Leeds Vineyard

A Pastoral Response to the Referendum Result

 

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Waking up to the Brexit victory on Friday morning 24 June 2016 was one of those where-were-you-when moments. A combination of shock and excitement, of disbelief and hope, of anxiety and relief.

Here in Leeds it has been a difficult couple of weeks as the senseless killing of Jo Cox, a local MP and by all accounts a good person, was followed by a referendum vote which confirmed the deep divisions in our community.

71.4% of the voting population of Leeds took part. 194,863 people voted to remain in the EU whilst 192,474 people voted to leave. That’s a difference of 2,389. Less than 1%.

There’s division across Europe, division across the UK and division in Leeds. And our community of faith will reflect what is going on in Leeds and beyond. Roughly half of you want to remain in Europe and half would rather leave.

But here’s the thing. This is precisely when the church is called to be different, a shining jewel in the mud-slinging and vitriol, a place of truth and peace in a world of mendaciousness and power games.

The astounding beauty of the church is in the way diversity is celebrated in unity and the way reconciliation is extracted out of conflict. The church is unique and set apart, an example to the world of what the love of God and the power of His Holy Spirit can do to bring together ordinary people who disagree with each other, who are different from each other but who learn to do life together.

But it’s not automatic, before we can look outwards with any intention of ministering peace and reconciliation and hope, we must look inside. Inside ourselves and inside our community of faith to make sure that what the church should be, it is.
 

1. IT STARTS WITH US

People are watching you, they are watching me. They want to see how we do this. Are the people who follow Jesus any different in their response to division? Archbishop Justin has spoken about “good disagreement”. Is that what people see?
 

In the immediate aftermath much heat is being generated and many of us are experiencing unfamiliar extremes of emotion about matters which don’t normally, consciously, impact our day-to-day musings.
 

Anger, fear, anxiety and worry for many whilst for others: celebration, patriotism, hopeful expectation.
 

Many in the remain camp simply cannot understand how Christians could possibly vote out. They mistakenly attribute wrong motives and beliefs which in turn hurt those who have thought carefully and come to a different conclusion for a variety of reasons. Some in the leave camp see things very clearly in a different way and, although they may be surprised to find themselves in the majority, are encouraged by where this could take the country.
 

We may not agree with each other on this but we have all been saved by the same Saviour and adopted into the same family and we have been shown how we are to live with each other:
 

Romans 12:9-21
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.
 

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay”, says the Lord.
 

That could have been written precisely for such a time as this. Read it carefully and take it to heart as you think about your own heart and your relationship with others in our community of faith.
 

If you want to discuss or even dispute these issues, do it face to face not on social media. I can’t see any good coming out of the virtual debate between “friends”.
 

When you are speaking (or thinking) about someone who disagrees with you – speak well of each other. Don’t gossip – by which I mean, don’t say anything to one person about a third person which you wouldn’t say if they weren’t standing there with you.
 

This community is a place where we can disagree in peace. Where we can discuss and still disagree and still love one another. Let us pray for peace amongst us so that we can be known as Jesus’ disciples, because, as He said, “They will know you are my disciples because you love one another”.

 

2.THEN WE CAN SEEK TO BE GOOD NEIGHBOURS

Cardinal Vincent Nichols said about the vote, “the UK must work hard to show ourselves as good neighbours”
Archbishops Welby and Sentamu said, “we must now unite in a common task – to be hospitable, compassionate, builders of bridges not barriers.”


One of our goals at Leeds Vineyard is to be good neighbours: firstly as enthusiastic participants in the Leeds Vision to be the best City in the country; and secondly as a place of sanctuary and a people of the Kingdom in Headingley.
 

We are called to be a city on the hill, light in the darkness, salt in the food and a healthy community serving our neighbours and City.
 

1 Timothy 2:1-3, 8
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people –  for kings (and queens) and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Therefore, I want men and women everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.


When we learn to live in good disagreement, when we grow in love for one another, then we are able to lift holy hands and pray. And pray we must.
 

Please turn to prayer for our community and our nation. Put a reminder in your smartphone, add it to your daily devotional time, give time in your small group. Just pray. Here are some thoughts that may help:
 

We pray for ourselves. That we might know His peace in anxious times. We choose to put our trust in Him rather than worry about the future or live in regret about the past.
Thank you Lord that we can trust in You. We recognise our weakness and worry, our inability to sort this out for ourselves and sort ourselves out. We ask for your forgiveness, for you to fill us with Your Spirit and we choose to trust in You.

 

We pray for young people, the majority of whom voted to remain, and their relationships with older people, who are more likely to have voted to leave.
As we seek to understand each other, Lord come with your grace and insight. Transform our views of each other to value each other whatever our age.

 

We pray about the gap across the geography of the country between the areas that have done well and those that feel they haven’t done well in recent years.
Give us eyes to see things from the other person’s perspective. Give those of us who have done well generous hearts and minds and wallets.

 

We pray for the poor who will be hit hardest in times of uncertainty.
Strengthen us to serve and care for the poor among us and to reach out to the poor of our community too.

 

We pray for the immigrants to our country.
Forgive us for the hate being expressed more openly than ever. Instead, do a miracle in us and grant us open hearts, make us a place of sanctuary for all who come to our land and our city.

 

We pray for leadership to emerge in government which listens to God’s voice and seeks His wisdom.
We have a Queen who serves the King, Lord we pray that You will raise up leaders and a government who serve a more noble purpose than meagre politics – the Kingdom of God.

 

We pray for the political leaders both here and in the rest of the EU.
Lord grant them wisdom and mature consideration in future decisions and negotiations.

 

And finally,
We pray for ourselves, that we “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. That we Honour one another above ourselves. That we Live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12)

 

3. WE ARE A KINGDOM PEOPLE

A hopeful young man was conversing with God. “Is it true God that the whole of eternity is like a second to you?” he asked. “Yes, indeed it is” said God. “And God, is it true that all the wealth of the nation is but a penny to you?” “Yes, indeed it is” said God. There was a pause. Then the young man asked, “God, do you think I could have a penny?” “Sure” said God, “I’ll just be a second.”


We follow and worship a Saviour who is King over all, the Sovereign of the Universe. We may not know what the future holds but we know who holds the future in His hands.
 

Much has changed and more will change but some things don’t change. Referendums will come and go. Kingdoms will rise and fall. But our God is forever the Alpha & Omega, the beginning and the end. The referendum result was not a surprise to Him and His purposes never change.
 

Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.


Our mandate as Kingdom people has not changed – we are to advance the Kingdom in His name: loving one another, being good neighbours, feeding the poor, casting out demons, healing the sick and bringing people to Jesus.

 

4. YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE A CHOICE

You can choose to look back with regret and anger at something you can’t change and you can choose to look forward with fear and anxiety. Or you can hear the words of Jesus,
 

Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
 

‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
 

Julian of Norwich’s words are comforting, ‘All shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well’.

 

I urge you to rebuke worry and instead choose to trust in Him for today and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Let Him inspire you to pursue the purpose He has given us and to trust Him, the holder, for whatever the future may hold.
 

We Pray Together
Eternal God,
light of the nations,
in Christ you make all things new:  
guide our nation in the coming days through the inspiration of your Spirit,
that understanding may put an end to discord and all bitterness.
Give us grace to rebuild bonds of trust that together we may work for the dignity and flourishing of all.
Amen.
 
David Flowers
26 June 2016