Popular

So Boris Johnson survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership. Some say he should go anyway. They say 59% of the vote isn’t enough to command the party. Others say a win is a win in a democratic vote. It just depends on your view. Or rather, whether you want Boris to stay or go. Politicians always hope to survive. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it? Being around long enough to win the next election. Perhaps we could say it’s about being popular enough. And that’s where Boris might come undone at the next election. Popularity isn’t his strong point with the voters apparently, most of whom (at least of those who’ve been surveyed) want him to go. Guess we’ll find out at the next election. Popularity isn’t a mark of the Christian though is it? It certainly wasn’t of it’s leader Jesus. He was born in obscurity with just a few shepherds on a hill and some animals to notice. Most people had no idea what was happening. He made a point it seems of upsetting the authorities, both Jewish and Roman, by the the things he did and said. And he upset the religious people too. In fact he upset them so much that they were the ones who handed him over to the Romans. Pilate famously wanted to wash his hands of the whole crucifixion thing, but the crowd, inspired by the religious authorities, bayed for his blood. So crucifixion it was. Hardly the mark of a popular leader. Followers of Jesus weren’t that popular either. Following Jesus they wanted to live a different way, upsetting all the accepted norms of society. Let’s face it, if everyone has equal worth, it’s not good news for those who are far more important. is it? It’s not good news for slavery or poverty or patriarchy either really is it? What’s remarkable is just how much followers of Jesus have in fact changed the world simply because they have followed the teaching of Jesus. Issues like human dignity, equality, education and justice have their roots in the teaching of Jesus. I’m reading a book about all this right now and it’s amazing when you realise how much influence the man Jesus, and his teaching, has had throughout the world. But he wasn’t popular. And often his teaching has not been received as popular. We’re still wrestling with it actually. Still making progress towards putting it into practice. We are still wrestling with his teaching on forgiveness (unless it’s only me who finds it hard to forgive). We’re still wrestling with his teaching about wealth and how to handle it. I understand why Boris wants to carry on in leadership. I understand why, for politicians, popularity is so important. Or at least being popular enough! For followers of Jesus though, there may be something more important than being popular. Or even being popular enough. If we are, really, followers of Jesus, then perhaps following, and living his teaching is more important. And that is true whether it makes us popular or not. Just like for Jesus.