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Headlines: Brexit - Simon Benham
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8th Jan 2017
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Headlines: Brexit
2016 was the ‘year of
the unexpected’: Leicester won the
Premiership, the UK voted for Brexit, and the US voted for Trump.
So what does Brexit mean? Not even the Queen seems to know,
and Teresa May isn’t saying. Not knowing may leave us with a feeling of
insecurity. It can create divisions– will Andy Murray be “ours” if
Scotland go it alone? It doesn’t help when
we look across the Atlantic and see the Twitters from Trump, who seems amongst
other things to prefer to find Russian president Vladimir Putin more
trustworthy than fellow Americans Barack Obama and the head of the CIA.
And what does our faith say into this? Is it “Nothing”, or do we “Just hunker down and it’ll all
be OK”?
Jesus was born amidst significant political events:
“In
those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the
entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was
governor of Syria.)” (Luke 2:1-2)
And he had more in common with Caesar Augustus than you
might expect.
·
Both were adopted –Augustus
by Julius Caesar, Jesus by Joseph.
·
Both share titles:
o
Julius Caesar had himself declared divine, and
so Caesar Augustus was known as “son of
the god”. Jesus, of course, is “Son of God”
o
Augustus inherited a Roman political system so
well ordered that people felt that within the Roman Empire it marked the end of
war. This was the Pax Romana (peace in
Rome), and Caesar Augustus was hailed as the ‘Prince
of Peace”. Sound familiar? Compare it with this prophecy concerning
Jesus:
“For to
us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
In worrying times, all of us look somewhere for peace. Where should we look to find it?
· In a strong leader?
· A political system?
· Or Jesus?
Despite the similar titles,
the nature of the peace on offer is very different. At best, leaders and political systems offer
the absence of war; Jesus’ peace
is called Shalom, and Shalom is much deeper than just the absence of strife – its defined as “a universal flourishing”, “the
webbing together of God, humans and creation”, “wholeness” “delight” and it flows from putting Jesus at
the centre of everything.
So in uncertainty, when we look at events like Brexit, is it
enough to say “God’s still in control, don’t
worry?”
No. The churches in
pre-WW2 Germany did that as Hitler rose to power. Rwandan churches said little
against the unrest that led to genocide in their country. In Northern Ireland, atrocities were
committed in the name of Jesus.
Tim Peak has published a book of photos of the earth seen
from space. By day, the impact of
civilisation on the world is hardly visible, but at night, the lights of cities
shine out.
“You are the light of the
world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:14-16).
As Christians, we have Jesus to share – don’t hide Him! You are called to be light in darkness.
Evil flourishes when good people do nothing, so be active
in fighting injustice, be a force for good wherever it’s found – for example:
·
In poverty, as Brexit fuels inflation and the
poor suffer disproportionately
·
In creation, as Trump repudiates the Paris
accord.
Our response is to be a voice for injustice, but it follows
a different system to the world:
“You have heard that it was
said, ‘Eye for
eye, and tooth for tooth.’
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the
right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your
shirt, hand over your coat as well. If
anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn
away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42).
Turning the other
cheek. If a right-handed person hits
the right cheek of other, they’re
using the back of their hand – itself
implying inferiority. Offering the other
cheek isn’t just a non-violent response
– by making the striker use the front
of their hand, it demands equal status.
Not resisting evil. “An eye
for an eye” was a good rule intended to
keep retaliation within the bounds of justice – but
Jesus urges his followers to go further.
When people follow Jesus’ way,
powerful things happen.
·
Gordon Wilson lost his daughter at Enniskillen to
an IRA bomb, Wilson’s response to the bombing, “I bear no ill will. I bear no grudge”, was reported worldwide becoming
among the most-remembered quotations from The Troubles. Many IRA attacks usually resulted in
reprisals by loyalist paramilitaries; Gordon Wilson’s calls for forgiveness and reconciliation came to be
called the Spirit of Enniskillen.
·
Rosa Parkes, who in 1951 refused to obey an
order to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger, was the catalyst for
a non-violent protest that some 300 days later forced the bus company to change
its unjust rules.
Giving up your cloak. In Jesus’ time,
if someone took both shirt and cloak from another, that person would be left
virtually naked – so the message here is that
if someone is acting unjustly, make the injustice obvious to others.
Going the second mile. By law, a Roman soldier could compel someone
to carry their bags for a mile. Carrying
the bags for an extra mile shows the grace and kindness of God, above and
beyond the law.
The Bible’s
account of Jesus life shows him putting these principles into practice:
·
Telling humorous stories to challenge and change
the world
·
Being beaten by others without seeking
retaliation
·
Enduring unjust punishment without complaint.
So:
·
Find peace
·
Speak up to point out injustice
·
Be kind! This is often seen as insignificant but
kindness is so vital e.g. serving for no payment, praying with someone – we are all challenge to be kind.
Jesus is not just about giving advice – he is Good News. Find peace in Him.
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