THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: By Roger Seal, Spalding Quaker Meeting
Just a week to go to the elections, and perhaps you too are still undecided. How to choose from all the manifestos on the table? May I offer some ideas to help.
Having the vote can be a way to promote your own interests and certainly much in the manifestos appeals to self-interest, but perhaps another, more honourable, reason for getting involved in politics is for the good of those who most need our protection and support.
Some of us are smart and tough enough to win come what may; a compassionate society is one that looks after everyone else.
President Kennedy in his inaugural address in 1961 said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
That’s good advice, only nowadays maybe we should add “… your world and your descendants”.
So much in the manifestos focuses on the here and now and seems to ignore the interests of our fellow beings, our fellow creatures and our children and grandchildren after us.
Perhaps we should cast our vote on behalf of them.
Lastly, probably the best we can do is pray for the candidates before the election, and the winners afterwards.
They will need all the support we can give them to discern and decide how to govern justly and wisely, with courage to face being unpopular and humility to admit that sometimes they make mistakes.