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In line with the Centre's aims, it seeks to "provide informed, credible and practical comment and analysis, rooted in biblical reflection and theological thought" on contemporary matters of broad public concern in Ireland.

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Voting, Cynicism and Paddy Power

“For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.”

1Peter 2:13-16

Even Paddy Power isn’t much interested. In the national result on 5 May, that is. Blair, Brown and Company are as close to a lock as you can get, and the 1-25 odds from Mr. Power prove it. With the eventual Labour victory all but assured, and our local races dominated by party political ambition, it seems perfectly reasonable to be less than gripped with anticipation of election day. ‘Leave politics to the politicians,’ all-too-easily becomes the rallying cry of a Coalition of the Unwilling, whether due to principle, cynicism, or, let’s be honest, sloth.

Yet this cry rings hollow when we consider our hallowed Christian calling. The logic of Paddy Power is a world away from that of God’s Kingdom. We bring our faith into the public square by voting not because we expect to cast the deciding vote, and not because we can get good odds from a bookie. Rather, we make our voice heard because God within us will not remain silent, will not give into cynicism.

We participate in the political process, including voting, because we believe that the Holy Spirit is there, working out God’s plan in spite of the mess that we humans make of this world. We Christians are called to take part in that work as best we can. This is what it means in a democracy to ‘accept the authority of every human institution.’ We may not always understand how the Spirit is working, but we know with faithful confidence that the work is ongoing, and that we are called to take our part in it.

We do this not by grumbling apathetically to the TV, but by speaking into the public square, even if our voice seems a small and insignificant vote. We know the comfort, power and hope that can come when such still small voices are filled with the Spirit.

The good news that comes from those voices is desperately needed in our society. If we do not make our voice heard, through voting and other public action, the work of the Spirit will go on, but we will have missed our role in that labour of love. And we will hardly ‘silence the ignorant talk’ of those who suggest we are apathetic and uncaring about the public good.

Some may object that Christians don’t have any perfect options in modern elections. Better not to soil one’s hands with the dirty laundry of party politics. Such principled people may even laudably involve themselves in public life, but find the partisanship of voting too much to bear.

But there is no substitute for voting. Not voting is an abdication of responsibility that no amount of other public work can replace, because the act of voting is an absolutely unique participation in public life. To abstain is to use freedom as a pretext for evil, misunderstanding it as freedom from responsibility rather than freedom to be responsible.

And as Christians open to the working of the Holy Spirit in a fallen world, we can remain confident that participation in politics need not precipitate our personal pollution. Our voting, like all of our public actions, is in this world, but not of it. Because of our faith, that’s not even much of a gamble.

David Buckley

Watch www.contemporarychristianity.org in the coming weeks for a resource on people of faith acting in the moral murk of politics in the book of Esther.

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