Deadlock.

It’s not so much a United Kingdom, as a disunited kingdom. Since Parliament returned on 3 September from its summer recess, politics has been in a state of hys-teria. We are witnessing one of the most tumultuous seasons in British political hist-ory ever recorded.

Advisors have been sacked, there is talk of the Prime Minister breaking the law in order to get his way and MPs have been deselected for refusing to vote with the Government. The Speaker John Bercow has also said he will go as of 31 October.

It is striking that, ever since Boris Johnson first put down a motion for a general election, more than 35 MPs have already said they will not be seeking re-election. It’s tough being an MP and especially when you are being asked to debate divisive issues like Brexit. Whatever happens, and whenever the intended election actually takes place, Parliament is going to look very different.

There is an almighty battle going on, not only over Brexit, but for the souls of our political parties. The landscape is changing before our very eyes and no-one knows what our politics will look like tomorrow, let alone in a few months’ time. In previous times, the UK was famed for its political stability. That reputation now lies in tatters.

All of this presents multiple challenges to believers. We could just turn a blind eye to the political melodrama that is unfolding. Secure in our ultimate future, we could watch it all happen and look the other way. But politics affects us all, from the youngest to the oldest. If we care about the vulnerable, we will not content ourselves with mere passivity. So how can we respond?

Firstly, we need to adjust our own expectations. The current discord and disunity are a stark reminder to us that it is a broken world we live in, full of similarly broken and sinful people. We must remember that, ultimately, Brexit is not the answer to the fundamental problems of sin and hell. Nor is a new election any guarantee that things will get any better. The truth is, we are reaping as we have sown. As a nation, we have largely abused God’s goodness to us, effecting legislative change that is contrary to His will and damaging to human flourishing. Surely, we cannot expect God to be unmoved while we have taken advantage of His mercies in this way.

When we read Psalm 2, it pictures the rage of kings, rulers and peoples against God and against the Lord’s chosen King. Yet this Psalm is also a powerful antidote for our worries and anxieties. For the Psalm reminds us very clearly that over all the chaos of our day, God laughs at the plans of earthly rulers.

God has set His chosen King on the throne and it is absolutely secure. Amidst and over the chaos, confusion, conceit and convulsions of our politics, Jesus reigns!

Such a reality would mean nothing were it not for the unchanging character of the King of Kings. He is not perplexed, nor is he confused. There is no backstop to His reign, nor will His authority ever be prorogued. His wisdom, insight, clarity of thought and ability to exercise His will is undimmed and undiminished. What a comfort amidst the chaos of our times to know that Jesus is still at work, building His kingdom and confounding the wisdom of the world.

This truth will help us to keep our head while others seem to be losing theirs. And there is another way we can respond.

Secondly, let’s commit to praying for our nation. If such prayers are not a regular feature in the life of your church, can I challenge you to change this? Christians are called to pray for a people who do not pray for themselves (1Tim. 2:1-2). This is a time for believers to get on our knees, to pray for God’s mercy and intervention and then to stand, watching expectantly for answers.

With so many MPs standing down, why not pray that God will raise up godly people to take their places at Westminster. We can pray as Daniel did – Lord listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!