What can Christians learn from 2024?

What memories will stay with you from this past year? Perhaps it’s Rishi Sunak announcing the general election in a torrential downpour, a fitting image for the UK’s coolest summer for a decade. Or Donald Trump somehow dodging the assassin’s bullet. Or it might be the UK postmasters, led by Alan Bates, celebrating outside the High Court following their hard-won victory.

Here are three defining news stories I’ve chosen from 2024 that deserve a second look.

The Cass Report

In April 2024, a report by Dr Hilary Cass, commissioned by NHS England made waves. It was highly critical of the growing trend to offer under-18s gender transition services based, it seems, on dangerously thin evidence.

It found that there was a tendency by our NHS to offer puberty-blocking drugs and gender transition therapies without probing the broader complexities of mental health or long-term impacts on children. The report was complex, but called for a holistic, cautious approach, including investigating conditions such as anxiety, depression and autism alongside gender-related distress.

Notably, the Tavistock Clinic, which had been at the heart of delivering these services, closed its doors in 2024.

Whether you believe that gender is always biological or can be fluid, this report demonstrates how society, organisations and government can be swept along by a vocal minority claiming moral and social superiority. If you disagree with them, you are labelled a bigot or cancelled.

The rush by some professionals to diagnose under-18s with gender dysphoria may have had more to do with their personal beliefs than professional opinion. Some medics appeared to put a social agenda ahead of careful clinical diagnosis.

But sometimes Christians do that too – our Christian beliefs should impact our secular work, and our work and faith will sometimes be in conflict. Navigating the tension between Christian belief and professional duty requires wisdom and courage. The Cass Report reminds us why.

The Southport riots 

In July, the tragic stabbing of three schoolgirls at a dance class in Southport shocked the nation, sparking riots across UK cities. It’s easy to blame far-right agitators, but there is more to this than thugs behaving badly.

Ordinary individuals spread misinformation on social media. Angered by the brutal murders, many falsely blamed a “Muslim asylum seeker”. In reality, the attacker was born in Cardiff and is no more Muslim than I am.

Polarised thinking thrives when we are upset or angry. It’s easy to caricature and scapegoat those different from us as somehow dangerous. This thinking is aggravated by the fragmented ways we now get our information. Fewer of us tune in to watch The News at Ten; instead, we increasingly rely on online sources. Ofcom reports TikTok is now the UK’s fastest-growing news source, and, in the fight for our attention, spreading misinformation often wins.

The opposite trend, shutting down discussion, is equally harmful. We need a balance between the far right’s misinformation and the far left’s rush to cancel discussions on topics like immigration, asylum, or gender. We reject both misinformation and the refusal to engage.

AI - amazed and unprepared 

If you ever doubted our hyper-dependency on technology, think back to the worldwide computer crash on July 19. A botched software update by CrowdStrike (ironic name!) took down eight million computers, disrupting banks, airlines, hospitals and businesses worldwide.

In work and church, we seem to be caught in a paradox – simultaneously amazed at what AI can do and fearful at what it might do. Meanwhile AI development continues at breakneck speed. As Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said recently: “the AI we have today is the dumbest it will ever be.”

A medical study in November revealed that AI significantly outperformed human doctors in diagnosing complex conditions. But that wasn’t the surprise – what stood out was that AI also performed better than doctors using AI. Why? It seems the human doctors didn’t know how to use AI, or simply disbelieved what it was telling them!

This highlights the need to learn to use AI well within work, church and beyond. “Silent adoption” isn’t enough - we need to discuss and develop good guidelines for when and how to use AI and when to reject it. Churches, charities, and organisations must ask deeper questions and pursue thoughtful integration.

Christians must also celebrate what makes us uniquely human, made in God’s image: our humour, empathy, life experience, even our fragility. After all, being a good doctor, leader, caregiver or anything else, is about more than just making the right diagnosis.

There were also a host of stories in 2024 worth celebrating. Here are three of my favourites.

The death of new atheism

A decade ago, it seemed we had reason to be worried about Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchins and co. I was often drawn into debates (usually good-natured!) with atheists in connection with online articles. That happens rarely these days, and many are purpoting that New Atheism, with its aggressive, mocking tone, is, apparently, fading away.

In their place, thinkers like Jordan Peterson and Tom Holland are showing that Christianity continues to stand up to intellectual scrutiny, and we are seeing a rise in public thinkers becoming Christians. Prominent atheist Aayan Hirsi Ali has become a Christian and even Dawkins says he identifies as a “cultural Christian”. This is a somewhat controversial term - but it’s a start, at least!

A renewable energy milestone

In 2024, for the first time, the UK is on track to generate more electricity from renewables (wind, solar and hydro) than fossil fuels over the year. Admittedly, some of this wind power is due to the extreme storms that now seem commonplace, but even that is a silver lining.

It’s progress, and one more step toward stewarding our planet sustainably.

Memorable sport and memorable witness

Football didn’t come home in 2024. England’s men lost the Euros, and, let’s face it, it was a complete fluke we made it to the final. But what a show of faith from England’s men, with many of them sharing their Christian faith boldy and openly. 

We also had a memorable Olympics in France. And I don’t just mean that peculiar opening ceremony with athletes in their ponchos, or the portrayal of The Last Supper that caused offence to so many. More importantly, we celebrated the faith of athletes and their willingness to talk about it, despite official attempts to the contrary.

2024 has been messy, challenging, and hopeful all at the same time. But let’s remember that the news of this world is never the final word. May the year ahead bring you peace, joy, and countless reminders of God’s goodness. Happy New Year!