On Thursday, June 23rd 2016, the people of United Kingdom spoke through a historical democratic process with a decision that is going to affect different facets of our general endeavours. The decision has revealed differences and division within United Kingdom. The good news is that the EU Referendum is not a dead end for you and me, but a signpost to God revelation in Europe and the entire world. In their joint statement, the Rev Steve Wild and Jill Barber, the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Church in Britain explained that, ‘this Referendum has shown both the best and the worst of our democracy.’ Among the challenges of our modern day democratic narratives is ‘the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time.’ This resonates very well according to Wild and Barber, ‘we do not believe that most people, however they voted in the referendum, wanted this. It certainly does not represent the kind of country that Britain wants to be.’ The argument is that people do not want the present uncertainty and dark future hence, they ‘are saddened that the referendum debate has at times promoted feelings of fear and even hatred and racism.’
Sir Winston Churchill during his speech in Hansard in 1947 explained that ‘no one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.’ Using the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the worst of democracy has turned Britain into ‘a country divided in many ways at the moment – and we’ve seen a rise in intolerance, discrimination and hatred.’ The Guardian reported that police recorded a 57% increase in hate crime complaints in the four days following the referendum. Europe beyond the referendum calls us ‘to grasp again our basic sense of purpose; living together, creating together and fashioning a society. According to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster and leader of the Catholic church in England and Wales, ‘it is that sense of purpose that we may have lost focus of; believing that the purpose of politics is to manipulate power; the purpose of business is simply to make profit for a few. This challenge has been with us for a while now.’ The worst of democracy is when a victory in a referendum becomes source of hatred, division and xenophobic abuse.
The worst of democracy is when people are not awake to the divine revelation, the real meaning behind current world events and this also does not allow the world’s leaders to see what is coming. According to Herbert Armstrong, the world’s best minds – the heads of state, scientists, educators, editors, news analysts, bankers, industrialists, leaders in business and commerce, and elites are unseeing ‘because they have been falsely educated and deceived into closing their minds to the GREAT CAUSES behind world events and trends. This world has been falsely educated to IGNORE causes, and deal with EFFECTS.’ Europe beyond the referendum calls us to see and go beyond the current events and look prophetically into the future.
In a situation ‘where the narratives of political debate have caused harm and division,’ how do we we reclaim ‘the true values of our shared humanity’? What is God calling the Church to do in such as time as this with the Referendum result that is causing ‘pain to some people who voted with passion and integrity’? What is the way forward ‘where exaggeration and distortion have generated suspicion and fear’? The prayer by The Joint Public Issues Team provides us a sense of reflection and direction. Part of the prayer is that: ‘may truth and honesty restore hope and goodness … We commit ourselves – together- to the values of your eternal Kingdom.’ The Truth that is connected to the values of God’s eternal Kingdom is not going to be found in ‘both the best and worst of our democracy.’ There is yet hope for the world and Europe including UK beyond the referendum. Where the democratic referendum by people for the people divides, the Revelation of God for the world unites. The Revelation of God for the world is based on the Truth of the Word of God and the Word of God is the Truth of God. The world’s problems and ills are simply, a matter of CAUSE and EFFECT. There is a cause that is ‘promoting feelings of fear and even hatred and racism.’ Best minds could be in total ignorance and one could be educated and informed in the world standard and not transformed through the Truth of God’s Word, which is the foundations of right knowledge. Until we are informed and transformed by the Truth of God’s Word, leaders could talk of peace, work for peace, ‘while they give approval and blind acceptance to THE WAY that produces WAR’ and division. We can even give and confer democratic assent on ‘THE WAYS that are the CAUSES of all the world’s ills,’ decay and immorality.
At this historic moment, whether out or in European Union, we are one in God hence, our focus should be our right standing before God. The uncertainty, fear and divisions over UK and Europe in general could be a sign calling us back to God by recommitting ourselves – together – to the values of God’s eternal Kingdom. Still in the month of Her Majesty’s official birthday, the account of Britain’s Christian heritage and our commitment to God in the Coronation Oath provides us a rallying point in United Kingdom to reclaim God’s revelation and promise of Jeremiah 18:7-8, ‘The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.’
Europe beyond the EU Referendum calls us to commit our future to God in deepening intercessory united prayer and action. We could sense the Lord’s sadness over our nation by feeling of fear, sadness, hatred and racism that follows the EU Referendum debate and election. The Church could be at its best of time and mission by reaching out to people bearing in mind that as Christians we are no longer simply a biological unit on this earth, but a child of the God of the whole universe. Phil Meadows, Director of Inspired Network provides us a helpful reflection in his response to the EU referendum. He said ‘’I am not English. I am a Christian, who happens to be living in England! This vote has not changed my view of the world, or this nation, at all. Except as an even sharper reminder that I must focus on living as a citizen of the Kingdom.’ People of God are pilgrims in all ages until Jesus comes hence, being a Christian and a disciple of Jesus on pilgrimage reveals and gives us a whole new identity and culture beyond any referendum. When our lives on earth are measured by earthly things, our self interests and pride causes harm and division, but when our lives are measured by eternal things and revelations, we becomes ‘exiles and aliens’ knowing that ‘our citizenship is in heaven’ (Phil 3:20; 1Pet 2:11).
The famous Catholic priest, professor Henri Nouwen explained that our hope and ability to live as citizen of heaven is firmly grounded in Christ’s victory over death with the assurance ‘that there is light on the other side of darkness.’ The ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven gives the answer to every believer concerning his citizenship. According to the Bible, there are only two citizenship: that of the world, and that of heaven; the kingdom of darkness, and the kingdom of light. Beloved, in which of these do you hold citizenship? Any one of these you belong provides a revelation that the world including Europe is beyond any democratic or referendum process. This world is not our home, we are ‘resident aliens,’ we are pilgrims passing through. The reality and revelation of belonging to the ascended Lord Jesus Christ goes beyond political referendum. Come, Lord Jesus.
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