Does God have a Brexit mast that he nails his colours to? While you ponder this, I will nail mine. By the time the Referendum came I reckoned I was 70% Remain and 30% Leave. Only one vote though…
I share this not to argue a position, more the opposite. Where we were living at the time of the Referendum turned out to be part of the experience for me. Coastal North Devon is ‘purple’ on the political map – solid UKIP territory (back then), and a large Leave majority. My instincts are pro-European. (If of interest, mainly because of the cooperation between countries previously divided by war). Other folk highlighted different concerns: the EU’s institutional failings, Brussels being even more remote from North Devon than Westminster, and – abutting the sea as we did – our island nation never being likely to see things in a purely ‘continental’ way. These perspectives were helpful for me. We are all shaped by our experiences, and no-one has a monopoly on the truth. Nor does any ‘tribe’.
Which is why the Old Testament is so extraordinary. For God was willing to be grossly misunderstood –
to be labelled as the god of one tribe (Israel), to the extent of being seen as a god who wreaks violence and retribution. Those were the times, of course; gods were ‘tribal’ then. But God was willing to ally himself with one tribe in order to build a bridge with humanity. This was just a steppingstone. In Jesus he could finally reveal his colours and nail them to the mast: that he is, in fact, ‘for’ everyone – tribe, race, nation and outlook. With the Jews he didn’t side, as expected, against the Romans. He didn’t side even with religious people against the less religious (he especially didn’t do that!). The only side he took was of the poor, marginalised and defenceless – but that’s hardly being tribal. And for nailing up his colours, he got nailed up himself.
With Brexit divisions rampaging around us, we step in November into a month when the pain of past divisions is laid bare in remembrance. We live in a world seemingly addicted to division. Thankfully we have a God who is on all of our sides, and stretches out his arms in reconciliation to prove it.
