Power, politicians and TV presenters

Philip Schofield, Holly Willoughby and This Morning do not seem an obvious starting point for the lead political story of the week. Indeed, it's fascinating that an entertainment story is so dominating the headlines when there are many other issues that demand our attention.

But there is a direct line that connects the Schofield scandal with a number of recent political stories – and that connecting line is the misuse, or abuse of power.

Commanding far fewer column inches and broadcast minutes are stories about politicians covering up ‘unwise behaviour.’

One such story broke in the last 24 hours. It involves allegations of sexual harassment against a Labour MP who has been suspended, pending an inquiry. A couple of weeks ago politics in Wales was dominated by the report into the culture of bullying and misogyny in Plaid Cymru. Last week it was the Home Secretary asking whether she could sit her Speed Awareness Course alone, and before that came the report on Dominic Raab’s ‘intimidating’ conduct towards civil servants.

Similar stories have always circulated in political life, and not just in the UK. Some might even suggest that it is to be expected in the mucky business or bear-pit that is politics. Others say that it is the reporting of such stories that has increased recently, rather than the prevalence of the behaviour. There may be some truth in that claim, because it is a fact that we are now far less likely to tolerate bullying and harassment. That is a thoroughly good development.

But misuse of power reflects not just a failure of character in a few individuals: it is in line with a wider expectation of how we expect the powerful to behave. We almost expect politicians to misuse their power. There is even a collective phrase coined for the harassment stories coming out of politics in recent times – “Pestminster scandals.”

But this is a broken model of power.

In the Bible we see a very different plan for how power is to be used.

The account of Creation speaks of a God who gifts power to his image-bearers, us humans, so that we can create, cultivate, and enrich the earth.

God uses His power to empower us, and that leads to the earth being filled with vibrant diversity and colour. God did not cling to power to dictate, control, or exploit those He created.

It is a pattern we see in Jesus. The Word became flesh, not to command an army but to wash the feet of his disciples. The Holy Spirit fills us with God’s power to emulate Christ in empowering not manipulating our neighbour.

Last week I was struck by a story about Tim Keller. Tish Harrison Warren, an American Anglican priest who writes for the New York Times noted how Tim Keller regularly contacted her to encourage her, especially after she had experienced criticism.

They held different theological positions on a number of issues, she wrote, “he was (always) in pursuit of truth and kindness, not point scoring… (In him) I saw what a Christian Leader should be like…. Tim, of course, wasn’t the only one, but he certainly was a shining light that proved Christian leaders could steadfastly exhibit intelligence, integrity, graciousness and countercultural kindness.” (NY Times, Opinion piece, 28 May 2023). In the eulogies for Tim Keller, her story was not an isolated one: he seems to have used his power in a way that mirrored Jesus and reflected the grace he himself had experienced.

Power should never be something we grab to satisfy our own desires, but a gift we give away. As the Christian author Andy Crouch writes, power is a gift “because power is for flourishing. When power is used well, people and the whole cosmos come more alive to what they were meant to be. And flourishing is the test of power.” (Playing God: Redeeming the gift of power)

Of course, the opposite is also true: when power is misused, it diminishes others, whether interns in a TV studio, civil servants in Whitehall, or volunteers and junior staff members in a political party. Power can be used to abuse groups, to oppress nations, ethnic groups and minorities, or exploit the creation we are called to steward. We cannot be blind to how power is used in a fallen world in individual lives and geopolitical decisions. Politicians do not always realise how dangerous their power can be.

But there are times when politicians don’t have the confidence to use the power they do have. There will be times when they remain silent when they should speak up; times they when are still when they should be acting; times where they don’t exercise their power, because the road is too difficult. That may be the case for some on debates around the beginning and end of life, gender, or immigration. Let us encourage politicians to be courageous in using their power to advocate for what is good and to restrain what is not.

If politics is seen as a game of power let us not play by the world’s rules. It is time that we challenged our culture’s attitude to power. It is time for an authentic Christian witness of how to use power well in the public square. It is time for Christian politicians, and those in the public square, to be supported by us to use their power as Jesus did – enabling others to flourish.

And let the Church stand as a witness to a better way. Rather than see ourselves as a persecuted minority we can dwell on the hope we have in the power of the gospel to transform (Romans 1:16) and our identity as those in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). We have the power to do more than roll our eyes and sigh when hearing about Philip Schofield or the latest politician to misuse their power. We have the power to promote and do what is good in God’s sight.