God bless America - part 2

I had intended that my previous post would be my last word on Donald Trump.  However, I have a problem.  My problem is the Donald Trump Christian fan club – those of my brothers and sisters in Christ who are enthusiastically applauding his every move and suggesting that anyone who criticises him does so because they are part of a politically correct godless liberal establishment.

 

Let me clear:

·       I believe God has ultimate sovereignty over the appointment of national leaders.

·       It really doesn’t bother me if my American friends vote Republican or Democrat.

·       I am happy to believe that Donald Trump’s unlikely appointment was a necessary corrective to American politics and that good may be worked through it.

Nevertheless, there is a biblical story that has been very much on my mind during the last few days that reminds me that just because a leader is ordained by God for a season it does not equate to an unqualified character endorsement.

In 1 Kings 19:15 we are introduced to a man called Hazael who was anointed by the prophet Elijah to be king over Syria.  Later on, in 2 Kings 8, Elijah’s successor Elisha has an encounter with Hazael in which he too prophesies that Hazael will be king of Syria.  The detail that has stood out to me though is the prophet’s reaction to his own message – he weeps!  He weeps because he knows the cruelty of Hazael and he knows that people will suffer under his leadership. 

As I look at events on the other side of the Atlantic I identify with Elisha. I believe that the Trump presidency will ultimately achieve godly purpose, but I also see that he is far from being a righteous character and that there will be pain for many.  As I said in my last post, our right reaction to recent events is to pray for Mr Trump and pray for America.  However this does not mean that we need to become his loyal supporters, defend his reputation or pretend he is a godly man.  He will lead for a season, and he will one day give account to God for his time in office, but in the meantime we are allowed to weep a little.   

God bless America

In February 2007 I stood for the first time in a Cambodian building that used to be a school, and surveyed hundreds of black and white photographs.  Each one depicted someone whose last days were spent in that place, Tuol Sleng, which became one of the most notorious symbols of the horror that was the Pol Pot regime. 

Visiting a site such as Tuol Sleng or the nearby ‘killing fields’ of Choeung Ek inevitably leads to questions including “How did such a horror occur in relatively recent history?”

In considering this question I came face to face with the harsh reality that much of what occurred in Cambodia was a product of western intervention.  Western assistance for the Khmer Rouge began with US bombing of the Cambodian countryside and ended with Margaret Thatcher’s government sending the SAS to help train Khmer Rouge militants.

I know that we who live in western nations can easily believe we are doing the right thing when we intervene in nations whose governments don’t align with our understanding of freedom and democracy.  However, having seen first-hand the effects of carpet bombing, landmines, napalm and Agent Orange on the inhabitants of SE Asia please forgive me if I have become a little cynical of our ability to know what is good for other nations.  I have to admit that this cynicism has only increased as we have believed that removing Saddam Hussein would make Iraq a good place to live or that removing Muammar Gaddafi would fix Libya.

It is with these thoughts in mind that I’m considering the inauguration tomorrow of the 45^th president of the USA.  There is very little that seems to suggest that Donald Trump is a person of noble character and every indication that something has gone horribly wrong with US politics if he is the best person they could find to lead the nation. 

However, as I have thought about this unexpected event in US history I have had to rebuke myself for being so ‘American’ about America.  If I have one historical criticism of the USA (and Britain too at times) it is the national tendency to ‘know what is best’ for other nations. 

The biblical book of Romans includes the difficult verse, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”  The implication of these words, which were written under Roman rule, is that it is not our job to second guess the wisdom of God in allowing rulers of nations to rule, however bad they may seem to us. 

The answer to Donald Trump is not to bomb Trump tower or arm militant Democrats (an American solution), or to moan about him (a British solution), but to trust God to decide how long he remains president and to pray for the USA (a biblical solution). 

God bless America!

Independence Day?

It has been a crazy few days.  Britain voting to leave the EU, the prime minister resigning, the leader of the opposition facing a vote of no confidence, Scotland suggesting another independence referendum, confusion over how and when the leaving process should be initiated and even a petition suggesting that a second referendum should be held.

There is much that has disturbed me during both the campaign and the aftermath, but during the contemplations of the last few days one thought has stuck with me through it all – I really don’t want to live in an independent country!

As I heard some people celebrating and calling June 23^rd our “Independence Day” questions began to fill my head about independence and whether it is a good thing. 

I know I am naturally an independent person and have at times been stubbornly and even dangerously so.  As evidence of this tendency my longsuffering wife could cite examples such as climbing a loft ladder while using crutches rather than waiting for help to get something out of the loft, or performing home surgery on my ingrown and infected toenail rather than visiting a doctor.  However, the Holy Spirit has been working on me and challenging the societal norm that independence is always a good thing.  Indeed, the more I look at it the more I’m realising that independence really isn’t a godly concept and that we are created to be interdependent rather than independent. 

