DIVISION - What Revelation Has to Say About Nationalism

Image of an aerial view over a landmass with the word division written on it.
At the end of the recent debate between party leaders, one of them said: ‘do what is best for your family, and do what is best for your country.’
The final book of scripture is the book of revelation, written during exile it is full of political language. Part of that book says:
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever”1
In this passage we see the writer proclaiming that the divides between nations mean nothing as all of creation is ultimately God’s kingdom.
Paul talks about this when he proclaims that we are citizens of heaven. Not that we are citizens of a distant place, but that we are citizens of a different mind-set, a different understanding of reality, where we look to the best interests of all of creation, of all people, as beings created in God’s image.
So we do not ask what is best for me or my country, but instead we ask what is best for the world.
We don’t say ‘God bless my country’, but we say ‘God bless the world’.
If we took this calling seriously, what effect would it have on foreign policy, on how we buy our clothes, or how we view climate change?
How would it change the way we see news headlines, or how we view those in developing countries? 
These are questions that we need to ask ourselves.

May we look deeply at the impact our lives have on the wider world; may we look at the way that we view those around the world, with love rather than indifference; and may we do what is best for the world, not what is best for just us or our country.
1Revelation 11:15-17

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