Time to send a ‘May Day’ signal!

Time to send a ‘May Day’ signal! (Writer’s Opinion)

By Charles Gardner, Special to ASSIST News Service

DONCASTER, UK (ANS – July 16, 2016) -- “May Day” was how one of Britain’s top-selling tabloids greeted the announcement of Theresa May as its new Prime Minister.

It was quite appropriate, really, as the country reels from the shock of the referendum vote to leave the European Union. But there is indeed a call for much alarm and “dis-may.” For in spite of appearances of calm assurance, we are all at sea as a nation, and rapidly heading for the rocks, unless…

The short-term effect, from Israel’s perspective, is helpful. Both Mrs. May and new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson are friends of the Jewish state. But just as God expects more from his chosen people than mere survival and economic prosperity, so he does of Great Britain which has experienced huge blessing over the centuries. As our Lord said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required…” (Luke 12.48 ESV) More than anything else, God wants his people to repent of their waywardness and return to him.

Yet in her speech outside No 10 Downing Street, the PM’s official residence, Mrs. May made a priority of commending her predecessor on the “social justice” he had achieved by changing the law on marriage to allow people of the same sex to wed. [1] And I’m led to believe that Mrs. May (as Home Secretary) had encouraged David Cameron on this measure in order to appeal to Britain’s gay community.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn also commended the outgoing PM on this achievement while reminding him that it wouldn’t have passed without Labour support. And Mr. Cameron himself told Parliament in response that a comment of gratitude from one of his staff, who had benefited from the new law, was among the highlights of his time in office.

When I think of social reform, I think of the Bible-believing evangelical leaders of the 19th century like slave trade abolitionist William Wilberforce and those who campaigned against child labor like Lord Shaftesbury and James Montgomery. [2]

But instead of hanging our heads in shame at the brazen promotion of homosexuality (see Romans 1.26 & 27), our political leaders actually boast about it! And it is seen as among an otherwise competent Prime Minister’s special legacies.

As to Wilberforce, the abolition of slavery was only one element of his two-pronged goal, the other being to effect a “reformation of manners” in the nation, by which he meant moral reform and a return to living by biblical principles. And with the help of great gospel preachers, he lived to see his nation receive a “new heart” expressed in compassion for men and love for God. Now we are enslaved by sin, selfishness, secularism – and much besides.

Most of us are aware that we in the UK are sailing in choppy, uncharted waters and that, if we are not careful, the ship of state will crash onto the rocks. Yes, it’s time to send that “May Day” signal!

The urgent need of the hour is to return to the Lord who has never failed us in the past. When we turned as a nation to prayer as the dark shadow of Nazism hung over our shores, God delivered us through the miracle of Dunkirk which saw a host of little ships rescue our men, and our hopes.

Who among our leaders now is brave enough to call the nation back to prayer and godly living?

Notes

1) By contrast to Mrs. May, the vicar’s daughter, Margaret Thatcher, the grocer’s daughter, nailed her colors to the mast by quoting the Prayer of St Francis on entering No 10 in 1979: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith…” True, she made many enemies because she refused to compromise over principles, but her motivation was undoubtedly borne of faith.

2) Wilberforce and Lord Shaftesbury were also at the forefront of promoting Jewish restoration, both physically to the land and spiritually to the Lord.

Photo captions: 1) Theresa May outside her new home at 10 Downing Street, London. 2) Theresa May and her husband, Philip, entering Downing Street.  3) Theresa May meets with the Queen at Buckingham Palace to present her credentials. (EPA). 4) The “Iron Lady” -- Margaret Thatcher. 5) Charles Gardner with his wife, Linda.

About the writer: Charles Gardner is a veteran Cape Town-born British journalist working on plans to launch a new UK national newspaper reporting and interpreting the news from a biblical perspective. With his South African forebears having had close links with the legendary devotional writer Andrew Murray, Charles is similarly determined to make an impact for Christ with his pen and has worked in the newspaper industry for more than 41 years. Part-Jewish, he is married to Linda, who takes the Christian message around many schools in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster. Charles has four children and nine grandchildren. He is the author of Peace in Jerusalem, available from http://olivepresspublisher.com. Charles can be reached by phone on +44 (0) 1302 832987, or by e-mail at chazgardner@btinternet.com .

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