Addressing the 'sins' of segregation and nationalism

As I drove from Sutton Coldfield to West Bromwich on Monday's bank holiday (a distance of eight miles) I passed dozens of Union Jacks and St George's Crosses fluttering on lampposts.

This phenomenon is not unique to the West Midlands. It’s spreading across England.

I don't know anyone who has put up a flag, so I can't speculate on the particular reason for why the flags have been displayed. But we can reflect on the reasons why there is a rise in English or British nationalism and four corresponding ways the church must respond.

How can we respond to nationalism?

Identity

First, secular, material, individualism has left people without a sense of collective identity. The absence of collective faith in Christ leaves only national identity as the highest available sense of belonging. As with Scottish nationalism, secular folk south of the border are longing, perhaps unconsciously, for something to give a feeling of collective identity. This has to be bigger than their football club or pop festival.

As Christians, we should be confident that the message of the Bible offers true, collective identity. We are humans, made by God as our Creator, we are image bearers of God and Christ is our Saviour from sin, including the sins of segregation and nationalism.

Migration

Second, migration disrupts everyone. Shared national identity, which is real but secondary to identity in Christ, is shattered by migration. Without a shared historical narrative, other than "colonialism was bad", and with no shared language, culture or connection, a nation of people separated by history is deeply unsettling.

West Bromwich and bigger cities have experienced this, in waves, for over 70 years. Much of the rest of the UK is just beginning to feel it. But migration is not new. The story of the Bible can be understood as a migrant people searching for home. Migration began when Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden. Cain was forced to wander the earth. Noah set sail. The human race was scattered to the corners of the earth from Babel. Abram was called to leave home. The rest of the Biblical narrative involves mass movements of people, through famine, exodus, war, exile and mission. The longing for home is satisfied when we find Christ and His people.

One of our church members, born in India, brought up in the UK, and who lived in West Bromwich for almost 40 years before coming to Christ, said she felt at home for the first time when she joined our local church.

Settled British people were once excited about being a "multicultural" society, with new flavours, festivals and songs. That novelty has worn off. Migration is now very unsettling. In previous generations migrants to the UK had to live within British culture, cut off from home. Now, with the connectivity of the internet and large communities of migrants from each nation, the culture of the motherland can be imported and lived out in these green and pleasant lands. Settled British people are experiencing a threat to the old way of life.

Migration causes loss and loss causes grief. West Bromwich experienced this grief in the 1970s and 80s. Some folk in the settled Indian diaspora in West Bromwich are now expressing dismay at the recent wave of Indian migrants who have made West Bromwich less familiar by making it more Indian! The grief needs to be owned and the hope for a new future imagined.

The overarching common narrative of the Bible, from creation to fall, Babel, animosity, war, division, the incarnation of the Christ, and the humility, love for neighbour, peace, hope, future glory which result from His death and resurrection, is desperately needed by everyone; and new narratives of church life, with new church culture, need to emerge.

Mixed messages

Third, the UK government has offered confused and mixed messages. "Celebrate multiculturalism" and "teach all children British values" are incompatible goals.

"Welcome all cultures" and "prevent extremism", which is it?

The very idea of "British values" simply alienated many migrant communities, who felt their non-violent, non-British values were now unwelcome. Values in the secular society change so quickly, saying "teach British values" is like saying "teach British fashion".

Everyone needs Christ and to join His church.

Islamic influence

Fourth, Islamic violence and the creeping growth of Islamic influence in the public square, the building of new mosques, whilst Iran, Yemen, Sudan, northern Nigeria and others places show what Islamic rule does to its people, is causing tens of thousands of young Muslim men to flee to the UK, even on small boats.

Some asylum seekers turn to Christ. Some fake turning to Christ to get asylum. Others swell numbers in British Christianised mosques. This adds to the unsettled notion of British nationhood.

The church in the UK needs to learn lessons of cross cultural mission, very quickly. Black, white (middle class) and Asian churches need to work out how to reach every person from every nation in their community and accept them into church family life (Romans 15v6-7), breaking down barriers and hostility between those who were once aliens and strangers to become one in Christ (Ephesians 2v11-22).

God is sovereign, even over the mess. The church is to proclaim Christ crucified for sin in every generation, working against the sin of segregation and nationalism. Christians need to commit to their local church, with neighbours, rather than travelling to gather in ethnic or class segregated spaces. Segregation is not a congregation.

We all need to learn how to reach and accept the foreigner, alien and stranger. To do this, we also need to engage in mission overseas with those who are being saved in the UK having travelled here from other lands.

Remember, He who has promised is faithful and He will do it.