Of all the tributes following the recent death of Labour politician John Prescott, one particularly struck me as poignant. Conservative politician Michael Heseltine could not, at first glance, be more different from John Prescott. Prescott was the son of a railway signalman who left school at 15 to join the merchant navy. Heseltine was the son of a factory owner with a privileged upbringing and a public-school education. Both sat on different benches during long Parliamentary careers, firstly in the House of Commons and later in the Lords.
And yet, when John Prescott died, one of the first politicians to pay tribute was Michael Heseltine. He recounted a story of when a documentary was being made about his own life, and John Prescott was asked to contribute to it. Prescott had made a telling comment in that film about Heseltine which the conservative politician was only too happy to reciprocate. John Prescott had observed that whilst they had come from opposite ends of the political and social spectrum, a common cause had seen them join forces and, in Prescott’s words, “meet in the middle”. That cause was a concern for the underprivileged in Liverpool and other large cities across Britain. Their upbringing and political heritage may have shaped them, but an open and enquiring mind and a common humanity, had brought them together.
This week our theme is hope, and this story does give me hope. If this attitude was seen in all leaders in our world today, we can only imagine the difference that would make.
It might be tempting to use the idea of “meeting in the middle” as an analogy to describe our relationship with Jesus. Tempting but not, I would suggest, accurate. Jesus does not ask us to move or change before we can encounter him. He meets us wherever we are, here and now. To quote the memorable passage from Revelations:-
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelations 3: v20)
And yet, in meeting us where we are, Jesus then takes us on a journey. That journey will move us away from former certainties and views. It will shape and mould us. Wherever we start the journey, we should not expect it to end there (if end it ever does).
As I write this, I am reminded of that familiar hymn by David Bryant:-
Jesus take me as I am
I can come no other way
Take me deeper into you
Make my flesh life melt away.
Make me like a precious stone
Crystal clear and finely honed
Life of Jesus shining through
Giving glory back to you.
Jesus takes us as we are. But just as we need to go on a journey to be “finely honed” and made a “precious stone”, may it be our prayer that our leaders may also be open to challenge and change. May they have open and enquiring minds, a common humanity, humility, and - perhaps most importantly - a willingness to “meet in the middle”.
Philip Clarke
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