The incalculable effects of faithfully sowing gospel seeds among the young

We’ll never solve knife crime if we don’t understand it.

The news is full of reports on knife crime and politicians are busy searching for something to blame: Government cuts, not enough police, too many school exclusions – the list is endless.

But when will we face up to the real sickness in our nation: the way we have allowed the foundational building-block of our society – the family - to be undermined and broken down by our secular humanist, postmodernist, politically correct culture? And now we are proposing to brainwash a whole generation of schoolchildren with the same values.

I know that sounds like an emotional outburst – which it is! But I can give some pretty solid statistically-based facts to back it up. Let’s take a hard look at knife crime, which has overtaken Brexit as the number one talking point in the news this past week.

Violent Crime and Gang Warfare

The data shows that in the 12 months to December 2018, 1.7 million violent crimes were committed in England and Wales.¹ This was an increase from 1.2 million in 2016. Knife crime among young people has soared, with particular connections to drugs, gangs and territorial disputes.

Of course, knife crime is not new. Back in the early 1970s my wife and I and our three young children moved into the East End of London. On our first night, an 18-year-old boy was stabbed to death on the pavement outside our house. We trembled before God wondering if we had done right in bringing our children into this environment. Although I was no stranger to street violence after ten years in Tottenham, you never get used to the tragedy of young lives cut short and the sense of impotence and despair that surrounds it.

‘How we can stop the gangs in their tracks’ was the headline in The Times earlier this month² for a long article about knife crime, including quotes from the Home Secretary and senior police officers, and calls for more ‘Stop and Search’ and more work in schools warning children of the dangers. Only right at the end of the article was there a mention of ‘dysfunctional parenting’ and the suggestion that police officers should call upon these families to talk about the children.

Knife crime among young people is not new – but it has soared in recent years.

Underlying Causes

The Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group are preparing for a major conference on juvenile crime and family environment. A wide range of research studies show a complex variety of factors encourage young people into crime, such as low socio-economic status, harsh parenting, exclusion from school, availability of weapons, family disorganisation and abusive, violent home environments.

In regard to knife crime, research shows that girls are more likely to murder a family member, while boys are more likely to murder a stranger. Boys are more likely to use a firearm and girls to use knives or blunt weapons. Boys and girls equally use violence in conflict resolution, but girls are more likely to be involved in home-based family conflict, whereas boys are more likely to be involved in gang-related crimes.

Most media reports about knife crime focus on the socio-economic factor. In our equality-obsessed culture, it is often assumed that poverty and deprivation are the driving forces behind today’s soaring crime rate. However, this assertion is tempered when we compare serious crime figures today with those of a hundred years ago.

In the year 1910, the total prison population for England and Wales was 20,904 (today it is 82,543) and there were just over 3,000 prosecutions for serious crime.³ These statistics do not include figures for petty offences such as drunk and disorderly behaviour. Of course, the total population at 35,756,615 was only just over half of today’s population, but poverty levels were vastly higher than today,⁴ which really blows away the claim that socio-economic factors are the main cause of juvenile crime.

A century ago, crime rates were lower even though poverty levels were higher – blowing away the claim that socio-economic factors are the main driver of crime.

My own observations from living and working in inner-city areas of London for most of my working life are that the vast majority of children involved in crime come from disruptive families. This observation is backed by statistical studies, which show that the parents of juvenile murderers tend to have provided them with a model of violence. Both male and female young offenders are highly likely to have experienced severe abuse in their families and in up to a third of cases this includes sexual abuse.⁵

In other words, both boys and girls who grow up in violent families and who are themselves subjected to physical abuse are at risk of repeating that behaviour upon others - including other children, with girls more likely than boys to murder children younger than themselves.

Our Trouble is Self-inflicted

This brings me back to my emotional outburst at the beginning of this editorial. The simple truth is that we have brought all this trouble upon ourselves, by abandoning our Judeo-Christian heritage!

We have a whole generation of children and young people who have little or no knowledge of biblical truths about gender, sex and family life. Sadly, that also is true of many of our Members of Parliament, who are currently considering an ‘Education Bill’ designed to give ‘Relationships and Sex Education’ (RSE) to children as young as four in primary schools. The Bill not only forces all schools to teach LGBTQ+ values that undermine and destroy the marriage-based family, but also restricts the freedom of parents to withdraw their children.