The greatest biblical example that could be cited in defence of nationalism is the formation of the nation of Israel.  At first glance it looks like God brought a people out of slavery and made them an independent nation, but on closer examination we can see that he called them to a unique covenant of dependence in which they were to trust God in all the areas in which nations typically crave independence.  They were to trust God for their material provision, their national defence, their legal system and their leadership.  They were also commissioned to be a blessing to other nations and to welcome the foreigner with open handed generosity.  Sadly their desire to do things their own way and live independent lives in which they trusted in their own abilities resulted in frequent disaster for the nation, and it is only due to God’s great mercy that they survived at all.

In the New Testament God’s redemptive plan moves beyond working with individual nations and is instead concerned with the kingdom of God.  It doesn’t take long to discover that the kingdom of God is one in which interdependence and connectedness are essential, and metaphors of family and of a body consisting of connected parts abound.  It is clear that God never intended any person to be self-sufficient, and that he deliberately spreads gifting throughout his people so that they work in harmony to make a complete whole in which his glory is displayed.  The apostle Paul speaks of giving and receiving in numerous areas of ministry and it is obvious that he was generous in giving while also being humble enough to recognise his own weaknesses and receive from others.

I believe that my pain this week when hearing the talk of independence arises from a God-given desire to live in a society where every part is appreciated and welcomed to participate, and in which we are never so proud as to believe that we can be great in isolation from others.

·         I hope and pray that we will not come to place where we consider British culture to be complete and shut the door on other ways of doing things.  

·         I hope and pray that we will not entertain the idea that Britain is a uniquely great nation or intrinsically superior to others.  

·         I hope and pray that we will not think that being British primarily means being white.  

·         I hope and pray that we will not think that we can do just as well without having a labour force from many nations.  

·         I hope and pray that we will not think we can disconnect ourselves from poverty and injustice in other parts of our continent.  

·         I hope and pray that the use of words like “independence”, “foreigners” and “them” will decrease and be replaced by “interdependence”, “people” and “us”.

·         I hope and pray that our children and grandchildren will not have a national holiday on June 23^rd called “Independence Day” but that they will be proud of the way we united during difficult times and worked together to make Britain a nation in which the kingdom of God is seen.

EU WWJD?

WWJD – What Would Jesus Do? 

Although WWJD bracelets may not be as popular as they were a few years ago, it is still possible to spot them on the wrists of Christians who have determined to make decisions based on their understanding of how Jesus might act if he were in their situation.

As we face the momentous EU referendum it seems appropriate to apply the WWJD principle to the question of whether we should vote in or out.

Judging by my Facebook feed a lot of people seem quite certain about how Jesus would vote.  However, the reasons given for this certainty have caused me considerable discomfort and, while I remain undecided about my vote, I share my WWJD thoughts thus far:

1.    I don’t think Jesus would use fear in order to influence people’s voting decision.  Fear is a tool of the devil.  Jesus came to set people free from fear and enable them to live in light and truth. 

2.    I don’t think Jesus would make his decision solely on economic grounds.  Knowing that he said, “You cannot serve God and money” the idea that this should be a vote based on which economic system should rule us doesn’t seem to fit his priorities.

3.    I don’t think Jesus would be half as excited about national sovereignty as many people seem to think he might be.  As the promised Messiah it was widely assumed that he would lead a revolt against Roman rule and “make Israel great again”.  He consistently refused to show any interest in such thoughts, apart from warning of the disaster that would befall Jerusalem when the nationalists took things into their own hands and rebelled in AD68-70.

4.    I don’t think Jesus would bring immigration into the debate.  Having been a refugee himself shortly after his birth, and given the consistent biblical theme of the need to welcome refugees, any idea that Jesus would argue that Britain is full just isn’t credible.

5.    I don’t think Jesus would be promoting “Brexit the Movie”.  Jesus broke stereotypes rather than reinforcing them.  I don’t believe he would have been comfortable endorsing the racist portrayal of Italians, the French and Asians. 

6.    I don’t think Jesus would blame the EU for messing up the country.  We never hear Jesus telling his people that they are in a mess because of Roman rule.  Instead he shines the spotlight on their own heart attitudes, challenges their misplaced pride in being Jewish and calls them to repentance.

7.    I don’t think Jesus would suggest that the EU is the answer to the big challenges that face the world.  We never hear Jesus telling his people that Roman rule will solve all their problems.  Instead he calls them to repentance and allegiance to a kingdom that is not of this world – a kingdom that transforms the world through people being transformed by the Spirit of God.