So we have a coalition government in Britain and the youngest Prime Minister in 200 years. Much has been made of the historic changes in the state of UK politics--it is worth remembering that no party went into this election really looking to form a coalition movement, the politics were essentially business as usual. It was the electorate who, if you will, forced the hands of power, by not granting majority power to any group. The Tories came close, but that wasn't surprising really after 13 years of Labour and an increasingly difficult economic state. I hear on American radio that there is a 'trend to the right' in Europe, I am not so sure, I think votes in an election are often a judgement or critique on those who have held majority power and not lived up to their campaign promises. This coalition government now has the chance to see things differently and to act accordingly--then we might have something to talk about in terms of a new political climate. They will have to move well past co-operation into collaboration--a task that is never easy because giving up things held dearly is a part of the equation for all concerned in such a venture.
I wish there was a way churches could be 'forced' to rethink how they do what they do--the vote in religious worlds is demonstrated by the feet--people leave, but it would be very cool if there were ways for communities to challenge the ways things are done in the some way as this election seems to have done.
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