What we are witnessing today is nothing less than state-sponsored social engineering! We fought the Second World War against the Nazi regime’s social engineering of public morality in Germany to promote their nationalist and racist ideology. But now we have a Parliament in Westminster debating a Government Bill to enforce acceptance of another form of social engineering: the promotion of homosexual lifestyles, transgenderism and the false notion that all forms of ‘family’ are equally good for children.

It is incredible that a Conservative Government whose philosophy is to preserve traditional values should be proposing a measure that will do such immense harm, undermining stable family life and putting children at risk.

Both boys and girls who grow up in violent families and who are themselves subjected to physical abuse are at risk of repeating that behaviour upon others.

It surely should be obvious that by weakening the traditional marriage-based family we have brought upon the nation all this knife crime, drugs, gang warfare, disruptive classroom behaviour, school exclusions, family breakdown, homelessness, mental health problems, depression, suicide and other social problems.

If we destroy the family, which is the linchpin of society, every part of national life is affected, because the family is the major agent in transmitting values and behavioural patterns to the next generation.

Faith AND Action!

In our recent editorials we have discerned glimpses of light and given a message of hope. Of course, there is always hope, but realistically the only way forward for the nation is repentance! And repentance does not simply mean saying sorry: it means a change of direction: turning away from false teaching and embracing truth, which changes our mindset and actions.

The only realistic hope lies with the faithful remnant of Bible-believing Christians who are still interceding before God for mercy upon Britain and the European Union. But prayer needs to be backed up and reinforced by firm action to declare the truth in all our conversations and at every opportunity – in our families and neighbourhoods, and with all our contacts.

In the words of Paul to the Christians in Thessaloniki, the nation needs to see “your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 1:3).

References

1 Violent crime is surging four times as fast outside London. The Times, 2 March 2019.

2 Sylvester, R. 2 March 2019.

3 First statistic from Ministry of Justice, quoted in ‘Prison and Courts Statistics, England and Wales’, House of Commons Briefing Paper Number CBP7892, 7 March 2017, p21. Second statistic from World Prison Brief. Third statistic from internal research for the Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group.

4 Though, of course, poverty is a relative concept and its measure over the years has changed.

5 See studies quoted on pp4-5 of ‘Trauma and Young Offenders: A Review of the Research and Practice Literature: Research Summary'. Beyond Youth Custody, 2016.

Gospel opportunity in a changing age.

We often hear dire predictions about the future of Christianity in Britain due to the advanced age of many church congregations. The average age of those attending many British churches today is over 60 and the fear is that as this generation of senior citizens leave this world, more churches will be become redundant.

But a survey published last month paints a different picture and is very revealing about what is going on in the lives of young people.

The survey is in a new book called Faitheism by Dr Krish Kandiah.¹ His survey of young people up to the age of 25 found that 75% say they have no religion. Thus, we have a whole generation of young people who are totally unevangelised – who have no faith at all. But he found that more than half (51%) of this age group reported that they have had a positive experience of the Church and Christianity.

The Church’s Changing Position

This is a significant finding for a number of reasons, not least because it indicates a new openness to Christianity among young people under 25. The reason, according to Dr Kandiah, is that previous generations growing in the 1960s and 70s, at the time of maximum social change in Britain, were involved in the battles to liberalise the nation. At that time, Christianity was seen as being opposed to all the libertarian things that young people wanted. The Church was seen as an oppressor, on the side of the establishment and the ruling elite of the nation, and so naturally to be opposed by ordinary people.

The popular view of the Church of England was that it was the Tory Party at prayer. It was essentially conservative, standing against all forms of social change. This negative view of the Church as the embodiment of opposition to anything that would make life easier and more enjoyable for ordinary people was a great hindrance to the message of the Gospel getting through, especially to young people.

During the 1960s and 70s, the popular view of the Church of England was that it was the Tory Party at prayer. Today, things are different.

