Being good news people in a polarised world

Some feel a deep sense of fear at the number of migrants crossing the Channel and wonder whether the new arrivals are safe for women and girls to be around. Others are deeply concerned by the presence of England or Palestinian flags flying over public institutions or along high streets. Is this a sign of increased xenophobia towards a religious or ethnic minority? Possibly, but possibly not. Gen Z are deeply anxious about the state of the nation and the global world that they are growing up in and will inherit. Wars, rumours of wars and the rise of cyber security attacks and Artificial Intelligence impact national economies, the job market and trust between nation states. Will many of the subjects the emerging generation are learning at GCSE, A-level or university be relevant in years to come and secure a stable career? The jury is still out.

We are all living through a time where we are not short of reasons to feel afraid, but fear is not a friendly companion, nor is it an emotion that leads to peaceable solutions. The Bible teaches Christians that the love of God seeks to displace fear from our lives and replace it with the perfect love of God (1 John 4:8). 

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In a time of deep polarisation, there is a temptation for believers to retreat, or worse, let fear lead attitudes, speech and how one engages with people. May the Holy Spirit provide conviction where we are tempted to respond in such a way. It is the love of God that individuals, politics and the nations need, and it is the responsibility of Christians to be compelled by love and not fear as we engage in difficult but necessary conversations.

Wednesday 16 September and Thursday 17 September are two days this month I have been deeply reflecting on. The contribution of speakers at the respective events brought personal challenge and felt prophetic for what lies ahead.

On 16 September, I attended the Evangelical Alliance’s annual Council where church and organisation leaders from across the UK, Ireland and Portugal came together to pray, seek the Lord and bring mutual encouragement to one another’s ministry context. The title of this article is taken from the theme for this year’s Council, and it was a joy to receive from different speakers.

Paul Williams (CEO of the Bible Society) was the keynote speaker. He set out how the polarisation we are seeing in Britain and across the West is a ​‘symptom’ of the drift away from the Bible that once held the West together that has seen Jesus replaced by secular reasoning. He succinctly outlined how, for the past several decades, scientism, capitalism, post-modernism and environmental activism have become created things idolised by the masses, including the church, and have produced the fracturing and fragmentation we are now encountering in society. Each of these ​‘isms’ has not held up to scrutiny nor given people stability through successive economic and political crises. His invitation to the leaders in the room was a renewed personal commitment to holiness and consecration.

Another standout speaker from the Council was Kate Forbes (former deputy first minister of Scotland). She spoke in a personal capacity about what is required to live with courage and conviction in politics when Christian beliefs are in the spotlight, ridiculed and often challenged. 

In her opening illustration she referred to the China Inland Mission (now OMF International) in 1929. Despite a civil war and 12 CIM missionaries having recently been martyred, the mission put out a call for 200 new workers who would be willing to serve abroad, knowing full well that they could also be killed for their belief in Jesus. Within two years, all 200 places were filled.

The thrust of her talk, or at least what I took from it, was that anyone seeking to honour the Lord where He has placed them will face adversity and opposition. When it comes, we should not compromise or hide away from faith, but can stand firm on the truth of God’s word and should be willing to use it as an explanation for decisions and choices made. 

The final speaker, Girma Bishaw (Evangelical Alliance trustee and director for the Gratitude Initiative), made a point that fed into my meeting in the afternoon on 17 September. There were many points made in his talk on ​‘How to unite a polarised church’, but the key takeaway was the importance of being in proximity to people and place. He shared how proximity presents an opportunity to encounter people differently. To listen without judgement and to appreciate a different point of view without seeking to change them, but to grow in understanding and empathy.

Hours after hearing Girma, I had the opportunity to put what I heard into practice. I was invited to a roundtable discussion at Reuben College Oxford, hosted by Rev Graham Tomlin, the former bishop of Kensington and founder of Seen & Unseen, an online platform offering Christian perspectives on culture, society and politics. The event brought together 30 Christians of different political persuasions and theological convictions to explore themes of home, history and hope.

