Changing Structures: Pursuing justice in politics and community organising
Davina shares about pursuing justice in the way of Jesus, through working as an MP assistant and community organiser:
“I would say that I've had some level of political awareness from a young age. Moving countries several times because of my dad's job in international development, I was exposed to poverty and injustice not only as concepts, but as lived reality for many. However, it was only when I was exploring faith for myself as a teenager that I realised the undeniable link between the way of Jesus and our responsibility as his followers to seek justice, in our own communities and further afield. Of course, there are many ways to do this, but I believe political engagement is key, as individuals and collectively as the Church.
While at university, I got involved in lots of activism, particularly around climate justice and welcoming refugees. I also worked at a food bank for a year and was on different committees for various things, including for Just Love. I loved getting stuck in and met lots of amazing people doing pretty incredible things, often with not many resources. I learnt so much.
But towards the end of my time at university, I was super burnt out from doing lots and feeling like not much was changing on a bigger scale. That's not to say I felt like I'd wasted my time at all, but more that I was frustrated that our collective efforts to make change weren't being reflected in policy and that we weren't being taken seriously.
I wanted to learn about how change actually happens, and how the church can engage effectively with politics as we partner with God to seek justice. A friend told me about the Buxton Programme with the Centre for Theology and Community, where you could work part-time as an MP assistant and part-time as a community organiser in a church, so I applied and, having completed it, I'm so grateful that they accepted me!
Getting to see behind the scenes in parliament was both pretty surreal and eye-opening. I had the opportunity to attend briefings, meetings, debates, and other events, helped manage the diary and the inbox of an MP, went to visit their constituency a few times, and saw through an election! I met all kinds of people and learnt about how decisions are made at that level.
At the same time, I was meeting all kinds of people as a community organiser, from asylum seekers and older people creating community cafes to deal with isolation, to key workers campaigning for permanent affordable housing locally. These were the people being affected by Parliament's decisions, but who had to fight so hard to have any kind of win. It didn't make sense. It felt like the power was in the wrong hands - not in the hands of those with a vision and passion for the world as it could, should, be.
At the same time, I was witnessing the suffering across the globe, not only in Palestine, but also in places like Sudan, Congo, and West Papua to name a few, whilst our government took barely any action and continued to sell arms, which left me feeling more than frustrated and disillusioned. I felt angry. And where was the Church?
I believe that as Christians, we have a responsibility to engage with politics because Jesus told us to serve the marginalised. Imagine if the Church, this global network of local groups of people who are actively seeking love and justice and peace beyond understanding, took that seriously. Took seriously building relationships in our communities, building power, holding our political leaders and ourselves to account, having a prophetic imagination, not just ‘serving the poor’ but dismantling the extractive and exploitative systems that create poverty and war…
All whilst believing in an all-powerful all-loving God who wants us to partner with them to fulfill their promise of a world with no more suffering.
Believing in Jesus has political implications and we need to take that seriously. We can't just sit on the sidelines pretending to be neutral. And I say that with so much love for the Church and all we could be. God's kingdom come, here and now.
Here are some next steps:
Read Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr
Go to the Just Love National Gathering, focusing this year on Changing Structures and Political Discipleship
Chat to me about Buxton or similar community organising opportunities
Join an organising group
Chat to people in your church about how you're going to build a public relationship with your council and MP to call for justice and hold them accountable
Take some time to have 1 to 1 conversation with someone - what do they care about and what can you do together to create change?
Pray that followers of Jesus would have the courage and boldness to call for change from our political leaders, and for wisdom for those already involved in that work.”