Social media is, it seems, awash with comment on the General Election results, some posts much more edifying than others.  Euphoria in some places, devastation in others, and a fair degree of bewilderment.

I am reluctant to comment for fear of misunderstanding or inadvertently causing hurt or offence (so why am I typing this, I ask myself!) and at the same time feel it would be remiss to say nothing.

A number of scriptural injunctions strike me, and especially these two:

1 Timothy 2: 1 - 4

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Whatever we may feel about the MPs who now represent us locally, or who must work together in some way or other nationally, we are to pray for them, not about them or against them.  Whilst we hear stories of scandal , and whilst there is a lot of mud slinging from pretty much every direction, most politicians are genuine hardworking people who are prepared to give of themselves in the service of others. To pray for them - for wisdom, for integrity, for honesty, for generosity of spirit - can only be a good thing.

Some of my readers will be feeling relieved or happy today.  Others will be feeling devastated or unhappy.  The call to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep is a hard one, especially when the two coexist.  There is a risk that the 'being all things to all people' as the Apostle Paul advocates, can end up with us begin left in bits ourselves.  But for me it's the right call.

Of course I have feelings about the outcomes locally, nationally and UK-wide.  The challenge is to channel those feelings in a positive direction.

This election has crystalised some of my political thinking, not along any party line, but in regard to process.  Over the coming days I will be giving some thought and prayer to what I do with that.

This is a bit of a stream of consciousness mind dump!

When I was in my teens, I don't recall voting ever being mentioned in church.  What I learned about the democratic process I owe to my Girls' Brigade Queen's Award, which required us to study UK politics (of the time), understand how local government worked, attend a council meeting and answer exam questions on the whole of this!  My Dad's life long inteterest in politics, and his dyed-in-the-wool Conservative outlook was also influential - from a young age it was drilled into all of us that we must always vote (and vote Tory, for that matter!).

I recall what I think was the first General Election in which I was eilgible to vote and rousing my Dad's ire as I cast my vote for the newly emergent SDP... so much so that I never dared vote other than his party line for a long time!

A lot of water has flown under the political bridge since then, and my views on politics (more than my views on issues) have changed a lot.  Having been schooled by my Dad in the merits of the current first past the post system, it was a long time before I began to think more deeply about this, eventually coming to the view that some form of proprotional representation had to be better... whether it be the Single Transferrable Vote or (one of) the Alternative Vote systems, none is perfect, but increasing they would suit my fence-sitting, floating-voter self better.  This time around I narrowed my field to three out of seven candidates, and would have much preferred to rank those than choose one... ah well.  I made my choice and am at peace about that decision.  My Dad would be pleased I voted... but not about the three I picked from!

This year I've allocated three Sundays to focus on topics around the election... and so have many other ministers in many other churches (indeed for some it has been five or six week!).  That seems like a step change, as if the church is finally waking up to its role in helping to shape the wider society and the need to get it's collective hands dirty.

I'm apprehensive about Sunday, and I've said so many, many times.  I'm not someone who is excited and energised by party politics or the electoral process, but I recognise the need to engage with it, and to think hard and pray hard about it.  I'm more interested in what might be termed micro-politics, things like the choices I make in the supermarket, where I bank, which brand of cat food I buy (though at the moment I have no choice on that one).  I'm glad there are Christians interested in macro-politics, party politics, national and international politics... the challenge is how best to support them.

As my old Dad used to say, people died to get you the vote, so get out and vote.  And whoever you vote for remember that's just the start of it - we mustn't abdicate our responsibility to work for the changes we claim to desire whether local, national or global.

From the C of E via a Baptist friend in Wales.

Please vote, it is very important.