Today, things are different. The Church is no longer seen as powerful, as part of the establishment ruling the nation. Christians are no longer seen as posing a threat to the ambitions of the young. There are many stories in the press of Christians losing their jobs for standing by their faith or being prosecuted because of their beliefs.

Incidents like the bakers who refused to bake a cake with a message promoting homosexual marriage have had very positive publicity and young people see these Christians standing up for their beliefs against the oppression of the state. This is a total reversal of the experience of their parents 30 or 40 years ago.

These and many other similar incidents of the hardships experienced by Christians get circulated through social media and the press, causing young people not only to be more open towards Christianity but to be positively interested in finding out more about Jesus. He is seen as an anti-establishment hero who was hated by the authorities even though he only did good.

The Search for Meaning

There are two really interesting sociological facts here. The first is that Britain has only been a multi-faith nation for a single generation. Until the 1960s there were virtually no people of any religion other than Christianity in the UK. Despite the fact that millions of immigrants have come to Britain bringing their religions – Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Islam – there has been no measurable conversion of native British people to these religions. Probably the strongly negative publicity Islam has gained through many acts of terrorism has been influential in this.

Britain has only been a multi-faith nation for a single generation. In that time, young Brits have rejected the faith of their forebears – and they haven’t embraced the other religions now present in the country.

Instead of young people embracing other religions we have three quarters of those under 25 saying that they have no religion at all. The rejection of the religion of their parents has not caused them to seek other religions but simply to reject, or neglect, the faith of their forebears.

The second interesting fact is that the weakening power of the Church has had a positive effect upon more than half of the younger generation, at a time when there is great confusion in the nation. While our politicians are struggling to define what they call ‘British values’, the rest of the populace is experiencing a loss of firm, dependable sources of identity. Secularism is not providing them with the meaning and stability they seek. This is creating a new openness to religious beliefs and values among young people.

This openness, of course, could be dangerous. Jesus told a little parable about a demon being cast out of someone and seven more even more deadly coming in to occupy the vacancy. Openness is great, as long as it is met with truth – otherwise it could lead to even greater delusion.

Now is the Time

This is the challenge to Christians in Britain today: there is an incredible window of opportunity for evangelism, particularly during this time of political and social upheaval due to the Brexit negotiations. Many young people are trying to understand what’s going on in the nation: this is our opportunity to talk about social values, ethical principles and religious beliefs.

Now is the time to talk about the future of Britain outside the European Union. It is the time to talk about the history of Europe, the secularisation of the EU, and the whole subject of values and beliefs. It is the time to talk about the ultimate truths presented in the Bible and the basis of our Christian faith which transforms lives.

There is a new openness to religious belief amongst young people: this is an opportunity Christians must take.

Today there is enormous opportunity for older Christians to communicate their faith to young people. Grandparents are of particular value today in an age of family breakdown. In many families, grandparents are the one stable influence in the lives of children. These grandparents may not have done a very good job in passing on their faith to their children, but they have a second chance now to reach their grandchildren.

If all Bible-believing grandparents were to seize the opportunity of teaching the faith to their grandchildren, the whole social, moral and spiritual situation in Britain could be transformed in a single generation. 

References

1 Faitheism: Why Christianity and Atheism have more in common than you think. Hodder, 2018.

‘There is no occupation', Arab pastor tells shocked young tourists

An international group of millennials have seen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a new light after engaging with both sides – and being shocked by what they discovered.

A party of 11 young people from seven nations were brought together for the chance to understand issues from the point of view of those living there.

They were deliberately not primed to view things from any particular perspective in order to allow them to form their own conclusions through interviews and talks with representatives of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Their three-week trip was recorded on film for a feature-length documentary called Quest 4 Truth, now available on YouTube.

It was produced by Generation 2 Generation, a UK-based organisation founded by Andrew, Daniella and Daphne Kirk committed to inspiring the next generation with an uncompromising passion for Jesus and the Gospel.

Impact of Social Media

The group – from Germany, the USA, the UK, Norway, Japan, Brazil and South Africa – were introduced to community leaders in the Palestinian territories as well as in Israel itself.

