“But we were there just to witness to the Tommy Robinson marchers”

One of those sermons that has stuck in my mind over the years (40 plus) is one my dad preached on the bit where those who settled West of Jordan built an altar to remind those in the east of their unity.  The rest of the people mistook it for a UDI.  My dad’s refrain was that

“what you thought you heard us say isn’t what we meant to tell you.”

That’s of course the big problem with flags, demos and other symbols and actions. With flags we are left second guessing whether the person raising the flag is expressing support for a football tournament, honouring the king at a Jubilee, expressing joyful patriotism or protesting immigration. Explanation is needed.

I was thinking a bit more about this in the context of the recent “Unite the Kingdom” march.  I’ve now heard a suggestion that Christians were present not to join in the cause of the march but purely to evangelise.

Now, if this was the case, such actions may be commendable for its boldness, whether or not it was wise.  We will come to the wisdom bit later. However, I note that so far I’ve seen no direct evidence of people being there specifically for that purpose.  Even if some tried to do that, it was visibly clear that most visible Christian symbolry was used in support of the march. This adds to the sense that if people were there to witness in an evil place that

“What we thought we heard them say isn’t what they meant to tell us “

The onus is on them to speak and explain clearly. It would help them to answer the following questions.

1. Have they ever or would they ever join with other matches in the same way (BLM, Pride, pro Palestine)?
2. What is their day to day experience of life and witness on a white working class council estate?
3. What is their day to day experience of life and  witness  in a multicultural context?
4. When they witnessed, did they challenge thtespecific sin and idolatry on display?

This leads me into the wisdom bit.  First that I believe that effective and bold witness to the kinds of people we might sympathise with on such a march happens by living life and planting churches in those communities.  Message me if that would be of interest to you.

Secondly, that placing yourself on the march puts you in there visually and in the estimated numbers. You were counted in by the organizers, the press and the public as supporting the cause. Whatever words you used directly, you offered a different witness to a different god with your actions. You may not have intended to but you did march under Tommy Robinson’s banner, following his lead. 

I want to commend your boldness and to sympathise with your intent but you did get the call wrong and it has had devastating consequences.

We cannot afford ambiguity. We either march under Jesus’ banner and follow his lead or we march under Tommy Robinson’s banner and follow his lead. Choose this day whom you will serve.

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