This post was originally published on April 7, 2015, after British Prime Minister David Cameron made an Easter address that touched on a number of important topics including the persecution of Christians. Now that Cameron has been re-elected as head of the United Kingdom, it seemed fitting to highlight his brief address once again.
In his Easter address to the people of Great Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron celebrated the role of Christianity across the country and spoke out against the persecution of Christians in other parts of the world.
“Easter is a time for Christians to celebrate the ultimate triumph of life over death in the resurrection of Jesus,” Cameron said. “And for all of us it’s a time to reflect on the part that Christianity plays in our national life.”
Cameron said the Church is “not just a collection of beautiful old buildings,” but a “living, active force doing great works right across our country.”
British Christians are also living out Jesus’ command to make disciples, and many of them are using My Hope with Billy Graham UK to do so.
Through a powerful 30-minute video called The Cross, believers in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are sharing their faith with friends, family and neighbors who haven’t had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.
Before Easter, nearly 12,000 churches—about one quarter of churches in the country—had partnered with My Hope UK to share the Gospel.
In his Easter address, Cameron praised Christians for feeding the homeless, helping people conquer addictions and comforting those who are suffering.
“I know from the most difficult times in my own life that the kindness of the Church can be a huge comfort,” Cameron said. “Christians don’t just talk loving their neighbor; they live it out in faith schools, in prisons, in community groups. And it’s for all these reasons that we should feel proud to say this is a Christian country.
“Yes, we’re a nation that embraces, welcomes and accepts all faiths and none, but we’re still a Christian country.”
Cameron went on to denounce the ongoing persecution of Christians in parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, saying there is “a duty to speak out about the persecution of Christians around the world.”
“It is truly shocking that in 2015 there are still Christians being threatened, tortured, even killed because of their faith, from Egypt to Nigeria, Libya to North Korea,” Cameron said. “Across the Middle East Christians have been hounded out of their homes, forced to flee from village to village, many of them forced to renounce their faith, or brutally murdered.
“To all those brave Christians in Iraq and Syria who are practicing their faith or sheltering others, we must say, ‘We stand with you.'”