There were points of view in the room I aligned with, presentations I fundamentally disagreed with, and applications to the political malaise I felt lacked nuance and deep theological thought. But that is not the point. The core takeaway was a template for engagement going forward. To intentionally put myself in situations and amongst people who do not think as I do, nor necessarily agree with everything I say. It is possible to disagree well with others, especially for Christians, because our aim isn’t to win arguments but for the love of Jesus to be known and encountered. 

It is hard for Christians to keep pace with the many cultural trends and changes happening nationally and globally, let alone know how to speak out biblically and confidently on them. 

During Council there were four workshop sessions to give delegates the opportunity to hear how Evangelical Alliance staff are beginning to provide a biblical framework response to a range of issues. The aim was not to make individuals experts on all issues but to encourage attendees to hear other experiences and hopefully remind them that the gospel provides a different narrative and solution to the current debate. The themes we looked at were:

• Engaging identity and Christian nationalism
• Engaging Islam
• Engaging immigration with wisdom and compassion
• Engaging with the rise of new age spirituality

Identity is a core thread to all four sessions. There is a national and personal identity crisis. Society is constantly asking: ​‘who am I?’, ​‘where do I come from?’, and ​‘where do I belong?’. The scriptures remind us we are children of God (John 1:12 – 13), we come from the Father (Genesis 1:2, Genesis 2:7 and Ephesians 1:4) and belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45 – 58, Ephesians 2:6 and Galatians 2:20). The gospel must be re-presented to a society and community who have lost sight of this divine story.

Why not check our colleagues’ resources produced on Spiritual Curiosity, Christianity and Nationalism in the UK and Islam in the UK? My briefing note on global migration and immigration policy will be available in mid-October.

Over the summer, Pete Greig (founder of the 24 – 7 Prayer movement), Steve Uppal (senior leader of the All Nations Movement) and Tim Dilena (senior pastor of Times Square Church NYC) all gave sobering messages to be alert. There is a need for the church in the UK and globally to be prepared and well-informed about the changing landscape and how to pray. That’s why we are inviting you to join our next lunchtime online prayer gathering on Thursday, 10 October from 12.30pm.

Across those two days and since, Nehemiah and Ezra are two books in the Bible I have been studying closely. For the activists amongst us, like me, you may be drawn to rebuilding the walls, ie, the rebuilding of society and communities devoid of hope and left in ruins. I believe there is a role for every believer to take responsibility for the places they reside and work in to see the kingdom of heaven brought nearer. But it is the posture of Nehemiah and Ezra that the church must meditate and reflect on.

Before Nehemiah commits to organising the people to rebuild the wall, he first laments, prays and fasts for the state of the situation and Israel as a nation (Nehemiah 1). It is incumbent upon the church to lament for the state the UK finds itself in and to identify personally with the sin prevalent in society. God seeks to change hearts alongside changing circumstances. 

In Ezra’s case, he revered God’s word (Nehemiah 8) and was committed to being consecrated for the Lord’s work (Ezra 8:28 – 30). As Christians living in 2026, we must build our lives on the unchanging word of God and to make peace with being in the world but not of it (John 17:14 – 16), meaning our decisions and lifestyle choices should look distinctively like Jesus.

Our recent Understanding UK Evangelicals research report makes for encouraging reading. Numerical growth is to be celebrated, but my prayer is that there will be a renewed conviction in evangelical belief, particularly in the supremacy of Christ and the cross of Calvary. There is an urgent need for Christians to build their witness on the word of God and to proclaim Him as Lord over all. Our politics and the nations do not need new ideas; they need to be encouraged to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2 and 4:17).

The question going forward is: will you respond in fear or in faith and love? If it is with faith and love, then I hope you will commit yourself to prayer, asking the Lord to reveal more of the character and person of Jesus. A greater revelation of Him is what we and society need. Over to you.