. That they are likely to elevate a substantial number of people to the peerage in the next few weeks does not bode well.

I remain convinced that the wealthy must pay for the collapse of their system. More than that the recession cannot be an excuse for not confronting problems such as poor housing conditions in so many of our towns. I remain convinced that future money must not be wasted on military projects such as Trident and aircraft carriers.

The key issues today are not just about protecting the poor. They go further. Nothing short of a fundamental redistribtion of power and wealth in favour of working people and those who wish to be working, is accepted. Casino captialism can never be tolerated again.

I am not going to be neutral about the new government. It is the government formed by two political parties wedded to privilege. Labour's indequacy cannot change that. I believe that the new government's inadequate agenda must be challenged. A starting point is the outrageous suggestion that a successful vote of no confidence is no longer sufficient to trigger a General Election with a 55 % barrier being preferred. In the short term this will nto matter. I suspect that this government will last about 2 years before the contradiction between the two participants cause it to collapse in recriminations. Time will tell if I am right.

In the meantime the struggle for greater democracy, the turning of swords into ploughshares and an economy geared to the benefit of the many rather than the few must go on. I do not think that the three major parties are up to the task. In essence all are like a blushing bride when confronted with a hedge fund manager waving wads of money. But democratic struggle has never been confined to elections every five years or the sterile debate on the green benches of Westminster. It belongs on the streets, on picket lines and in constant debate that turns every day into polling day.

For me that struggle will include an active commitment to the political party that most clearly offers a new politics, the Green Party.

Olive Morgan - a lively follower of Christ!

It is with sadness that I report the death of Olive Morgan. I only met Olive for about 24 hourse of her life when we held a gathering of Methodist bloggers.

I found Olive to be a remarkable woman. Well into her 80s Olive was really interested in the use of the internet and blogging to promote the gospel. She was particularly interested in drawing young people into a discusion Indeed she was one of the very first Methodist bloggers.

Her site was always full of useful information which was offered in a graceful manner. I cannot recommend readers too strongly of the value of paying a visit to her Octomusings site.

Olive was an example of how to advance in years without losing a sense of wonder and excitement. If I reach her age with a fraction of her energy I will be delighted. Only weeks ago a friend of miner met her at her church and was full of what a wonderful woman of faith Olive was.

May she rest in peace and rise in glory!

Why Bideford Town Council prayer issue needs grace

Some things never change. Yes, once more the battle over prayers at Bideford Town Council is back in the news. And yawn you may be tempted to do!

In once corner is the National Secular Society. They want a judicial review on the matter claiming abreach of the European Convention of Human Rights. Well I suppose we have to keep the lawyers in the style to chich they have become accustomed,

In the other camp are former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and Bishop of Crediton Bob Evans. Now I think that the National Secular Society has gone over the top However, the two prelates seem to have migrated to La La Land!

Let's take Carey first. He says;

"The centuries-long tradition of saying of prayers before council meetings is simply an acknowledgment of the important role the Christian faith plays in civic life.
"The attempt to rule such prayers as discriminatory is an attack on freedom and a cynical manoeuvre to drive public expressions of faith from national as well as local life.
"This should not be a matter for the courts as it concerns democratic freedoms. Councillors can halt the practice of saying prayers through a vote rather than resorting to judicial means."

I wish this was resolved without courts. However, sad as it may be this has so far not happened. I think the Remembrance Day incident when two councillors were publicly criticised for not attending a service at the Parish Church depite being present at the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial has given them and any who have similar attitudes some justification in thinking they are being got at. The point of human rights legislation is that minorities have rights as well.

Moving on to the Bishop of Crediton, he offers the following insight;
"The saying of prayers before meetings is an integral part of the British system of government."

Only this is not so. I served for 4 years on the Redruth Town Council. Never did I hear a prayer in that time - and given that I think only one other member ever attended a place of worship it would have been odd for the situation to be otherwise! I know of many other councils where prayers are not said.

Let me be clear about my position! I am happy to pray with anyone. I am happy to pray with councillors who wish to be prayed with. Equally I am happy to pray with refuse collectors, teachers or nurses who express such a wish. Their responsibilities are at least equal to members of a town council.

