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.