The true gospel is needed to break down sectarianism

Coronavirus, nationhood and the spiritual battle over boundaries

Trump vs Macron and the battle for all our futures.

These days, I am routinely and necessarily suspicious of the BBC. So when Auntie reports a major international speech given by the most powerful man in the world by poking fun at him, it makes me want to listen to the speech in full and see what I’ve missed!

The speech was given by President Donald Trump to the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York. The UNGA brings together in one room world leaders of vastly different political backgrounds, from 153 nations. Since a lot of politicking is done off-camera, the podium is the tip of the iceberg; a nonetheless vital indicator of a more extensive reality just below the surface.

Podium Wars

It is fascinating to watch Trump’s speeches and the reactions of other world leaders. Ever since his arrival on the world scene, things seem to have become more threatening and unstable – or more exciting and hopeful, depending on your perspective. He has certainly succeeded in exposing to the air an ideological war that has been raging in the West for decades.

As with ‘populist’ movements like Brexit, such an open challenge to the left-wing secular humanist orthodoxy is usually decried (by left-wing secular humanists) as divisive. But what else should be expected of any attempt to stand against the prevailing direction of Western politics?

And if Trump embodies one side of the ideological war, the other is embodied by French President Emmanuel Macron, whose UNGA speech was essentially a point-for-point rebuttal of Trump’s. This article looks at some of the key issues over which they tussle, putting them both into biblical perspective.

Polar Opposite Views

President Trump dedicated much of his speech to a solidly conservative defence of nationhood, vowing to “never surrender America’s sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy” and to reject “the ideology of globalism.”

His argument was that whilst supra-national organisations like the UN have “unlimited potential”, they cannot and should not replace the “beautiful constellation of nations”, since “Sovereign and independent nations are the only vehicle where freedom has ever survived, democracy has ever endured, or peace has ever prospered.”

If Trump embodies one side of the ideological war for the West, the other is embodied by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Meanwhile, President Macron took the podium to exalt the virtues of global government as the only way to solve mounting international crises and ensure prosperity for all. He argued that “nationalism always leads to defeat”, blaming it for two world wars, genocides and countless worsening global emergencies.

He then claimed that we are witnessing a “crisis of the Westphalian world order" (i.e. a world of individual sovereign states) and “this is a turning point” where we need “a new world order” based on “new rules” and “a re-forging of the global collective system”.

Trump addresses the 73rd session of the Assembly, 25 September 2018.While Macron waxed lyrical about international co-operation, Trump criticised the dangerous lack of accountability of global institutions (e.g. the ICC, the WTO). Declaring that they have “no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority”, he then proclaimed:

America is governed by Americans…we believe in the majesty of freedom and the dignity of the individual. We believe in self-government and the rule of law. And we prize the culture that sustains our liberty - a culture built on strong families, deep faith, and fierce independence.

Macron denounced this thinking as ‘isolationism’. He argued that populist movements championing democracy are mere expressions of frustration from groups ‘left behind’ by the modern world. To combat this, he argued, what is needed is not insular nationalism, but more and better globalism.

These are just a few examples; I recommend comparing the full texts of both speeches (links below).

More Than Different Opinions

Importantly, Trump and Macron do not simply represent different opinions about how government should be done: they embody two diametrically opposed worldviews.

Underlying Trump’s defence of national sovereignty is a biblical valuation of individual dignity and freedom, as given by God. From this starting point, the role of government is to protect and encourage individuals, not least by investing in the structures (also God-given) that enable them to flourish, such as the family, the rule of law and the nation itself.

Underneath Macron’s ‘new world order’ is precisely the opposite: a firm belief in the pre-eminence of the universal rather than the individual. The role of government is then to impose freedom from the top down, not by protecting units like the family and the nation, but by subordinating them to a ‘universal’ moral and political system:

I believe in universal values…I think there should be unconditional protection of our values…Let us address the crises, let us work together…mindful of the principles guided by our history and the principle of universality and universalism.

Under Trump’s defence of national sovereignty is a biblical valuation of individual dignity and freedom, as given by God. Underneath Macron’s ‘new world order’ is precisely the opposite.

Digging even further down, underneath these different claims lie very different visions for humanity’s future, and very different beliefs about human nature and God.

Macron’s vision is the realisation of a world where poverty, disease and conflict are gone, climate change is reversed and prosperity is enjoyed by all. Appealing though all this sounds, it is grounded in a utopian fantasy: the creation of heaven on earth, without God, humanity dictating its own morals and working out its own salvation.¹ Both history and Bible prophecy testify to the terrible ends of such millennial dreams.

Trump’s world-view is not nearly so grandiose. He does not assume that a universal utopian vision is necessary, possible or desirable, but instead concerns himself with unleashing individual potential: enabling people to make the best of a fallen world, responsible for their own lives before God.

This does not preclude impulses to international co-operation; it just does not prescribe them as the way to humanity’s ultimate self-realisation.

The Spiritual Dimension

These two men and their two speeches remind me that ultimately there are really only two worldviews, or two directions in which to move: to pay respect to the God of the Bible and his created order, or to write God out of the picture, revising the world accordingly.² Whichever side wins out will change the lives of millions, even billions of people.

The biblical context of all this, of course, is the spiritual battle spoken of in Ephesians 6:10-19. This invisible battle is for the hearts, minds and eternal destinations of all mankind. It is therefore fundamentally a battle for the freedom of the Gospel to be proclaimed, heard and accepted. Satan’s strategy is to deceive with counterfeit offers of salvation and freedom, working meanwhile to close down opportunities for the truth to be heard.

One day, Macron’s vision of a ‘new world order’ will be realised, temporarily (Rev 13), though Satan’s attempts to achieve this through history have so far been allayed. By God’s grace, until the appointed time the Holy Spirit is acting as a restraint, safe-guarding our freedom to proclaim the Good News:

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming. (2 Thess 2:7; also 2 Pet 3:9)

In these two men, and in these two speeches, we are reminded that ultimately there really are only two worldviews.

For Believers

Why is it important to understand the battle raging between our political masters, especially if God ultimately scoffs at their posturing and plotting (Ps 2)? It’s important because it should jolt us out of complacency and galvanise us:

• To make bold use of our Gospel freedoms while we still have them,
  
• To take care that we are not deceived into aligning ourselves with ideologies behind which lie the ‘powers of this world’s darkness’,
  
• To be deliberate in applying God’s truth to our political thinking and acting, and
  
• To pray with understanding, listening to the heart of God and (if so called) yielding ourselves to the vital ministry of intercession.
  

It is a mistake to poke fun at Trump instead of listening to what he has to say. This is a debate – nay, a war – about human nature and purpose, and ultimately about God. Ephesians 6 makes no provision for Christians sitting on the side-lines: it is a call to arms.

Listen to/read the full speeches:

• President Trump: text / video

• President Macron: text / video (quotes taken from the latter)

Notes

1 In this schema, the major evil is not sin, but the freedom which has allowed inequalities to flourish and resources to be abused. The only solution, therefore, is the submission of freedom to the ‘greater’ goals of equality and unity. The biggest potential threats to this are sovereign nation-states or movements of people that might use their independence to deviate from this agenda.

2 Nowhere do these worldviews clash more voraciously than on Israel, although I have not included this example here. Israel will always be at the crux of the global battle for truth and freedom, because she stands for the inevitable fulfilment of God’s covenant purposes and the soon return of Messiah.

Cracks in the EU, revolution in Turkey and racial tension in the USA - Clifford Hill looks at what the word of God says about these times.

It is often said among clergy that the most popular song requested for funeral services is Frank Sinatra's 'I did it my way'. The song describes various incidents in life and boasts "I faced it all and I stood tall: and I did it my way".

I think I would be really scared to go to my grave boasting that throughout my life I have done everything my way, but clearly this song strikes a chord with very many people as it epitomises the spirit of the age.

Maybe this is why so many people voted for Brexit – not because they were expressing a desire to be free from secular humanist rules and regulations from Brussels, but because they saw this as a chance to register a protest against all those in authority. It is the desire to be free – to do what we want, to be in charge of our own lives – that's what most people want, not just in Britain, but all over the world. It's very much in evidence in Europe.

Leaving the EU

Britain's decision to leave the European Union has inspired populist movements throughout the Continent. Political parties in no fewer than 18 Eurozone nations are demanding a referendum to decide whether they also can leave the European Union. Austria's highest court has ruled that the recent presidential election must be re-run due to voting irregularities. The Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer only lost by a handful of votes and is very likely to win the re-run. He has declared that one of the first things he will do is to hold an 'in/out' referendum on the EU. There are similar demands from populist parties in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Hungary, and even in Germany.

There is a rising tide of nationalism in Europe

Of course, European leaders are watching these developments with alarm knowing that their Empire building plans for a 'super-state' are being challenged by a rising tide of nationalism in most of the member countries. In Britain political leaders are trying hard to hold things together against a tide of dissent. Conservative Party leaders are closing ranks despite the disappointment of losing the referendum, while the Labour Party is tearing itself apart on a wave of rank and file rebellion against the intellectual idealists who have run the Party for decades.

Trump and ClintonMary Altaffer & Chuck Benton/AP/Press Association Images

But it's not just Europe that is going through a period of increasing instability. The same spirit of rebellion against authority propelled Donald Trump to the top to the disgust and horror of traditional Republicans. But his opponent, Hillary Clinton, is also seen as part of the hated establishment who have run America for many years - so the outcome of the forthcoming Presidential election is by no means certain.

America is teetering on the brink of what the New York Post described as "Civil War", with racial tensions between African-Americans and the white population the highest they have been for 50 years – since the days of the protest movement led by Dr Martin Luther King.

Trump's speech appealed to the angry and the frustrated.

Trump's speech accepting the Presidential nomination was deliberately targeted to appeal to the angry and the frustrated. This indicates that a highly dangerous and toxic campaign lies ahead at a time when community relationships in the USA are at an all-time low due to the number of gun crime incidents – not just the shooting of young black men by the police but multiple murders of innocent people by gunmen using sophisticated weapons that are freely available in the USA. The need for a statesman of exceptional ability to lead the nation has never been greater in America. Yet most unbiased observers can only view the future with anxiety or even alarm for the future of the world in a highly unstable period of history.

Spirit of Rebellion

It was the spirit of rebellion that triggered the Arab Spring and still drives the Civil War in Syria and the tribal war in Iraq. The same spirit of rebellion can be seen in many other parts of the world, the latest being Turkey with its failed coup that is being used by President Erdogan to subdue all resistance to his becoming a national dictator. 50,000 people are said to have been arrested – not merely members of the military who staged the coup – but judges and teachers and journalists and civil servants – anyone suspected of being a hindrance to the absolute power of the President.

By declaring a state of emergency Erdogan already has the power to rule by decree without being subject to Parliament. So democracy, which he claimed to be defending, by calling the people out onto the streets, is now virtually dead in Turkey. The implications of this are unknown for the European Union who have been relying upon Turkey to stem the tidal wave of migration from the Middle East.

So where does God come into all this?

The Word of God

So where does God come into all this? Does the Bible give us any understanding of what is happening today and how we should be praying? Psalm 2 comes directly to the point. It says that the spirit of rebellion among the nations is not just against earthly rulers, it is against God – because he is perceived as the ultimate authority. "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains', they say, and throw off their fetters...."

In the New Testament, Paul's letter to Timothy describes what we're seeing in many parts of the world today. He says "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents.... brutal... Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power... In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim 3:1-5, 3:12-13). Jesus strongly warned about deception, "Watch out that no one deceives you" (Matt 24:4).

Anarchists' Activity

That warning is particularly significant this week because there is a lot of activity among New Agers and occultists as well as anarchists who want to show their defiance of convention. There is the big 'Tomorrowland' heavy-metal festival at Boon in Belgium, a meeting of Satanists in California and the Gay Pride March through the streets of Jerusalem this weekend.

Of course we should not be fearful of these things! We know there are plenty of people who love to dabble in the occult simply to demonstrate their rejection of faith in God, which was no doubt the motive behind the Satanists' ritual at the opening of the Gotthard Tunnel between Switzerland and Italy last month.¹

As Christians we have to be realists and recognise what is happening in the world around us but remember that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). And the solemn promise of God is "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isa 41:10).

References

1 Hill, C. D-Day for Europe. Prophecy Today, 10 June 2016.