But I am not going to force my prayers down those who do not wish them. Why? Some Christians say it does no harm and is tradition. My response is that prayer is a dangerous thing because it opens us up to the living God. And that living God is not the possession of safe bourgeoise understandings to pour holy water on decisions that at times may be contrary to the gospel that proclaims a world in which the might are brought down and the lowly lifted up.

In Islam there is a Quranic verse which speaks of no compulsion in religion. That is the true sentiment of Christianity. When we dare to coerce we move from the spirit of Christ.

So as someone who has occasionally been asked to say prayers at Bideford Town Council where will I stand when the phone next rings? I will not be in solidarity with the National Secular Society whose agenda I am suspicious of. Neither will I be in solidarity with those who wish to inflict prayer on those who dissent from such a practice.

I will gladly pray with those who wish to be prayed with. If only they are present I shall gladly pray although I suspect that this can only be if prayers are brought forward before the meeting so that dissenters can absent themselves. That is why I suggested to the BBC that prayers should be held 6 minutes before the Mayor's entrance. Otherwise, I shall simply give space for silent prayer or reflection which seems to be the desire of the outgoing Mayor.

And this I will do not as an opt out or a climbdown to the National Secular Society. I shall do it as an act of grace because I am totally bowled over by the gracious Christ who treats even those who differ from him with utmost respect.

And if in the process a blow is truck against the domineering monstrosity that is Christendom then I shall be glad to do a little to knock down an edifice that has brought Christianity into disrepute.

In solidarity with Tim Ireland

I have admiration for Tim Ireland who is a crusader for truth. At times his life has been made hell by right wing extremists who have smeared him time and again.

This item concerns a hustings at which Nadine Dorries resorts to smear tactics.

I trust that her conduct will be referredto the appropriate authorities. Why shouldn't the hustings which are a public event be shared with the public?

General Election 2010 - Tactical voting to defeat the Conservatives

And so we come to decision time in the General Election of 2010. A campaign strong on style yet week on substance has run its course. Tomorrow is the day of decision.

For Gordon Brown the decision will be of particular significance. I have often felt frustrated by Brown's premiership yet I believe him to be a fundamentally decent human being. He certainly deserves better than to be targeted by a Conservative Party campaign which is reminiscent of Don Revie's Leeds which seemed to prefer playing the man to playing the ball.

Nobody sane can dispute that the outgoing government has many achievements. Prior to this recession, we had the longest period in most peoples' lifetimes of continuous economic growth. this has enabled public services to improve greatly. The NHS which was woefully underfunded under 18 years of Conservative government is not recognisable today from that inherited. Schools have also received substantial investment. Here in Bideford next Autumn my children will be going to a spanking new Bideford college building which offers great possibilities in an area where aspirations among the young need to be fostered.

Other areas of achievement include the likes of the minimum wage once the subject of fierce Conservative hostility, civil partnerships, devolution and free admission to museums. Indeed the list could become a very long list indeed. And even in this recession whose beginning lie across the Atlantic, this has been a government which has used its powers of intervention to restrain unemployment and the horrors of house repossessions in a way that puts the Thatcher and major government to shame in comparison

Yet not all has gone as one would wish. Brown's light touch regulation of the banks which was always to rigorous in the eyes of the Conservatives, has to be seen as a factor in our recent economic woes. Too often this has been a government which has genuflected before extreme wealth. Civil liberties have not been treated with the respect they should have received. And of course Iraq will be an indelible stain on the Labour Party and those backbenchers who put careers before conscience.

Clearly there is here a fine balance between the positives and the negatives. Such a balance however is not needed in the case of the Conservative Party. I have already mentioned the mendacity of its personalised attack mode. But I cannot stop there. It is time that attention was drawn to the links between the Conservative Party right wing hoodlums and the nihilistic blogger Guido Fawkes. This twice convicted drunk driver has time and again dragged politics into the gutter with nasty smears and innuendos. Only those with the strongest of stomachs should read some of th ehate filled string of comments on his blog. Particularly nasty is his unsavoury sniping regarding the Prime Minister's mental health and the use of the title Prime Mentalist to describe a man far more decent than Paul Staines who pens the blog.

