Hi Sarah B

Thank you for your comment at Provoketive Magazine (http://provoketive.com). We’re creating a space of rich conversation about life, faith, justice and culture without judgment. Our desire is to provoke the reader’s imagination through conversation and open up spaces of dialogue, learning, and hope.  We want to invite you to come back soon and continue to participate in the conversation. 

Thank you,
Jonathan Brink
Provoketive Magazine

You posted the following comment:
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What a sad state of affairs. In the UK there are members of the Parliamentary Christian Group belonging to almost every party - from the Left to the Right via the middle (which you don't seem to have?). Here faith and politics have never been closely tied, possibly because for a long time anyone not belonging to the Established Church was excluded from the political process. Only with the Acts of Emancipation (1859, 1879) were non-Conformists, Dissenters and those of other faiths included. Socialism (in the moderate form of the Labour Party) was founded on Christian roots and the Christian Socialist Movement still has influence within that political party. 
My plea to those more on the Left would be; do not abandon the church - work from within to challenge and bring change to congregations so that gospel values - loving and providing for the poor, the weak, the abandoned, the marginalised and unloved - shape your programs and preaching, rather than politics.
My plea to those on the Right would be; take seriously the teaching of Jesus about caring for the widow and orphan, take seriously the teaching of James that faith without works (of mercy, grace and giving) is dead.
My plea to you all; talk to each other instead of shouting at each other. Learn to value the things that unite you - belief in the trinitarian God who made, loves and saves the world, including the neighbours you disagree with - more than you value the things that  separate you. Finally, pray together that you can so manifest the grace, mercy and love of God that you dazzle your neighbours with the picture of God you show them by the very lives you live.