I’m a Christian MP. This is what Lent is teaching me about servant leadership

The 40 days of Lent that prepare us for Easter remind us of those that Jesus spent in the wilderness. A time of trials, tests and spiritual growth. Over the past year and a half, I have had the privilege of serving the constituency of Hyndburn as its MP and, as I have adjusted to the wilderness of parliament, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be a kingdom-orientated leader who follows Jesus’ example even amid the drama and strife of Westminster.

As a Christian in parliament, I am constantly aware that leadership isn’t just about decisions or debate, but about faithfully serving others through listening and giving a voice to those who struggle to be heard.

Serving is not passive, but an active choice to put others before yourself each day

It is also about providing hope when the news and global events can make people feel hopeless. It is about bringing peace when people feel overwhelmed. This includes supporting colleagues as they navigate challenges, encouraging and building them up in a space that can often feel isolating and unforgiving. It extends to my own staff whose dedication, care and commitment make my work possible.

My faith isn’t something I leave at the doors of Westminster, but something I carry in with me. It informs my sense of justice, compassion and responsibility, and it challenges me to lead in a way that reflects the Kingdom of God rather than the culture around me.

Power and politics

Yet all too often, politics is framed around power, status and winning. It can feel like the wilderness Jesus faced. Keeping your feet rooted and your eyes lifted upward is no easy task.

In the middle of these challenges, I look to Jesus’ journey to the cross. He washed the feet of the disciples, including the one who would betray Him. He suffered public humiliation and physical pain out of love for us. His journey was marked not by power, privilege or prestige but by humility, sacrifice and obedience.

If we only read as far as Good Friday, it is a story that seems hopeless. But it shows us that when things seem impossible, that is when God steps in. It is testament to the upside-down nature of God’s kingdom, where humility, not power, is strength. The kingdom where the last shall be first and where the meek and the persecuted are counted as blessed. This is the kingdom that Christians are called to be part of.

Christians in the public square should focus on how they can help the disadvantaged and the vulnerable, amplifying the voices of those who struggle to be heard. We shouldn’t be gatekeeping the halls of power from those who are most in need of our help.

Speaking up and serving others

It is a profound privilege to bring people who have already spent their lives putting others before themselves into the world of Westminster. People like Debbie Duncan, the mother of my late constituent Jay Slater, whom I brought to parliament to discuss how we can better protect grieving parents from online abuse.

Or Lorraine Hargreaves, who set up the charity Milly’s Smiles after her daughter died of cancer, who met ministers and contributed to national policy, showcasing her selflessness in supporting other families who have lost children to cancer. These are the people whose voices deserve to be heard, and whose experiences should shape our laws and priorities.

My faith isn’t something I leave at the doors of Westminster, but something I carry in with me

I passionately believe that faith is meant to be put into action. Serving is not passive, but an active choice to put others before yourself each day. Peace is not quiet, or at least not always, for it is also the action of filling space which might otherwise be filled with hate, and bringing reconciliation which can be an act that requires time, patience and compassion.

During this season of Lent, we are invited to reflect on both our faith, and how we live it out in the everyday choices we make. Kingdom-orientated leadership isn’t just reserved for those in public office, but for all who follow Jesus.

It is found in speaking up for those without a voice, but also in small, quiet acts of service to others. True leadership begins on our knees, and by serving others faithfully, we witness to Christ’s love in a world that desperately needs it.