Tony Blair and God

For someone who was raised by a father who was a "militant atheist" and whose press secretary once told reporters, "We don't do God," Tony Blair sure does talk about God a lot these days.  

Admittedly, it has always been difficult to pin down Mr. Blair.  In ten years leading the UK, he proved himself to be that rarest of breeds: a politician who forms opinions based on a thoughtful analysis of the facts and a check of his moral compass and conscience, not a quick check of his party's platform.  He led a party that is left of center, yet he strongly supported the War of Terror because he felt it was the right thing to do.  When most other leaders on the planet were sprinting away from George W. Bush, Blair continued to support his friend and colleague, causing some of his countrymen to call him a "lapdog" for the unpopular American President.

Since vacating Number 10 Downing Street in June 2007, Mr. Blair has converted to Catholicism and become an outspoken advocate for the faith community.  He founded the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, an organization whose mission statement says they "aim to promote respect and understanding about the world's major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world."

In a recent speech to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Mr. Blair reflected on religion, which he characterized as "a source of so much inspiration; an excuse for so much evil."  Blair firmly believes the increasing secularization of our culture is not a good thing. "The 21st Century will be poorer in spirit, meaner in ambition, less disciplined in conscience, if it is not under the guardianship of faith in God," Blair told an audience that included President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Mr. Blair told of a humorous incident during his tenure as Prime Minister.  In the midst of a crisis, Blair was preparing to speak to the nation.  He wanted to end his remarks by saying, "God bless the British people."  To put it mildly, his advisors flipped out. Emergency meetings were convened. In the heat of the knock-down-drag-out that ensued, one career civil servant looked at Blair in complete disgust and said, "Really, Prime Minister, this is not America you know."

Blair's Washington audience roared at the anecdote. It was clear that Blair, unlike many of his countrymen, greatly admires our culture's openness to matters of faith. He obviously wants to see faith - and persons of faith - brought more to the table in the areas of public policy and international relations.  Mr. Blair quoted from an American pastor who came to the ministry later in life after the death of his wife.  The sermon was preached at a chapel in Jordan, near Mt. Nebo. 

"While here on earth, we need to make a vital decision ... whether to be mere spectators, or movers and shakers for the Kingdom of God... whether to stay among the curious, or take up a cross. And this means: no standing on the sidelines ... We're either in the game or we're not. I sometimes ask myself the question: If I were to die today, what would my life have stood for... The answer can't be an impulsive one, and we all need to count the cost before we give an answer. Because to be able to say yes to one thing, means to say no to many others. But we must also remember, that the greatest danger is not impulsiveness, but inaction."

You can read the entire text of the former Prime Minister's National Prayer Breakfast speech here. 

Blair demonstrated he hasn't lost any of his wry, thoroughly British sense of humor with his concluding line, which once again elicited a roar of laughter from his American hosts. 

"And by the way, God bless you all."