BBC Radio 2 'Pause for Thought' - Chris Evans

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Before and during the campaign of the General Election, I encouraged people to go out and vote. Thankfully the turn-out was around 65 percent. Voting is a civic duty for us all. Together we participated in the scrum of politics for the sake of the moral renewal of our national life in terms of values and virtues.

Chris, North Yorkshire has many farms and I promise you, you will love this story. Trust me!! A well-beloved farmer one day told his animals that he was retiring. The animals wanted to give him a gift, and volunteered the hen and the pig to watch the farmer to see what he really liked. The hen was more dutiful than the pig. Every day she stood outside the kitchen window. After three weeks of surveillance, she said to the pig, "I have found out what the farmer really likes. Let us call the conference and give them our recommendation.

The conference was called and the hen stood up and said, "Comrades, for three weeks, the pig and I diligently stood outside the farmer's kitchen window and we discovered what the farmer really likes. And this is our unanimous recommendation. Every day, for the rest of his life we shall give to our well-beloved farmer: bacon and eggs. They all cheered!

But the pig said, "I don't like this so-called unanimous recommendation. It's all right for the hen to say, 'Bacon and eggs'. If you think about it, she merely participates by providing her eggs. Whereas I am deeply involved. It's my life she's talking about."

Yes, we did participate in the scrum of politics when we voted. But if we are really interested in the moral and civic renewal of our country – its values and virtues – we must get involved, and not leave the task just to politicians. Together we must create communities that are generous, safe, compassionate and just.

Chris, I will let you into a secret which is for your ears only. Shhh!. The reason I am a follower of Jesus Christ is simply this. In him I see what God means by humanity, and what humanity means by God. For ever self-giving, and donating his power. Doing for us that which we couldn't do for ourselves. Immersing himself in our humanity and rescuing us from shame, pollution and transience. Dying for us, without us, and with us. It is in his death on the Cross that God discloses the essence of what it is to be God: self-sacrifice and not self-assertion. This is the right way to get involved and not merely participate.