But there are two other reasons why the Conservative Party should be kept from the tillers of power. The first of these is economic related. Throughout the recession Cameron and George Osborne have made wrong call after wrong call. They have lied about the effects that their cuts will have. Their rush to cut creates the real danger of a double dip recession. And ultimately their "Big Society" is a rehash of Thatcher's talk of rolling back the state. What this means is that ordinary working people will be denied a government that is on their side.

Secondly the Conservative failure to embrace democratic electoral reform raises serious questions. Just as they opposed devolution in the late 90s, now they oppose fair votes. There is no way that first past the post can fit in with the realities of a three or even multi party system. That system has died - and rightly. Only an anti democratic party like the Conservatives can justify a system where people vote out of fear rather than desire or where there is precious little correlation between votes cast for a party and parliamentary seats gained. They take this position in part out of a sense of entitlement and in part because they are stuck in an immature game of passing the parcel of government. Arrogantly they demand absolute power which is hardly a panacea when the hung parliaments of Germany produce better economic results than single party government in Greece.

More than that Conservative leaflets have utilsed fear on this issue. I for one hope that the people of Britain have enough balls to resist the politics of fear. Hopefully people will grasp that a political party that does not care about a fair electoral system and which offers no democratic reform of the revising chamber, hardly has the DNA to offer economic or social fairness.

So on polling day the prime aim must be to keep the Conservative Party out of power and failing that to ensure that their power is not such as to constitute what Lord Hailsham called an "elective dictatorship."

I entered this General Election minded to vote Green. they are a fine progressive party who deserve representation. However, I have come to the conclusion that in a Conservative/Liberal Democrat marginal constituency that is a luxury that cannot be afforded. I shall vote Liberal Democrat on polling day. Here the local candidate seems to be a good person with good local knowledge. But I am not a Liberal Democrat. I have huge difficulties with market based Orange Book liberalism. On the other hand I have admired Clegg's refusal to play to the reactionary gallery concerning immigration and his preparedness to challenge Trident renewal. But still I wouldn't really want to vote for the totality of Lib Dem policies. I simply do so because the Conservative Party is resolute in denying me the chance to vote for what I truly believe in. Therefore I have to vote for the party best placed to stop them in my constituency, the party with the clearest commitment to electoral reform amongst the dominant parties. I may be disappointed with how they use their seats but I have no choice but to give them an opportunity.

Progressives will have to make choices based on their localities. I very much hope that Respect and the Green Party make breakthroughs in their target seats. I hope that Labour leftwingers who will challenge neo liberal cuts in public expenditure are successful and I wish the SNP and Plaid Cymru success. And some of that will doubtless come against the Labour Party and I welcome it. But in most places it seems to me that the best means to resist a Conservative winter will quite simply be to vote for whichever of Labour or the Liberal Democrats are best placed to notch up a win over Cameron's horrors.

In recent weeks I have followed the Conservative Party closely. I see little sign of a political party that has changed. Perhaps they have become more socially liberal although even that seems no under threat. The reality is that in economics they are still Thatcherite and no sane person could wish a repeat of the brutality of that era.

I know of no political party that is magic in any meaninful sense. But I do know that for the vulnerable and those with democratic and progressive aspirations, a Conservative government under Cameron would be tragic. That outcome is all to likely. It is a disaster that must be averted.

The great betrayal - A letter sent by me to the Western Morning News and North Devon Journal

I have always tried to see elections as celebrations of democracy. However, I have come to the conclusion that the current General Election is a cause for shame rather than celebration.

Firstly,the emphasis on leadership debates in which precious little gets answered has been a sign of the infantilisation of politics. The manner of reporting in much of the media has been as if we are choosing someone to lead a debating society rather than to be Prime Minister. We have come to a sort of X Factor for ugly people in which greater concern is given to mannerisms and style than substance. Indeed these debates have dominated the campaign squeezing out issues and propogating a presidential view of government rather than of a team working together.

Secondly, the political parties have practiced deception concerning what is to come. Wedded to neo liberal economics as the main parties are, they promise cuts in public expenditure yet no party has given us a clear picture as to where those cuts will fall, preferring instead to hide behind the old chestnut of waste.