Not surprisingly, most of them are strongly influenced by social media which generally portrays a narrative of Israel as big bullies of an oppressed people. Media bias had shaped their perception of the conflict, and they were profoundly shocked to discover that the truth was very different.

“I’ve been lied to,” said one. “You realise how false these stories are,” said another.

The Deputy Mayor of Bethlehem, Essam Juha, was forced to explain why a swastika was inscribed into the fabric of the hotel where they met him. He said it was because Israel had humiliated nations in the same way they had been treated.

“It was so hard for me to keep a straight face”, said Marlea, from New Orleans. “How dare they make that comparison [with the Holocaust]?”

Media bias had shaped the millennials’ perception of the conflict, and they were profoundly shocked to discover that the truth was very different.

After hearing how Palestinians see the Israelis as occupiers of their land, they were taken aback by the response of Arab pastor Naim Khoury, who asked: “What occupation?” And as he turned towards the windows, he added: “Where is the occupation? We are completely under the Palestinian Authority.”

The point was further brought home by a member of the group, who observed: “I have not seen one IDF [Israeli Defence Force] soldier, or Israeli flag.”

They also learnt that the throwing of rocks – and even Molotov cocktails – at Israeli soldiers is seen by Fatah, the PA’s ruling party, as non-violent activity.

Visiting ‘the Wall’

A further learning curve involved meeting Col Danny Tirza, architect of Israel’s notorious security barrier built to keep out terrorists, who said he wanted to be the first to begin taking it down when peace finally came. But in the meantime the murder rate from terrorism had been cut by 90%.

He said that those whose land had been split by the wall – only five per cent of which is concrete, the rest being a much more discreet wire fence – are offered compensation, but refuse to accept it for fear of being labelled collaborators.

Graffiti on the wall betrays the true ambition of Palestinian agitators, with a map showing all of geographical Israel as theirs. They have no wish to share the land, or establish a state beside Israel. They want all of it.

As historian Dr Michael Brown put it: “If the Palestinians put down their weapons there’d be no more war; if Israel put down their weapons, there’d be no more Israel.”

An ex-IDF soldier said: “They use our moral standards against us.” As an example, he explained how a terrorist suspect fled to a crowded residential area, knowing they wouldn’t open fire if civilians were at risk. And when the military had the place surrounded, the fugitive duly appeared on the roof in a bid to escape, at which point they shot him in the leg. But while supporting medics were bandaging him up, the soldiers were pelted with huge rocks. Israelis risk death because of the great value they place on life.

Israelis risk death because of the great value they place on life.

The youngsters hear from Israeli-supporting Stand with Us representative Shevy Kass on a visit to Sderot.Evidence of Apartheid?

Further observations on the Palestinians included – “They are victims of their own hatred” and “They are suffering a lot because of radical people in their community.”

In the southern city of Sderot, meanwhile, a rocket-proof playground has had to be built for children so that when sirens warn of regular incoming missiles from Hamas in nearby Gaza, the kids have an immediate bolt-hole.

The group also visited Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum where a tearful young British woman, Megan, was visibly shocked by the way her country – in charge of the region then known as Palestine – closed the doors to Jews trying to escape Nazi-occupied Europe. And on the question of Israel practising apartheid – a charge widely disseminated by the liberal left – she added: “I haven’t seen any evidence of it.”

Dr Brown emphasised the need for Israel’s self-defence by saying that anti-Semitism levels are as high now as they were immediately before the Holocaust. A Brazilian member added: “I believe the biggest reason for anti-Semitism is lack of knowledge.” And a German youth said: “The greatest enemy of anti-Semitism is the truth.”

Watch the full documentary by clicking here (Christian version) or here (non-Christian version).

Christians must take back territory lost to Disney.

A deeply disturbing report has highlighted what many have come to know, expect and even accept – that many of our children are missing out on religious education.

Flagging up the ‘state of the nation’ report published by the Religious Education Council and the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE), the Daily Mail headline ‘Death knell for RE in schools’ was, I think, a tad over the top.¹

However, the neglect of this aspect of education is very serious and, as with so many sections of our broken society, the Church is in part responsible.

