Pray he will follow our Queen in acknowledging a far greater authority
By Charles Gardner
LONDON, JULY 26, 2019 – As a Christian who believes in God’s great eternal purposes for Israel as spelled out in the Bible, I welcome the choice of Boris Johnson as Britain’s new Prime Minister. And I will pray for him; he certainly needs it.
He has indicated strong support for the Jewish state – in sharp contrast to the message from the official opposition – describing himself as a “passionate Zionist” for whom wild horses wouldn’t keep him away from visiting Israel as British premier1.
But there are other factors that leave cause for concern, not least the unprecedented move into No 10 of a Prime Minister setting up home with his live-in girlfriend – hardly a suitable role model for family life in a country already beset by major problems in this area.
I warmed to him when he first appeared on the political scene in his jovial, gung-ho, ‘can do’ style, and I am particularly encouraged by his apparently unequivocal rhetoric on Brexit – always on the important basis of regaining our national sovereignty. It’s fudging on the issue that has caused much of the division in the nation.
And I would hope that his no-nonsense attitude on Europe would be extended to wider horizons in order better to deal with irksome regimes like Iran which will no doubt be one of his big tests in light of the oil tanker crisis.
We have been tainted and weakened for too long as a soft target in view of our constant appeasement of dictators over the past century – first the Arabs, then the Nazis, and now Iran.
Humanly-speaking, Boris seems the best candidate for years capable of turning the tide of Britain’s propensity for pussy-footing about with dictators. But again, he will need our prayers for the wisdom, strength and authority to deliver. And as one who loves to be loved, and hates to be hated – no doubt the effects of an insecure childhood – this is obviously no guarantee.
As a light-hearted, if a little worrying aside, I have three times read in recent days of his childhood ambition to be ‘World King’, the infamous role played by the so-called Anti-Christ in the last days before Christ’s return.2
But Londoners assure me that he performed extremely well as Mayor of that great city, except in the case of the buses carrying adverts supporting gay lifestyle when he apparently intervened to prevent Christians from responding with an ad campaign of their own.
I don’t know Boris, but have met several members of his delightful family including his father Stanley who I heard on the radio suggesting that climate change would be an even bigger issue than Brexit for his son to deal with.
But this would be such a distraction from reality. I note that Education Secretary Damian Hinds is encouraging pupils to berate parents for leaving their car engines running at the school gates in view of the adverse effects on children of the fumes3. Though I commend Johnson’s general optimism, he must distance himself from this sort of politically-correct nonsense if he is to impact the real world.
Israel is also infected by godless cultural changes that have swept the West, but these are merely signs of coming judgment on such sin and lawlessness, as with the increasing violence that preceded the great flood through which only the righteous Noah and his family were saved. (Genesis 6.11)
At some stage the likes of Boris will have to give an account to God for their actions (2 Cor 5.10) which are better based on faith than human wisdom. I am not talking of merely assenting to a set of beliefs, as he might have done many times in Eton’s school chapel, but of acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and humbly bowing the knee to the Suffering Servant who will soon return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Humility is required. Jesus, though he was God, became man and humbled himself, even to death on a cruel execution stake. Boris should follow the lead of our Queen in acknowledging the awesome authority and power of someone far greater than her. The most important decision the new Prime Minister will ever make is whether or not he bows the knee to Christ as his redeemer and Lord!
1World Israel News, 23rd July 2019, quoting Jewish News
2Sebastian Shakespeare’s Saturday Essay, Daily Mail, July 20th 2019
3The Times, July 22nd 2019