On a matter that is especially important to me as a father of teenagers, Labour and the Conservatives have resolutely refused to give any indication as to their intentions concerning university tuition fees. Instead they hide behind the forthcoming report of Lord Browne who as a man once paid millions of pounds a year at BP will surely be sympathetic to student debt problems. Indeed today's Guardian suggests that he is likely to recommend a rise in fees ofabout £,5,000 a year as well as changing the system of calculating interest rates on student loans in a way that will hurt our students. So why won't the politicians come clean now?

Thirdly, we remain stuck with a corrupt electoral system. Votes only really matter in marginals rather than in safe seats where the most useless of MPs can get in time and again if they wear the right coloured rossette. And even in marginals there is a democratic deficit. In the marginal where I live if I vote according to my beliefs which would be to vote Green, I am told that I waste my vote. So to influence the future I have to decide which of the two front runners I disagree with less - in other words a negative rather than a positive vote. And anyhow we face a real possibility that even more than in past elections, there will be an outcome in terms of parliamentary seats that bears no relation to the votes cast by the electorate. That David Cameron stands by this injustice places him in line with the dynassours who until 1832 defended the rotten boroughs.

Fourthly amidst the noise of the past few weeks so many issues have failed to get the attention they deserve. Global warming, mental health, the failure to provide affordable secure housing to so many people and the disgracefully harsh treatment of many asylum seekers are issues that should have been properly discussed. Instead we have had dog whistle politics all too often emanating from media attack dogs owned in the main by quite unsavoury individuals who are prepared to exploit every prejudice and to indulge in wilful misrepresentations to advance their agendas or in the case of Rupert Murdoch to promote his own media power base.

Our democracy has been well and truly stolen from us. I shall vote for just two reasons. The first is that I do not believe that any political party is worthy of total power least of all one that judging by donations received is in hock to the City which has failed us so badly. A balanced Parliament is essential. The second is that it is important to marginalise the BNP which despite the sharp suits remains a malevolent racist force that merits the support of no decent human being let alone Christians who were they to do so would commit a violence on their Lord whose life displayed much respect for those of other races and faiths.

But after May 6th, we need to make every day a polling day in which we stand firm for justice and democracy. We must not be fooled again!

Hope and the vote - A sermon for Easter 5 based on John 13: 31-35 and Acts 11: 1-18

A story is told of an MP who is struck dead in an unforseen accident. Arriving at the gates of heaven he is met by St Peter. "Welcome!" says Peter. "But you present us with a problem: after all it not every day that we meet someone as important as you,so we're not really sure what to do with you."

"Why not just let me in?" the MP says.

"Can't do" replies Peter. "We've seen enough of you guys to know that you're big on choice. So my orders are to let you spend one day in heaven, and the one day in hell - after that you can make the decision as to where you want to spend eternity."

And with that Peter escorts the MP to an elevator and won it goes. Down a very long way before the doors open. And when they do what a sight! A golf course and well at the 19th hole are all the MPs old political friends and sparring partners wearing the most expensive suits milling around drinking and generally enjoying themselves. In no time they are reminiscing with the MP about the expenses they fleeced whilst generally ruining the country. Soon dinner is served and it's of the finest quality - in fact the sort of food you would get at the Mansion House, washed down with the high quality champagne that is enjoyed at such a place, all on the backs of the labours of those struggling on the minimum wage. And meanwhile the devil himself is the most convivial of hosts passing the cigars around.

Too soon it comes to an end. When all is complete everyonebids the MP a hearty farewell. Back into the elevator he goes until he is back to where he had been previously only to find St Peter waiting for him. "Now it's time to visit heaven," he says.

And so the MP enters heaven. But it isn't quite what he wanted. Here he finds teetotal straight faced people. No jokes. Only Sankey hymn with choruses that go on an on. And all of this whilst floating on a crowd. Long before the passage of 24 hours has passed the MP is bored out of his tiny little mind.

On his return, St Peter asks him, "Now that you have spent a day in both hell and heaven which would you like to spend eternity in?

The MP reflects before replying, "I don't want to cause offence but whilst I'm sure heaven is delightful, I think I'd be better off in the other place.