The Reason for Education

The very motive for introducing education for all in the 18^th and 19^th centuries was so that children could come to know the love of God. It was, in the first place, so that they could be taught the Bible, which contains a treasure trove of teaching on all matters of life and which equips new generations with unsurpassed knowledge on how to live – not just with your mind and body, but with your heart and soul.

The Bible teaches repeatedly that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10) and someone has said that godless education simply produces educated sinners.

The original motive for introducing education for all was so that children could come to know the love of God.

Deborah Weston, NATRE’s research officer, said: “By developing knowledge and understanding about different religions and world views in the security of a classroom, young people have the opportunity to engage with complex, diverse and constantly evolving subject matter.”² Indeed, what’s wrong with that – even for our humanist friends?

Julia Diamond-Conway of RE Today, an exhibitor at the Christian Resources Exhibition, said there was no excuse for breaking the law by not offering RE in schools. She told CRE News:

In collaboration with NATRE, we produce many high-quality resources to inspire and inform children – for their lives both now and in the future. There is just no excuse for not following the law and teaching a subject so relevant in today’s society. Many people think RE is about issues from centuries ago and no longer relevant. But our material talks of modern times and uses modern techniques to involve children fully in the learning process.³

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Religious education remains compulsory for all state-funded schools, including academies and free schools, at all key stages and we expect all schools to fulfill their statutory duties.”⁴

Perhaps this latter phrase – ‘statutory duties’ - is part of the problem. We have lost the heart and soul of what education is really about. We treat people as computers. Back in the 19^th Century, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, speaking on the subject of education in various countries, said: “The truth was that wherever everything was left to the government the subject became a machine.”⁵

A Deprived Generation

According to the report, 28% of secondary schools told the Department for Education that they gave no dedicated curriculum time to RE. It is estimated that this equates to 800,000 pupils being deprived of their legal right to learn about major religions and beliefs, leaving them without the religious literacy they need for life in modern multi-faith Britain.

It further called for “a clear public statement that it is not acceptable in any circumstances for a school to be failing to provide RE at any key stage as part of its broad and balanced curriculum.”

We have lost the heart and soul of what education is really about - we treat people as computers.

It would be quite wrong to conclude that today’s youngsters are not interested in the spiritual side of life. It’s just that many have been denied the chance of exploring these things. And this is where much of the Christian Church is failing them. The average person in the pew is tragically ignorant of the huge opportunities we still have for sharing the Gospel in schools. They simply accept the perceived, but misinformed, notion that God has been thrown out of the school window (perhaps, in part, due to the teaching of evolution as opposed to creationism) – and all we can do is lick our wounds and sulk over a very sorry state of affairs.

Yet in stark contrast to the USA, where it may surprise many to learn that Christian teaching is banned from schools, we have a wide open door. And as with the vision St Paul had of the man from Macedonia (Acts 16:9), many are saying to us: “Come over here and help us!”

Opportunities Still There!

Conscientious head-teachers are only too willing to welcome those who have a heart to teach (though not preach to) children about the love of Jesus. In some cases, even qualified RE teachers (who are not necessarily Christians, after all) feel out of their depth when asked to lead assemblies.

But Christian youth workers can (and do) step up to the plate with an authoritative, passionate and winsome approach to the subject. And if they win the trust of staff, there are many opportunities to support pupils through the school curriculum.

For example, Bible Society’s Open the Book project is becoming increasingly popular in primary schools as teams from local churches around the country lead assemblies through a dramatic reading of Bible stories.

I declare an interest in this subject as my wife is involved in visiting primary schools across the large metropolitan borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. Along with other Christians, I have on many occasions accompanied her on various projects and witnessed the sheer delight of children – wide-eyed and open-mouthed – as they respond in rapt attention and wonder to the amazing stories of the Bible.

We share these stories because they are true – not fairytales – and yet there is something truly magical about them too! We need to take back territory lost to Disney and the like, and restore our confidence in the ‘greatest story ever told’. It should not surprise us that the Gospel story appeals to children. After all, Jesus said we could not enter the Kingdom of God unless we approached it as little children do (Matt 18:3).

It’s not that today’s youngsters are not interested in the spiritual side of life – it’s that many have been denied the chance of exploring these things.

