Sunday, January 10, 2021

Whose side are you on?

Recent events in Washington, where the Capitol was assaulted and occupied, albeit briefly, in a violent confrontation, have shocked and saddened millions. Even fervent supporters of the outgoing President appear to have been stunned by these developments. Democracy itself is under attack. These scenes were reminiscent of 1930’s Germany and the thuggery that marked the rise of fascism in Europe. Thankfully in this case it appears to have caused a national reset, a sharp intake of political breath, and hopefully lessons learnt. 80 years ago it led to world war.

Deep divisions seem to be causing distress in Western democracies of all shapes and sizes. In Britain, the Brexit debate triggered intolerance, anger, and tribalism. And Covid is putting strain on governments and economies in unprecedented ways, leading once again to strong divisions of opinions and conspiracy theories. In all these things, the drive to ‘circle the wagons’ and listen only to voices like our own is very real. This is true for Christians as much as anyone, but we must resist the temptation to withdraw into our defensive bunkers. Jesus said that his kingdom is not of this world, and neither should his people be, however strongly we might hold to political opinions of all colours. Neither should we allow fear to make the decisions around here.

In the Bible book of Joshua, chapter 6, the young zealot faced his greatest military challenge, the fight for the stronghold city of Jericho. The night before, he had a vision of a heavenly figure holding a great sword. Joshua’s question to this Divine being could almost have come from today’s America or Britain. ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ he enquired. The answer would have shocked Joshua. ‘Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come’ (v14). Is God for us or for them? Joshua would have presumed that God was on his side, not theirs, but he was wrong. 

Jesus came into the world to establish a new world order where love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy would triumph over evil, oppression and wrongdoing. The cross of Calvary is where God judged our sin, not the Capitol in Washington nor the Palace of Westminster, and he calls his followers to be people committed to a ministry of reconciliation. The real question is not whether God is on our side, or that of the opposition, but whether we are on the Lord’s side?