We continue to be fascinated by Winston Churchill. We face nothing like the same peril as a nation as in 1940, but perhaps we sense something missing from our leaders. A new film sheds some light on why. Christians on the Left was invited to an early showing.

When this country faces times of crisis and opposition, it is usual to hear calls for some ‘Dunkirk spirit’. We still herald that great retreat of 1940, made in the face of considerable odds. It was, as Wellington remarked of the victory at Waterloo, “the nearest run thing”, not just in terms of rescuing British and French soldiers but because the nation was itself was saved. Disaster at Dunkirk would have seen Britain without much of an army and even more vulnerable to invasion. The stakes were considerable and to be a leader at that time was to be under intense pressure.

Christopher Nolan’s film released last year, Dunkirk, focused on the heroism on that beach and at sea. Darkest Hour focuses on what was happening in Whitehall and in particular on the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. It stands out amongst the considerable canon of Churchill films.

In church recently I met someone who runs a food bank. He talked to me about how his service helped people from many different backgrounds who have become stuck in a poverty trap. Some need short term support to get them through a difficult period, while others are permanently stuck. I was struck by the commitment of this gentleman to help others and of his conviction that our society should not be organised this way.

It is a familiar story to any churchgoer. Churches across the country contain many similarly motivated people. They are driven by their Christian conviction that all are created equally and that everyone therefore has equal worth. Working in food banks, helping the homeless, giving shelter to refugees, fighting famine and poverty abroad, and in many other ways, church members are working for the most disadvantaged in society. Moreover, with at least one church in every town and village, this work is happening and being supported across the country.