Saving Priceless Souls

Our education has become too cerebral. Have we forgotten the importance of the soul? Jesus said: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36). What price do we put on the soul of a child? It is priceless. Do we think that by filling them with facts they will live useful lives?

Jesus said he had come to give us “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10). Isn’t that what we would like to see in our children – that they would learn to live life to the full; knowing God, being comfortable with themselves, feeling secure in the love of Jesus and fulfilling a very clear purpose as they answer a particular calling on their lives?

Jesus put so much emphasis on children, and I’m told that Jewish tradition still bears that out in that those wishing to teach children, as opposed to adults, are required to spend far more time training for the role.

Jesus warned that in the case of those who cause any of these little ones who believe in him to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone tied around his neck and drowned in the depths of the sea (Matt 18:6). Denying the opportunity for children to hear about Jesus surely comes close to this – for you would be encouraging them to turn away from God and never know the joy of salvation and of sins forgiven.

A Calling of Great Honour

Without a compass, how do we find the way? Forget the Satnav and the iPhone. Without the measuring rod of the Bible, how will children know right from wrong; how will they discern lies from truth?

In searching for a memorial plaque to a Jewish relative on the Thames Embankment, I was taken aback somewhat by a magnificent statue to Robert Raikes (1736-1811), founder of the Sunday School movement – a reminder that in days of yore, educating children with the Bible was seen as a calling worthy of great honour.

May it become so again!

References

1 Daily Mail, 18 September 2017.
2 Ibid.
3 Hall, D. RE in schools: No excuse to break the law. CRE News, 21 September 2017.
4 See note 1.
5 Speech to the House of Commons, 20 June 1839.

It is vital that those in Britain who know the Lord declare the Gospel with their words and lives.

In last week's editorial, I wrote about the signs of God's blessing upon Britain in the aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union. All the forecasts of doom from those who wished Britain to remain within the EU have not been fulfilled.

The economy has not suffered dire consequences, the housing market has not collapsed, unemployment is down and retail sales are up, giving a general feeling of buoyancy and hope for the future. But will it last? That is the big question.

One of our readers posted a comment last week pointing out that God's blessings are conditional. He is absolutely right in this and if God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and have some understanding of the nature and purposes of God.

Passing on the Message

Last week we reminded readers that only 44% of the nation now claim to be Christians and 48% say that they have no religion at all. In many churches in Britain today the congregation consists mainly of elderly worshippers which means that they have a huge responsibility for evangelism if these churches are to survive beyond the present generation.

If older Christians are to be successful in passing on the faith to the next generations, they not only need to know the Gospel but also need to understand what's going on in the world today. This was the great strength of the prophets of Israel, who were able to declare the word of the Lord with conviction and authority because they were keen observers of the contemporary world as well is being in communication with God.

If God's blessings upon the nation are to continue, there is a huge responsibility upon those who know the Bible and the purposes of God.

Jeremiah's great frustration was that nobody was aware of the great dangers facing the nation. He said:

I thought, these are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. (Jer 5:4-5)

Jeremiah continued, "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?" (Jer 5:31). The whole nation was living with a false sense of security when there was a tremendous storm brewing on the international scene and the moral and spiritual life of the nation was in a mess (see also the article on Jeremiah by Tony Pearce which we are publishing today).

Seismic map showing the impact of North Korea's recent nuclear test. See Photo Credits.

Very Present Dangers

There are many similarities with today. On the international scene the threats to world peace are growing daily, with North Korea now claiming the ability to launch a nuclear warhead on international ballistic missiles. Tensions between Russia and the USA are increasing in the highly unstable situation in the Middle East. The unspeakable horrors of the civil war in Syria show no signs of ending and Turkey's intervention has added further complication.

Poverty and deprivation in Africa are combining with the tragedy of the Middle East to force vast numbers of migrants to seek refuge in Europe. They are not only changing the face of our continent but also bringing with them militant Muslims who pose a threat to the communities where they settle. Their presence is having an unsettling effect throughout the European Union, where right-wing protest parties are gaining support and popular demand is rising to follow Britain's lead and leave the EU. All these things are increasing uncertainty for the future.

