Brexit: In His Mercy
Transcript
Ten years ago, at a birthday party, I said to a friend that we need to leave the EU. He looked startled, as if I was crazy. He clearly wasn’t impressed by the thought, and back then no one was even discussing the matter, except perhaps UKIP which was a fringe party at the time. But it wasn’t a subject anyone discussed in private and rarely in the media. Fast-forward a decade, brexit has divided the nation. It’s divided families and friends. We say divided but in reality, the topic has exposed foundational values, beliefs, worldviews.
Who could have predicted the events of the last four or five years?
David Cameron promised an in/out referendum on brexit if he won a majority. Cameron didn’t want to leave the EU, he didn’t want a referendum, but Farage had generated enough steam in the preceding years to force his hand. And the chances of him winning a majority were slim according to the polls, so why not throw it out there and brush it aside it when he forms a minority government—or so he thought.
To Cameron’s surprise, with the brexit referendum on the table, he won a majority. He was now compelled to put the vote to the people and campaign for remaining. The government spent a reported nine million pounds on leaflets urging the British public to remain in the EU, asserting that they would deliver on the vote.
The people voted.
To combat extreme nationalism after world war two, Winston Churchill among others advocated for a United States of Europe. They envisioned the freedom of movement, values of human rights and democracy, even a unified college where future leaders of Europe could live and study together. In 1952 six nations created The European Coal and Steel Community. The idea was that if they tied together the industries that were essential for war, the chances of one nation attacking another would be less likely. In ‘57 came the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Customs Union. The arose the EAEC, TREVI, EPC, WEU, JHA, and a bunch of other acronyms and treaties. It’s hard to keep up.
The European Union morphed into a machine that tied together economies, the justice system, regulatory laws, foreign and security policies. What was once promoted as more democratic became undemocratic in the eyes of the British public, with those writing the law in Brussels having never been elected to do so. Our elected MEP’s could only vote for or against whatever they decided. They had no say in directing the ship. Our parliament’s authority was being ebbed away.
When this extremely, and I would say purposely over complicated matrix of systems were exposed to the Brits through a handful of political figures and social media, they had had enough. The majority voted out. Article 50 was triggered by a parliamentary vote.
Then we had three and half years of politicians attempting to thwart the process, which I believe was a spiritual battle, intentionally played out before the world. Cameron resigned, May resigned. The impasse ended in a general election with a huge majority win for Boris Johnson who campaigned with the catchphrase, “Get Brexit Done”. Moreover, I don’t think it was a coincidence that anti-Semitism within the Labour party played a factor in the voting. No-one predicted the worse result for Labour since 1935.
Now, brexit will finally happen on the 31st of this month with negotiations of how our relationship with the EU will look to follow.
I voted leave.
I despise racism. I’m not anti-immigration—my wife is not originally from the UK. Although I do think we should be careful which gods we import. I’ve travelled to most countries in Europe. I love the diversity of people and culture. There’s nothing quite like a steak and a glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with friends after a long day fishing in France.
I wouldn’t make an argument that we will be economically better off, in or out. And the economy of a nation in not indicative of its spiritual health. Luxury slippers prefer to stay indoors. Sooner the dusty, beautiful feet of him who brings good news (Isaiah 52:7).
What I take issue with is the central control in Brussels (and Strasbourg). And this is where my biblical framework kicks in. When I was young, I believed God viewed the world as one people. National borders and even land ownership were social constructs. But actually, God peers down on the nations.
In Genesis 11 we read about the city of Babel. God had commanded mankind to spread out over the earth, but because they all spoke to the same language, they were able to conspire together to reach the heavens. Better together, stronger together they thought. Pride drove the people to build something great to “make a name for” (Gen 11:4) themselves. Displeased, God divided them by instantaneously giving them different languages. God created natural barriers between peoples.
That peoples should be separated and have boundaries is foreign thinking for many today as we’re told to kneel at the altar of diversity. But God knows that pride is always lurking at the door.
God separated people into groups, creating national divisions. We read in acts “he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God” (Acts 17:26-27). Though we are all one from Adam, grouping into specific territories is a fundamental.
It may come as a surprise, but the bible describes nations existing eternally – even once Jesus has returned and is ruling the planet. God’s enduring divine order means the grouping of people into nations, and it’s still in play more than four thousand years on. I can drive 45 minutes from here and I can’t understand the language. God bless the Welsh.
Christians in the west tend to think of our relationship with God as exclusively individualistic. Yes, our individual salvation is determined on the response to the cross, but God deals with mankind primarily through corporate bodies – families, the church, nations. He steers nations, “He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away” (Job 12:23), he works through them. The gospel of the kingdom is founded upon the Abrahamic Covenant which focuses on one nation to restore all nations. God will bring about “the restitution of all things” (Acts 3:20 KJV) through his national vehicle, Israel.
