I’ve watched this election with more than a passing fascination – I’ll be honest, I have a tendency at times to be a political animal, and at times my behaviour could easily become, well, animal. So much so that I have brought it before the Lord in repentance. In his grace, I believe he has spoken clearly.

Firstly, why are we so obsessed with politics in the West? We are riven as believers, divided by loyalties to the party rather than to Christ. As such, we take on the character of ideals we uphold, rather than Christ. Does it really achieve much? The Lord tells us plainly that he brings all man’s efforts to futility, if they are not of him. All of them. When did any goverment last reference Jesus Christ publicly?

Compare that to what happened with the early Disciples, and with what is now happening around the world (soon to be in the West I believe). We really have lost the simplicity of God’s master stroke of genius that enabled 11 disenfranchised disciples, comprising mostly illiterates, and a toxic pharisee to take the Gospel to the Praetorium guard, Herod’s Palace, the throne of the Emperor and across the entire Asian continent that included merchants, slaves and the elite.

The New Testament begins amongst a complex, exclusive religion based on costume, geography and politics which led to catastrophe. Jesus takes us somewhere else entirely. So convinced were Jesus’ followers that he had it right, they were compelled to share the story and the Gospel moved rapidly, forming into movements down social networks of every strata. The Spirit moved it, everyone participated and society was changed from the ground up. It will never be changed from the top down.

The government of the day, the politics of the day were relevant only so far as the Gospel could be moved up and down them.

Around the globe everything is in place once again for a return to the original model that will “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) where Jesus is the centre, where the noise vanishes.

All of us are invited to join, but we will have to learn to leave our traditions, our ideals, politics – all of it behind. We will only succeed by doing it Jesus’ way.