And so St Peter escorts the MP to the elevator and once again it makes the descent. The doors open but the scene is so different than the previous time. This time there is no golf club but a vast waste covered in garbage. The people are no longer wearing those expensive suits but now they are wearing rags as they wonder around picking up the rubbish and putting it into black bags. And all the while the winds are blowing and the rains are coming down.

The devil walks over to the MP and puts an arm around his shoulder. "I don't understand " stammers the MP. "Yesterday it was so wonderful and happy. Now everything is horrible and everyone is miserable. Whatever has gone wrong?"

The devil looks at the MP, smiles and says; "Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted."

If that turns out to be the reality when the General Election is over, regardless of label I only hope that the church raises a loud and forceful note of prophetic protest in the tradition of those noisy Old Testament prophets. After all we come from a tradition which sees Jesus amongst the poor and marginalised and which affirms what we do to the least we do to Jesus himself. Yes, political we are called to be as we are part of community. But whilst we may have our party loyalties they can never be unqualified for our ultimate loyalty is to Christ and not to any would be Caesar.

So what do we learn from today's scripture readings? Our gospel reading takes place under the shadow of Judas Iscariot going out into the night to carry out his work of betrayal. Now Jesus speaks to his followers of the importance of love. And the love he asks them to have for each other is the same sort of love that he has shown them. A big one that for his love for them has been a forgiving unconditional love that only hours later will take him to a cross.

Don't we begin to feel uncomfortable about that? Don't we get the feeling that this is something beyond us? Yet it is love that attracts to Christ more than any of our dogmatics or even our lengthy sermons. No wonder the 2nd century Christian theologian Tertullian spoke of how those outside the Christian faith community would observe with wonder, "See how these Christians love one another."

Yes, love attracts. Like a flame it spreads and certainly those times a Christian community is not a place of love, it becomes effectively a contradiction.

And yet there is always a temptation to keep love as being for those who are like ourselves. Even at a football match I sense a special bond amongst those who support the same team. Can it not also be true of Christians? Can we end up erecting walls around our faith that we become those who in Jonathan Swift's immortal words have "enough religion to hate but not enough to make us love one another." If you have not witnessed this for yourselves, just read the pages of Christian history or look at the images of religious sectarianism from Northern Ireland or even at an Old Firm football match in Glasgow. Yes there is always the temptation that thinking we are standing for what is right, we can end up stamping all over others. That is why at the Bideford hustings a fortnight ago I protested vehemently at the notion of Christians being exempted from anti discrimination laws.

For true love inevitably cannot just be held within a community protected by walls. True love has to spread outside. And that is what we see happening in our scripture reading from Acts. One of the controversies within the early church was over those who had never been Jews coming into the Christian community. Paul as apostle to the gentiles, dedicated much of his life to this particular controversy. Peter was not by nature quite so enthusiastic. We know that even after what we have read of today, that he and paul clashed on this subject. But still we have read about what is a conversion of sorts. Peter has had a vision that has led him to Cornelius and there the sort of thing that wasn't supposed to happen had happened. Gentiles had been converted, baptised and received the Holy Spirit without benefit of circumcision. No longer could he see foreigners or outsiders as unclean. The bonds of love had spread in directions that he could not have envisaged. Why? Because people of all races are valued and loved by God.

This reminds us of a sacred duty that we face next Thursday. We in this congregation will probably make a range of choices after considering the matter. But on one matter we can be united. And that matter is rejecting those who peddle exclusion on grounds of race, religion or sexuality. I am not allowed to say who you should or should not vote for. But I will say as a minister that there is no option to embrace that extreme party who peddle negative attitudes to asylum seekers, black people Muslims and so forth. To do so is to put oneself in opposition to Christ with all that that means regarding our eternal salvation. After all we follow the same Jesus who in his parable of the Good Samaritan shows us a Jewish man learning not just to tolerate one of other race and faith but to see such a person as one to whom he might be grateful.

On Thursday, I encourage you to go to the polling booths even if you feel led to spoil your ballot paper. That you attend will be a sign that hope can triumph over hatred. But then don't think it is over. Let every day be polling day. Let every day be a day when though our words and deed, we register our vote for inclusion that the dark powers of exclusion might be kept at bay.