I want to begin with John Wesley’s manifesto by way of food for thought and by way of introduction to what I really want to say:

Let me continue firstly by stating my latest blog is as a result of lots of things coming together that will appear to most as unrelated. Secondly, politically speaking, I am neither a Christian of the Left nor of the Right and hold Republican and Democrat, Conservative and Labour all in disdain, while fearing that these days the Dems and Labour are more succumbing to Satan’s devices when operating in Prince of Darkness mode while GOP and Cons are more leaning toward Satan when posing as an angel of light (my last two blogs raised concerns over Donald Trump, to which I add his pandering to Zionism) – both of which look to be making the way to usher in the reign of the Antichrist. Thirdly, I know this will upset those on the Left and the Right, but having been going through the Book of Jeremiah in our daily devotionals, I only care what God thinks.

Let me begin with the seventeenth century Puritan preacher and tinker, John Bunyan, who spent many years in prison over matters of conscience – he refused to be shut up by them in power when it came to sharing what the Lord had laid on his heart (something, methinks, a fate many of his ilk are facing today and as events unravel are likely to face soon). I am down to give some talks on the Puritans, of which Bunyan is the best known example, so the issue of what was once banded around as the Non-Conformist conscience is a pertinent one. Checking out Wikipedia (see here), the term began to be used in the nineteenth century and applied to dissenters (since referred to as Non-Conformists) who got involved in politics with a particular interest in what we now refer to as social justice issues. Later, this interest was taken up by the Labour Party, about which concerns and priorities “Christians on the Left” (see here for their website) seem to be gravitating toward.

According to their website “Christians on the Left exists primarily to support, resource and network Christians involved on the left of politics in the UK, but we now also have members all over the world. We are renewing politics on the Left, fighting injustice, campaigning, praying and supporting Christians involved in politics in the UK”. One of my “Christians on the Left” friends posted on his Facebook page a video of an event that has only just taken place “Labour Party Conference Church Service 2024”. I haven’t followed all of it but what I did I could agree with whole-heartedly. As a community activist I can relate to some of the Christians getting involved in social justice issues as having led from the front, along with Christians on the Left and Right.

When I googled the subject, I found the interesting quote: “It’s often said the Socialism of the British Labour Party “owes more to Methodism than Marxism””. Methinks today’s Labour Party that can’t define a woman, looks to the WEF for solutions, supports unjust wars, demonises those who express disquiet at the way the country is going e.g. letting in too many foreigners that do not subscribe to what were once seen as traditional British values as far right racists, moving to shut down free speech and threatens to imprison those who believe LBGT folk could and should be straight, is not one, unlike my Christians on the Left friends, I can join.  All of which brings me onto John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

But before that, let me mention a hero of many Christians of the Left, that happens to be my hero too, Frank Field, who died earlier this year. According to Wikipedia: “Frank Ernest Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead, CH, PC, DL (16 July 1942 – 23 April 2024) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Birkenhead for 40 years, from 1979 to 2019, serving as a Labour MP until 2018 and thereafter sitting as an independent. In 2019, he formed the Birkenhead Social Justice Party and stood unsuccessfully as its sole candidate in the 2019 election. After leaving the House of Commons, he was awarded a life peerage in 2020 and sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. From 1997 to 1998, Field served as Minister of Welfare Reform in Tony Blair’s first government. Field resigned following differences with Blair; as a backbencher, he soon became one of the Labour government’s most vocal critics”.

There are four British politicians in my lifetime I put in the most admired category and all of them were independent thinkers and men of faith. Two were Conservative: Teddy Taylor and David Amess (both who served as Southend MPs). Two were Labour:  Tony Benn and Frank Field. I recall a conversation I once had with David Amess about Frank Field, concerning his faith and political priorities. It became clear that David much admired Frank, and it spoke volumes about both of them. Frank was a good example of the sort of person Christians that wish to be politically involved might want to follow, especially in relating to the matter of conscience.

When I shared the meme (at the start of this blog) on my Facebook page it was to the delight of some of my ideological detractors, including Christians on the Left. I can’t be certain that John Wesley said all that but it is entirely consistent with what we know about the man. While I wasn’t aware if he had spent time in jail (unlike Bunyan) but like Bunyan he put matters of conscience before that of expediency and hanging back due to fear of those who would attack him, including physically. If we read his diaries, we will find that is what happened to him on several occasions. Moreover, it is likely he would turn in his grave if he saw the state of much of modern day Methodism. He fervently preached the gospel and this included pressing home the fact that we are all sinners under God’s judgment and are destined for Hell. Everyone needed to repent and turn to Christ, and was the only way to find salvation. Along with stressing the importance of living holy lives that pleased the Lord and addressing the afore-mentioned social justice issues, it was these things that he devoted his life to doing after he had been converted.

I do not wish to tell my Christians on the Left, Christians on the Right and Trump and Israel can either do no right or do no wrong friends what to do and I couldn’t care less if I end up in your good books providing I am faithful to the Lord. But I do say that matters of conscience, social justice and preaching the true gospel all matter, and pray there will be those in politics raised up that do all three.