What are you looking for?

How are you going to vote in the General Election? What are you looking for?

We can imagine that all those in the political process are looking to get enough votes to shape the future of this country. How they do this is presented to us relentlessly.

For instance, Ed Milliband is suggesting that tuition fees for university students should be reduced, and that the difference might be made up from taxing wealthy pensioners. Most other political parties take a different view. 

Who will pay for the rising costs of health and social care? Will it be from bankers' bonuses or mansions taxes? Again, there are many options, of which we will hear much over the next few weeks.

All these different policies are designed to convince us that one party or another can give us the future we are looking for.

There is a fascinating discussion in John's Gospel, following the feeding of the 5000, in which Jesus tells the crowd to readjust their objectives. 

The crowd is curious to know where Jesus has been, and ask him how he got back to Capernaum. The conversation shows that Jesus is trying to get them to think about more serious matters. 'So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” (John 6.24-27)

Jesus sees that the crowd were just looking at surface issues, such as settling an argument about how he got back to Capernaum, from the scene of the feeding miracle. He notices that they did not understand what the miracle signified. His rebuke  - But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food - is something which strikes home for me, when we seem to spend so much time focusing on the daily business of getting through assorted practical stuff. 

Jesus challenges his hearers and us to raise our sights to a much higher target. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

So today, while there are practical things to be done, and I need to make up my mind about voting in May, my energy should be focused on eternal issues. Or as the Lord's Prayer says, 'Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven'.

Best wishes,

Richard