Ever get sick of your own voice? 

Chat to any of my friends and they’ll tell you I can talk for Britain but sometimes even I get fed up with my own voice.  I can waffle on and on putting the world to rights.  Yet there is a point where I either have to start living out some of my ideas or stop talking.  Because otherwise I’m just giving people a headache.

It’s  the same with visions of ‘the good life’, the Kingdom story.

One of our recent graduates told us that when she signed up for the Leadership Programme she was really uncomfortable with the idea of Christians working in the political world.  ‘Political’ Christians seemed to be fundamentalist; speaking from a place of privilege and affirming an unquestionable respect for those in power.  Romans 13 seemed to be quoted a lot.

So when she entered the year her big question was how could a Kingdom story not only be articulated but lived out in the world of politics?  How could Christians engage in a way that preserved distinctiveness but not privilege and encouraged grace-filled transformation?

Chatting to her as the year drew to a close she told me that through her voluntary placement and the Friday study days she’d come to see that as Christians engage in politics, as with all spheres of life, Christ dwells richly within them equipping them as a force for transformation rather than maintaining power and privilege for the Christian.  In her words: 

“As we inhabit this story of love, redemption, resurrection and restoration, by displaying a relationship with the creator of the universe and in accordance with his law and just order, it actually liberates our human-ness, this in turn cements our community and promotes peace and justice for all.”

She got it.

‘Living it’ is crucial. 

Let’s be people who articulate a coherent story for society that is good for all, through our active participation in culture as much as by our words.  

Hi, I’m Katie McAvoy, an alumnus of the Institute for Faith and Culture run by CARE and formerly the IFC’s Associate Director.  I’ve been involved with the CARE Leadership Programme since 2008. 

The Programme equips the rising generation of Christians (that’s you and me!) to be leaders in the world of public policy and wider culture.  If what I’ve been talking about excites you then you can find out more about the Programme by visitingwww.care.org.uk/leadershipprogramme.

The application process for the 2012-13 intake is now open and the application form can be accessed online.