If ever there were a time for steady and firm international leadership it is surely today; but America is paralysed in the run-up to their November presidential election, the outcome of which could be even more disastrous. The choice facing the American electorate between the corrupt Clinton and the loudmouth bully Trump is unenviable. Voters will have to decide between the lesser of two evils: but either way the future for world peace looks ominous.

Jeremiah's day was like our own - the whole nation was living with a false sense of security while there was a tremendous storm brewing.

Times of Turmoil: How to Respond

So what does the Bible have to say that helps us to understand the world situation today and what Christians should be doing? Jesus warned that days of great turmoil would happen when nation would rise against nation and there would be famines and earthquakes and persecution of those who believe in God (Matt 24). The Apostle Paul warned of what he called "the man of lawlessness" being released into the world in a time of great rebellion among the nations (2 Thess 2).

None of us knows whether we are in those days. But we should all be aware of what is prophesied in the Bible so that we can communicate the Gospel effectively to our friends and neighbours, who are bewildered by what is happening and who do not know the word of the Lord, or his love and promises to those who are faithful to him.

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom. The powers of darkness that they face have never been greater, especially with all the pressures of the internet and social media shaping their lives ever-more invasively. Young people are also vulnerable to the deliberate attempts of secular humanists and satanists to rob them of their innocence and thirst for the truth. Parents and grandparents should be aware of the intention of satanists to establish after-school clubs to counteract Christian teaching – it's already happening in the USA.¹

We especially need to be praying young people into the Kingdom at this time.

Faith in Word and Deed

We should all be rejoicing in the sense of hope that there is in the nation today while also being on the alert to the enemies of God and their evil intentions. God is clearly giving us a window of opportunity to communicate his love and his purposes to more than half of the population who have no faith at all and who are at risk.

We need to remember that we communicate our faith as much through our daily lives as through our words. The Apostle John reminds us of the power of love. He says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death" (1 John 3:14).

References

1 Horton, H. Satanic Temple tries to open after-school clubs in 9 US districts. The Telegraph, 5 August 2016.

If we are to regain peace in our nation, we have to study the social geography of voting in the Referendum and learn from it.

My joy at hearing the result of the Referendum was very short-lived when I saw the dismay of some of the younger members of my own family.

Social media went into overdrive in condemnation of the decision to leave the European Union, which many young people saw not as a victory for freedom but as a triumph for racism and prejudice against foreigners.

I was immediately moved with compassion for those who felt betrayed by the older generation who had voted heavily for leaving the EU and who they accuse of not considering the views of young people and their future. But a breakdown of the voting pattern shows that it was not only older voters who wanted to break with the European Union. There were other social dimensions to the voting which are most informative about our society.

Understanding the 'Older' Vote

But first, why did so many older people vote 'Leave'? The simple answer is that they remember being told in 1975 that Britain was joining a trading organisation that would lead to great prosperity for all the nations of Europe and bring greater international cooperation and harmony - which is what everyone desired in the aftermath of two terrible wars in the 20^th Century.

But fundamental changes have taken place in the European Union, from simple trade agreements to political power being removed from our own Government to Brussels and Strasbourg, and our politicians actually admitting that we had been deceived.

The older generation was brought up in a social environment of strict morality where truth, loyalty, integrity and righteousness were universally accepted values – they deeply resent being deceived.

The older generation remember joining a trading organisation that promised peace and prosperity – and which became about political power.

Voting on Principle

These issues and the philosophy underlying the policy being pursued by the European Union were not discussed during the Referendum debate, which was an utter disgrace, descending into personal abuse and slogan shouting.

Many in the older generation ignored the debate and held fast to their social values. They knew that if Britain voted to leave the EU, there would be a period of severe economic turmoil. But, in the long-term, it seems they also believed that British character is sufficiently strong to come through the shockwaves of change and steer the country through to a time of prosperity, equality and a recovery of the values and heritage we have lost.

This is why so many in the older generation voted to reassert our independence from the EU and seek a new relationship with the other nations of Europe in a partnership of peace and prosperity. They did not want to leave Europe! They wanted Britain to decide our own destiny!

