In Habakkuk, our eponymous hero cries out to God, wondering how He can let an ungodly nation conquer a not-very-godly-one. Habakkuk doesn't deny that Israel has fallen far, far from God's plan for it, but he still questions how God can punish it using a country even further from Him.
Are we sure this time is over? Do we think God has ceased to act in this way?
The UK is no a Christian country in anything but name. There are, of course, no 'Christian' countries except the City of Heaven, where all Christians claim their citizenship. A citizenship which is far more important and meaningful than our British citizenship. Do we think that 'the west' will defeat the threat it currently faces from Islamic Extremism? If so, why? Surely our only confidence it anything happening is God willing it. And if God willed the judgement of Israel in a not disimilar fashion, Israel being His covenental people, why do we think God would spare the UK? I honestly can't think of a reason. But then i guess it's not up to me to search the wisdom of God.
So what is our response to this? Well, we rejoice, we remember that our citizenship is in Heaven, that we owe nothing to our country, to patriotism, and that we await a Savior from there who will come. We rejoice knowing that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, and that a Britian ruled by Islamic Fascism would fall under this category. We love our enemies. Living in one of the centres of the current Terror Scare this presents a particular challenge for me. I am ashamed to admit that as i walk around High Wycombe i find it all to easy to see an Asian dude and wonder 'are you in on it', 'are you on their side'. This is a terrible thing, and will eventually cripple a town already struggling with racial tension. We remember to pray for our brothers and sisters who already live in places like Saudi Arabia and Iran, as if we were there ourselves. We don't get too nostalgic about Britian at the moment, and remember that things are bad here for Christians already, but in the same breath thank God for the oppotunities to openly witness and make as much of this as we can.
I'm not trying to be sensationalist, or scare mongering. I'm just thinking.
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3 comments:
Ed,
Those are great thoughts!! What have you been reading???
LOL.
I have wise friends!
It's very wise advice not to get patriotism muddled with faith - look where that has got many in America. Jesus is not English, nor is he American!
However I'm not so sure we can directly imply that because Habbakuk in the OT spoke of God judging Israel, that if the UK were ever overtaken by 'Islamic Fascists' (Very much a Bushism that, by the way, Islamic extremists are definitely not fascists, nor are they particularly Islamic, in fact), that it would be the judgement of God on Britain.
Though as Christians our citizenship is in the Kingdom of God - which we must remember though it is not a Kindgom of the world, it is present in this world - should we still at least be active in our earthly nations politics? How much should our country matter to a Christian? Be interested to know your thoughts :-)
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