“Congratulations on being [re-]elected to serve the people of [constituency name]. This is a high and demanding calling for which I promise to pray for you regularly.
“The Diocese of Norwich serves the people of your constituency as well as the wider area of Norfolk and Waveney. The 17,000 regular worshippers in the diocese will be joined by tens of thousands more in the coming days as together we celebrate God’s gift to us of Jesus at Christmas.
“This group of people is a huge force for good – makers of salt and generators of light in their service to their communities, especially to the lost, the least and the lonely. As Christians seek to follow God in Jesus, we are always being compelled outwards and can’t help but be part of the glue of society.
“I hope that amongst your competing priorities will be a deep concern for the poor, the marginalised, and those who struggle every day so that the prosperity of our nation might be shared.
“As an ecologist by background, I am passionate that the care for our single, island planet home and combatting climate change needs to be woven into every government policy.
“Being an Anglican means being part of a worldwide family, many of whom are refugees or living in places of conflict, and I am conscious of the tremendous force for good that the overseas development budget achieves in enabling more people to flourish.
“One of our major challenges is to bring our society back together. It is deeply divided; Brexit is just a cover story for deeper divisions that need to be listened to so that the slow process of reconciliation and healing can happen. I’m conscious that this needs to be a priority in my own work and I hope that you will join me in that.
“I have found the enclosed book by my colleague Graham Tomlin, ‘Looking Beyond Brexit: Bringing the Country Back Together’, very helpful in thinking about these things. I hope you will also find it a stimulating reflection.”
Bishop Graham will be arranging to meet with each MP in the New Year. The book mentioned is authored by The Bishop of Kensington, The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin.