John Bercow, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Commons, will certainly be remembered for shouting the word "DIVISION!" If there is one word that characterises the Parliament over which he presided, it is certainly that word - 'division'. It is, of course, far too early to forecast the fortunes of the new Speaker as the House is yet to be elected, but division certainly characterises the nation today.
The small number of committed Christians in the House of Commons were rejoicing this week to see the hand of God guiding the decision of Members in the choice of Speaker. The election of Sir Lindsay Hoyle was vastly to be preferred over secular humanist Harriet Harman, and Chris Bryant, the former Anglican vicar now married to a man.
Listening to Ian Austin (MP for Dudley) being interviewed on the BBC Today programme was a painful experience as he described his dismay over the depth of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, of which he has been a lifelong member. He said that it was obvious that there are only two men who could possibly be the next Prime Minister – Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. He said it would be tragic for the country if Corbyn is elected and he was now urging Labour supporters to vote for Boris Johnson.
Of course, such a political gift as this will no doubt be exploited by the Conservative Party in the coming weeks of electioneering. But the Conservatives also had their setback on day one of their campaign, with the resignation of the Cabinet Minister responsible for Wales who was involved in a scandal concerning a rigged rape case.
But these early skirmishes are to be expected and they will doubtless be followed by others in what promises to be a bitter contest, reflecting some of the anger and division in the nation generated by 3½ years of Brexit wrangling. It is likely to be an election dominated by tactical voting, with some parties already agreeing electoral pacts in order to strengthen the ‘Remain’ votes and prevent Britain leaving the European Union.
If there is one word that characterises the outgoing Parliament and the nation at large, it is certainly 'division'.
Restless World
Protesters in Beirut, Lebanon, this week. See Photo CreditsThe Brexit battle, however, although in the forefront of Britain’s General Election, is only one issue dividing the nation and a minor issue on the world stage, where every region is suffering from some kind of protest movement. Vast numbers are taking to the streets all over the world in what is becoming recognised as an age of rage.
Many of the protests are political, as in Hong Kong, Barcelona, Moscow, Tehran, Baghdad and Algiers. Others are economic, with crowds taking to the streets to protest rising prices, as in India, Lebanon and Chile, where poverty and inequality are driving people to protest corruption and the uneven distribution of wealth.
An interesting article in last week’s issue of The Week1 notes that the vast crowds on the streets making their protests are largely young people. It relates this to the vast increase in world population in the past decade (of the 7.7 billion global population, 41% is aged 24 or under). Across the continent of Africa “where mass protests have also broken out in many countries, 41% is under 15”. It notes, “almost all are reaching adulthood in a world scarred by falling living standards, austerity programmes and recession.” These, no doubt, are the issues that are causing vast numbers of young people not only to protest, but to risk their lives moving across the globe in search of work and higher living standards.
But while politics and economics might be sociological driving factors, is there any biblical significance in the widespread unrest that is increasingly becoming a worldwide phenomenon?
Vast numbers are taking to the streets all over the world in what is becoming recognised as an age of rage.
The Gospel Divides
When Jesus was teaching his disciples about God's purposes for his own mission, he made the startling pronouncement: "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division" (Luke 12:51).
Jesus went on to elaborate on this division, which he foresaw as a prelude to the coming Kingdom, saying that it would be centred in family breakdown and generational conflict.
He said that within the family there would be division - three against two and two against three. But the division would also be intergenerational, with children set against parents, young people against the older generation. This reflected the prophecy of Micah, who foresaw a time of widespread sin when “A son dishonours his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law…” (Mic 7:6). This would be a devastating and difficult time, but one which God would use for the working out of his purposes.
The new teaching brought by Jesus was that his own death would light the spark of a fire on earth that would inaugurate the coming Kingdom. He saw this as a baptism of fire, which was a teaching begun by John the Baptist (the word ‘baptism’ began with John; it does not occur in the Tanakh – the Hebrew Bible). John foresaw the Messiah bringing a baptism of fire to cleanse people from sin; and Jesus himself recognised that it was his own death that would ignite the flame that would rage continually until his return.
God’s Purposes Today
But what is happening today? Is the worldwide division we are seeing a sign of the nearness of the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to inaugurate?
The Bible is clear that the times of the end will be characterised by division and strife: ‘wars and rumours of wars’; betrayal and hatred, both between nations and within them (Matt 24). Much of this is a natural consequence of human sinfulness but burning in its midst is the gospel, which has always been a polarising force, dividing between truth and deception, between those who love the Lord and those who don’t: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12).
This is not the time to pray for an outcome that will bless the nation and restore peace and harmony, but the time to pray for boldness and opportunity to declare truth.
There is an important lesson here for Christians who desire to pray well ahead of the General Election: this is not the time to pray for an outcome that will bless the nation and restore peace and harmony. We have to recognise that things aren’t necessarily going to calm down any time soon. BUT, God will use the social turbulence to work out his purposes.
We will have great opportunities to declare the truth and expose lies and corruption. We should not be praying ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace, but praying for boldness and the right opportunities.
Watching the Signs
In the bigger picture, Christians need to ask serious questions about the present signs of the times, in light of the teaching of Jesus and the biblical prophets. If we take seriously the global unrest we are seeing, together with the disturbance of weather patterns around the world, can we really believe that much time remains before the return of the Lord?
We are left with the question that the Apostle Peter posed: “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Pet 3:11-12).
References
1 The age of protest. 2 November 2019, p4.