Voting Against the Establishment

But it was not only the older generation in Britain who voted 'Leave'. In areas of social deprivation, it was young people who see no future for themselves in simply maintaining the status quo. Their vote was as much against the Westminster establishment who never listen to their plight as it was against the European Union, which is just another set of faceless rulers in the 'them and us' structure of society in which they are the forgotten underclass.

For many young people and ordinary working people this was an opportunity to go against those in power. It was a chance to give a black eye to the bankers, stockbrokers, big business moguls and politicians (even including the Labour Party leaders). Sadly, we belong to a highly structured and divided society, in which the gap between rich and poor, the haves and the have-nots has been growing steadily wider for at least the past 30 years.

It was not only the older generation who voted 'Leave', but also young people – particularly in areas of social deprivation.

This is why the Labour Party is in turmoil today - because it has always been a mixture of middle-class idealists and ordinary working people, but the gap between the workers and the middle classes has grown steadily wider.

The Social Geography of the Vote

Many firms in Britain have been recruiting from Eastern Europe, where migrant workers are willing to work for lower wages that are still vastly higher that they can get in their own countries. But this has created huge resentment among British workers, especially when the migrants bring their families, with great impact upon schools and the Health Service.

The affluent middle classes, academics, civil servants, politicians, bankers and businessmen who voted to 'remain' don't have to compete for jobs with immigrants, feel the upheaval of drastic cultural change or send their children to overcrowded schools. The unwillingness of Labour politicians in Westminster to face these issues is now tearing their Party apart.

If we are to regain peace in our nation, we have to study the social geography of voting in the Referendum and learn from it.

According to figures published by The Times (25 June 2016), 72% of voters in areas of high average house prices (above £282,000) voted to remain; whereas in areas where house prices are lower than that, 79% voted to leave the EU. Similarly, in affluent areas, 65% voted to remain, whereas in areas where average wages are lower than £23,000, 77% voted to leave.

In terms of occupation and education the differences are even greater, with 86% voting to leave the EU in areas of high manufacturing and 83% in local authority areas where more than a quarter of the electorate do not have at least five good GCSEs.

British society is highly divided, with the gap between the haves and the have-nots growing steadily wider for at least the past 30 years.

Holding Out Hope

So what can Christians do to heal the divisions that are so apparent in our nation and promote harmony and a single-minded determination to seek the national good?

First, we all need to show love and compassion to those who fear for the future. We have to replace fear with hope. This can only be done by reasserting the values that have held the nation together during times of great trouble and danger in times past, and by encouraging people to put their trust in the Lord. Today, as one of our readers said in a perceptive comment, our situation is more like Dunkirk than D-Day. When we found ourselves alone facing vast hostility across the Channel we cried out to God for help; we put our trust in the Lord and he answered our prayers. This is the first thing we need to do today!

Secondly we know that we are facing turbulence for the next two years and at the moment we have no stable Government or credible Opposition. Both political parties are deeply divided and have no clear plans for the future, which is highly dangerous for the nation. Christians should be coming together to seek the Lord for his plans. Now is the time for believers to close ranks and unite in prayer for the nation; boldly speaking the word of the Lord. We know that it is only when we recognise the mess we are in and we cry out to the Lord in repentance that any real change will come in the nation, because God always responds to such prayers.

Thirdly we must intercede for our politicians. Prayer groups and intercessors should be praying for the MPs who have to elect a Prime Minister and for each of the candidates. Of the three leading contenders Theresa May attends her local Anglican church, Michael Gove is an Anglo-Catholic and Stephen Crabb is an Evangelical: all three are known to be friendly to Israel. But we not only need a Godly Prime Minister, we need committed Christians in the Cabinet who will have the discernment to know the will of God for the nation and the courage to speak the word of the Lord in decision-making.

Prayer groups should let their local MP know that they are being supported in prayer and ask if there are any special prayer needs. The next few weeks are especially important to pray for MPs when far-reaching decisions will be made. This is where Christians can play a vital part in the affairs of the nation. We need the same boldness that Peter and John had when they faced the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem soon after the Day of Pentecost. They spoke about Jesus and declared "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4.12).

This is the message that should be upon our lips and declared in our Parliament and in the public square!