Immigration is not damaging our Christian heritage. It’s reviving it

Recently, a friend showed me a message that had been shared in a WhatsApp group she is part of. Similar to other images doing the rounds on social media, it was a call to action, packed with strong anti-Islamic sentiments, with the word ‘Christian’ attached to their position.

The message was calling people “to engage in protests [across Belfast] to stand up for the protection of the Christian heritage of our nation.”

These protests have led to violence, rioting and criminal damage, similar to what has taken place in parts of England.

Government policy on migration, with its many levels of complexities around border checks, asylum claims, human trafficking and resource provision, is deeply complicated. Anyone who offers neat answers or easy solutions is at best naïve and at worst ignorant.

A Christian culture comes through seeking relationship with Jesus Christ

But some things in life are clear. The Bible’s command to love our neighbour, welcome the stranger, help the oppressed and have the same attitude as Jesus offers clarity to Christians.

I may not agree with the government’s migration policy - or even fully understand it - but, as I seek to follow Christ, I am challenged to personally reflect his heart to everyone I meet.

Defining our heritage

Let’s look at this idea of ‘Christian heritage’. If anything is to be truly ‘Christian’ then it must be shaped by Christ, who was himself part of a family who fled to a foreign country to escape the religious persecution of an evil authority. His ministry bridged the division of Jew and Samaritan, occupying Romans and oppressed incumbents. He came as a light to the Gentiles and called his followers to continue his mission by extending a welcome far beyond their own people to the ends of the earth.

Christian heritage transcends culture. From Ethiopian eunuchs to Roman centurions, the Bible is clear that people of every nation are made in the image of God and can become part of his kingdom. Heaven will not be monocultural. Christians believe that one day we will worship God surrounded by those from every tribe and tongue. If we are content to share eternity with those from a different background, then why not also the land that we all temporarily call home?

To anyone seeking to ‘preserve’ a Christian heritage I would ask: “Which Christian heritage might that be?” The faith-filled prayers and exuberant worship that so characterises the African church? The generous social action displayed in South America? Or the hunger of underground Christians in China or Iran, two places widely believed to have the fastest-growing Church on earth?

Christian labels

Very sadly, it is quite possible to desire the kingdom without the king. To speak more plainly, some want the trappings of a Christian nation without Christ himself. We have a long history of making the mistake of applying the ‘Christian’ label to cultural preferences – and that has deeply damaged to our cause. Categorising a political debate about migration under the label of protecting Christian heritage misrepresents the heart of God.

This is not the gospel.

Much of the Church in the UK has been enhanced, possibly even sustained, due to those who have migrated to our shores. In fact, going right back to the book of Acts, it has often been the case that migration has helped to spread the gospel.

Of course, as the British and Irish populations have increased in diversity, those arriving come from all faiths and none. But Church attendance was in decline long before any perceived shift in government policy on migration. We have long been moving towards a more secular Western agenda, and this should remove any smugness that we somehow remain the bastions of a Christian nation.

I find little in the culture around me that reflects the values of Christ or causes me to want to cling onto it. In fact, as the heartbeat of vibrant Christianity now lies in the global south, perhaps the Spirit of God might even be turning Western Europe upside down in order to restore our spiritual compass to true north. If that is the case, we would do well to not resist it.

A Christian culture comes through seeking relationship with Jesus Christ and being shaped according to his word. If you want to explore the concept of Christian heritage, I invite you to join me at church this Sunday or seek out one close to you.

Premier will be bringing together the Christian community to pray against the unrest. Tune in at 12.30pm daily as we cry out to God to ‘Heal our land’. Listen in at premier.plus, via DAB or ask Alexa/Google to “play Premier Christian Radio”