I’ve recently joined Facebook as a way of staying better connected to people in the church. It’s been a really interesting experiment for me and so far it’s one I’ve enjoyed. Feel free to send me a friend request.

This week, on Thursday, is the EU referendum: in or out? I won’t tell you which way I’m going to vote but through Facebook I’ve become aware that we have strong supporters on both sides of this issue. Looking to the wider Christian community it doesn’t take long to find people who would say it is our clear Christian duty to vote one way or the other.

Which way would Jesus vote? It depends who you ask!

A fresh perspective

I have another perspective for us to consider:

For the ‘Remain’ side: If your hope for peace, prosperity, justice for all and the good life rests on staying in the EU … you are buying into a false god.

For the ‘Brexit’ side: If your hope for peace, prosperity, justice for all and the good life rests on leaving the EU … you are also buying into a false god.

As soon as we look to something man made to be our source of peace, prosperity, justice for all and the good life we are buying into a false god. No man made institution can do that for us! What the countries of Europe need most is the gospel. They need local churches to be built who will reach out to their communities with the love of Jesus; we need to pray for his kingdom to come.

And let’s remember, whatever the result of this referendum, the EU won’t endure forever and nor will any kingdom or empire (see Daniel 2 for details!)

In the end, only Jesus’ kingdom will endure forever!

He alone is the Prince of Peace; he alone is the source of our provision; he alone is the one who judges the nations with righteousness and justice; he alone is the one who will lead us to the ‘good life’ that actually lies beyond this life in his coming kingdom.

So my comments don’t address which way to vote, and don’t ask me. Look at the issues, pray and make your own mind up. But let’s look at the issues with eyes of faith!

Possible questions to consider

• Which way is best for the advance of the gospel?
• Which way is best for the growth of the church?
• Over the long term, which way will best serve the poor, including the poorly paid in our own nation?

I’ve seen each of these things clearly argued both ways, so it’s still not straightforward, but the effect on house prices or your pension pot or the cost of a holiday in Spain should perhaps not be our central concerns as Christians.

And consider this too: if we feel very emotionally attached to one side or the other and the wrong answer would make us feel very upset … maybe we’re putting too much faith in man made answers?

Maybe Jesus has been dethroned just a little bit in our thinking?

Do vote

I’ll vote, I encourage you to do the same, but as we do let’s remember that we are citizens of another kingdom altogether:

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  

Philippians 3v20

We just had our tenth anniversary as a church (and next week I’ll post an update on that with some photos). As a church we are able to embrace unity and diversity. We see it in the many different types of people who make up our church; we see it in our different ages and nationalities; we see it in our different preferences and cultures; we see it in being three sites but still one church. Let’s not allow a political issue, which concerns only a passing manmade institution, to divide us.

And when praying about this referendum the Lord’s Prayer is a really good place to start:

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”