Israel, as Samuel Whitefield puts it, is the burning bush for all nations to marvel at. We learn about how God deals with mankind by peering into how he deals with national Israel throughout the scriptures.
God warned Israel not to get tied up with other nations. They were told: “You shall make no covenant with them and their gods” (Ex 23:32). Later again: “Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst” (Ex 34:12).
Back then, when peoples made a covenant, an acknowledgement of each other’s gods would follow. Today it is not dissimilar. Our prime minister may not release a statement acknowledging stone and wooden gods of Europe, but make no mistake that the binding of one nation to another means subtly honouring the others political, social, economic, cultural, and spiritual ways. In turn, the fabric of those nations is altered. A nation that is founded upon the true God is then inclined to religious pluralism. All gods of the people are equal, they demand. But, our God “is a jealous God” (Ex 34:14).
Israel would later suffer the consequences of breaking that key command regarding making covenants with other peoples. And I believe today’s provocation they receive is in part an enduring effect of that.
The UK should be careful about making any agreement with other countries. For sure we can arrange trade agreements and alike, but we should not be yoking ourselves with other countries that do not hold to the same foundations.
Now, sure you can argue that we are no longer a Christian nation and our values are comparable. We may have stumbled, but we don’t bind ourselves to others who are unchristian which would prevent us standing once more for Christ. The Christian walk can be a lonely one, individually, perhaps nationally.
It is my understanding that at the heart of the EU is a doctrine of forming one nation under the same laws, army, culture, anthem, flag. You don’t have to look far to see that there is an attempt to reverse what God ordained at Babel. From an iconic building in Strasbourg that was designed in the image of the Tower of Babel. The towers built solely for interpreters and translators at the European Court of Justice, in Luxembourg. An official EU poster which depicts the Tower of Babel with robotic people. Notice the baby is spherical, but once they are indoctrinated, they become boxlike. Even the mainstream media didn’t miss it.[i]
This is pushing back against God’s order of things and therefore his plans for them. In doing so it proves harder “that they should seek God” (Acts 17:27). It’s formation then shouts of demonic activity – something I have experienced first-hand having spent the best part of a year in Brussels. I’ll be glad to see our nation cut loose from the demonic stronghold.
I will point out that I do not hold the belief that the EU is becoming a revived Roman empire that will be led by the antichrist – so you can’t pin that on me for viewing brexit in positive light.
Some may say, “would a United States of Europe not be like the U.S.” Well, no. I think it’s clear the North American states would be regarded as being part of the same nation with one tongue, one mind. Nations (goyim) are defined in Genesis 10 by land, language, and families.
We are a peculiar nation. A nation of nations.
I’m not comparing us with Israel. We don't take centre stage, I doubt we’re mentioned in scripture. Unless we are Tarshish, which is not (necessarily) a good thing. Or the far coastlands. But certainly not major players.
Britain though, has developed great influence the world over. The British Empire at its height was the largest in history spreading over 23% of the global population, 24% of global land area. They called it the empire on which the sun never set. “As a result, its political, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread.”[ii] For such a small group of Islands, God has raised us up to impact the globe in dramatic ways.
Greek was the international language at the time of Jesus. Today English is the international language. Go to Israel, you’ll find they can all speak English. We’ve played a part in the land of Israel too for better or worst.
Today we’re encouraged to be ashamed of the empire, but with infrastructure and schooling and the rest of it, also went the Gospel. We are built on Judeo-Christian foundations, and God used the British Empire to plough the message of Jesus the Jewish Messiah around the globe. We’ve raised some of the greatest preachers and exported great missionaries.
There is something about our nation.
I don’t want to overplay our hand. Yet, I believe God is setting apart our nation, from the EU nations. At a time when the pews are empty and our culture seems so far from God, leaving the EU, I believe is act of God.
Maybe you voted remain – don’t unsubscribe just because I voted leave. Perhaps you are predicating economic doom for our nation. But what if is it was in his mercy that he has allowed brexit. This inconceivable “giant”, to raise its head, and cut us loose from bondage.
God has allowed this to happen. Whichever way you voted (and I have friends who voted both remain and leave), considering “He rules over the nations” (Ps. 22:28), you must decide: Is it a) in his wrath, or b) in his mercy.
I choose mercy. And not in blind optimism.
As Christians we certainly should not be dividing over this topic. Let’s discuss it. The whole nation is discussing it. I’m simply scratching the surface here. Let’s talk to each other about why we voted the way we did. What biblical framework we are coming from. Let’s pray for the nation, it’s leaders.
When our blood boils over brexit, let us recall Psalm 46: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (v10).
[i] https://www.ft.com/content/28effc60-8e93-11da-ae63-0000779e2340
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-eu-is-building-a-new-tower-of-babel-mlm8ghllf
[ii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire