Sir Keir Starmer has resigned, and Britain is to have its seventh Prime Minister in ten years.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party won a landslide victory in the 2024 General Election with the simple slogan, “Change”. But the electorate has been dissatisfied with the change that has been delivered. Two years on, the former Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has burst on to the national political scene as the favourite to become the next PM, with the slogan “Change Labour”.
There appears to be a growing hunger for change throughout the world. This is understandable – our world abounds with unhappiness, unfairness, violence and poverty, and deep dissatisfaction.
But the conviction that all political and social change must inevitably be an improvement on what has gone before is actually a modern phenomenon. In the ancient world the desire of both rulers and ruled was usually for stability, order and continuity with the past. For instance, a Roman who aspired to a seat in the Senate and promised to bring change, would have had to explain what he intended to change, what he wanted to change it into, and why it needed to be changed.
What has inspired this modern obsession with change as an end in itself? Perhaps it is a projection into politics of Darwinism – if all life evolves from imperfect to perfect, from simple to complex, societies must do the same. It could be the influence of Marxism – history is progressing towards a glorious new order free from injustice, exploitation and poverty. It could also be a hangover from the view of some Christian churches that God is working through them to bring about a new order of righteousness, peace and justice.
However, the evidence of history confirms the Bible’s view, that humankind is incapable of creating utopia: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’ (Jeremiah 17:9). Change is needed, and it will come, but not by our own efforts.
One day, God will indeed bring change to this world, at the return of Jesus Christ: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17). That will be a change on such a scale that it will turn upside down all the plans, policies and election promises of this world’s politicians. And that will be a real change for which we can all hope and pray.
The immediate question for each of us is this: are we ready for Christ’s return?
Paul Wasson
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