Paul Calvert talks to Barbara Dingle as she celebrates Passover and Resurrection Sunday at the Jerusalem Channel Passover Conference in Israel

Barbara: Definitely. I am involved with lobbing my MP and I know organisations like Christians Friends of Israel and the Zionist Federation get together once a year and have a lobby day in Parliament, usually in January. Various members of both organisations, Jews and Christians together come down to Westminster, they have a briefing in the morning and in the afternoon individuals make appointments to see their own MP where they have very good conversations.

Paul: You are also involved in Conservative Christian Fellowship, what do you do as far as that is concerned?

Barbara: Well Conservative Christian fellowship is a wonderful organisation and it is encouraging Christians to get involved in politics at all levels, counsellors, activists and MP's as well.

Paul: Do you get a chance to go into Parliament and pray?

Barbara: Yes, once a month there is a meeting in Parliament and it is always a great honour. We go into the chapel underneath Parliament, there are very interesting speakers and it's always a wonderfully anointed prayer and worship time. What I always love about going to Parliament is as you go through the central Westminster hall, and up some stairs, you turn left. But if you look right instead there is an enormous painting of Moses with the 10 Commandments right in the entrance to our Parliament.

Paul: In this day and society the Christian voice is being squashed and you are not allowed to say certain things, you have got to be politically correct. So is it easy or is it difficult to be a member of Parliament and a Christian at the same time?

Barbara: I think it is probably difficult, yes, because we live in an era of political correctness, but I always take the opportunity to say that it's more important to be biblically correct rather than politically correct. We certainly need to support those MP's who are Christians, I don't think it is easy for them.

Paul: You are not Jewish, why do you love Israel and are you making a difference?

Barbara: I grew up in Worcester in the Midlands and in the 80's and 90's I used to attend a Christian camp called Good News Crusade run by Don Double. Interestingly, his son is now an MP, Steve Double, at this camp in Malven Worcestershire.
Derek Prince, was one of the greatest Bible teachers of the last century, he used to come every other year and he would always spend one evening talking about Israel. Here I was, in a field in my native Worcestershire and I heard Derek Prince speak. He got out his Bible and went through it as to why Christians should stand with Israel. Saying that the Prophets are theirs, the Patriarchs are theirs and that the Bible is a Jewish book. The Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, more or less the New Testament, (I know there is some debate over Luke and who also wrote Acts) but most of all Jesus, is, was and always will be Jewish. That was when I first got a love for Israel. Then I found Christine Darg's Exploits Ministry which was nearby, she is based in Hereford adjacent to Worcester and I have been very blessed and learned so much from Christine's ministry too.

Paul: We see God working 2000, 3000 and 4000 years ago. Is God working in Israel today?

Barbara: Definitely. So many scriptures and prophecies in the Bible are being fulfilled in our very lifetime. Yesterday we went up to the Galilee and there are so many trees and plants. It says in scripture that Israel will be a blessing to the nations, and you just have to look around to see that. So many things are coming out of Israel; last week Beresheet went to the moon. OK it got so close to the moon and there was a slight problem over the landing, but even so when you think 70 years ago when Israel was reborn, it was a nation primarily of survivors from the Holocaust. Now, 70 years later, Israel is only the seventh country to have orbited the moon and I believe very soon it will be the forth country to land on the moon.

Paul: What is your prayer for Israel at this time?

Barbara: Well at this time of Passover, we are having our Seder (Passover Meal) tonight, So, I guess my prayer is for people to understand the connection between the Jewish Passover and resurrection weekend. That the two come together, that Jesus was Jewish and as Christians we love the Jewish people and of course we also pray at this time for the peace of Jerusalem and for the safety of all Israel.

Paul: Do Jews know how much the Christians love them?

Barbara: I don't think they probably do. But I want to say to all the Jewish people listening, you are not alone, we stand with you and yes we love you.