Disciples of all Nations: Why the EU can be good for the Church

Immigration. Open borders. The EU. With the rise of Eurosceptic parties across, these issues may well shape the election. And yet, despite the way these issues dominate the headlines, I haven’t seen a lot written from a Christian perspective.  Sure, the Bible isn’t a manifesto. Though it unrelentingly condemns those who mistreat the immigrant, it is unsurprisingly silent on the subject of border control. Personally, I  see strong social justice arguments for a more liberal attitude to immigration. But there is no one “biblical” perspective on it.  That doesn’t mean that immigration doesn’t affect the Church. Of course it does. It always has done. Should it worry us? Not if history is anything to go by.

I picked up a leaflet recently that told one view of immigration that is sadly not uncomon. Apparently, immigration threatens ‘our traditional British society, based upon our Christian heritage’. Of course, Britain has been influenced by Christianity. But British society is not a byword for a Christian society. Not so long ago, ‘traditional British society’ involved banning the Bible in English and burning those who dared read it. Go back longer and the argument is ridiculous. Immigration, a threat to our Christian heritage?! Just where do they think our Christian heritage comes from? Yes, you’ve guessed it: immigration. Without the Romans, we’d still be dancing around stone circles and praying Celtic gods.

And we can go back further. Just imagine if Paul had been denied entry to Cyprus, Turkey and Greece. What if the Ethiopian Eunuch had been turned away at Jerusalem’s gates? What if Peter had never reached Rome? And it wasn’t just missionaries. Even after the apostles had died, persecution and trade drove many ordinary Christians from their homeland. As they moved around the empire, they took their faith with them. By the end of the second century, the Gospel was found as far north as modern-day Belgium and as far south as Egypt. There were Christians from Spain to Syria. It’s hard to see that happening without immigration.

Of course, the EU is not the Roman Empire. I doubt even Farage would go that far. Immigration is a complex issue and there is no one ‘biblical’ response. Nevertheless, the spread of early Christianity highlights the massive opportunity that immigration offers for Christians. So, how does the free movement of people help the spread of the Gospel?

Despite the apocalyptic warnings that Christians seem to revel in, the Church in the UK is privileged within Europe. According to Operation World, almost 9% of British people are Evangelical Christians. For Europe, that figure is just 2.5%. So it’s no surprise that we are taking advantage of that mission field. Operation World, UFM, Crosslinks are just some of the organisations supporting long-term Christian missionaries across the continent. Of course, not all European countries are in the EU, and so missionaries working there will need visas. However, missionaries working in the EU are not subject to visa restrictions. They don’t need to be sponsored by an employer. They can’t be turned away at the border. No one will deport without reason. If Britain left the EU, no doubt some missionaries would be able carry on their work. But their future would be far from certain. With opposition to immigration spreading across the continent, getting a visa is not going to get any easier. As it stands, EU citizenship gives British missionaries a legally-protected right to live and work in 28 different countries. Many missionaries benefit from that right. And so I’m convinced that the free movement of people can only be a good thing for the work of missionaries in Europe.

But the benefits of the free movement of people don’t stop there. Wherever we are, at home or abroad, whether we are a missionary or not, as Christians, we are all ambassadors for Christ. As I’ve said, Evangelical Christians are far more commonplace in the UK than they are across the rest of the continent. When they move to other countries, they will most likely end up somewhere where the Gospel is far less widely known.  And with the opportunities offered by EU membership, far more of us live abroad. Last year, there were 1.8 million UK citizens living in the EU. Without a doubt, that figure includes hundreds, probably thousands of people committed to spreading the gospel in their day-to-day lives.  The overwhelming majority won’t be employed by Churches but by businesses, charities and governments. Their presence in European offices, hospitals and universities will allow the gospel to reach people who wouldn’t otherwise meet a committed Christian. This is particularly true of universities. Last year, the European Union’s Erasmus scheme saw 14,000 British students sent on exchange programs in across the EU. That will number include people committed to spreading the gospel. The overwhelming majority of universities in the UK have some form of Christian Union. In many EU countries, CUs are small and may not even be allowed to meet on campusPeople are less likely to meet come across the gospel in European universities as a whole than in the UK. So the presence of one ambassador for Christ really makes a difference. Of course, exchange programmes would still take place if Britain left the EU. But they are now far more common as a result of EU support, and so leaving the EU would most likely mean fewer committed Christians studying in Europe.

The number of Evangelicals is growing in Europe. I don’t think leaving the EU would stop that. History tells us God will build his Church whatever the circumstances. Neither am I saying it’s unchristian to be Eurosceptic.  Of course not. The EU is full of problems. But the EU gives us so many opportunities to spread the Gospel. Perhaps we should reflect on that when we hear the debates and read the scare-stories.

Should Christians vote UKIP?

Unlike the Church of England or the Christian Institute, the Bible doesn’t issue voting instructions. After all, the Scriptures are not a manifesto but the revelation of God’s love to those people who really don’t deserve it.  We can, of course, draw principles from how we are told to live our lives. But applying principles to policy is never straightforward. The Bible is mysteriously silent on the European Union and Trident.  So it’s no surprise that, even when we agree on principles, Christians end up voting for different parties and different policies. While the Anglican Church was once famously the ‘Tory Party at prayer’, the Labour Party was founded by an evangelical lay preacher. There will be no one Christian choice on May the 7^th. Ultimately, it will come down to our own judgement and conviction.

So I can’t tell you it’s a sin to vote UKIP. I honestly don’t think it is. Neither do I want to advertise my own party. I want Christians to exercise their own judgement. But I feel strongly that there is something fundamentally wrong about the way UKIP scapegoats and marginalises ‘foreigners’. It’s not that I think cutting immigration is racist. Though some might disagree, I don’t think it is. The Bible may be silent on the subject of immigration caps, but it is unrelentingly clear about the attitudes we should have towards our fellow human beings. And so I am convinced that Christians tempted by Nigel Farage should think again.

But what exactly does the Bible say about immigrants? Again and again, the Old Testament forbids discrimination against foreigners. Leviticus tells us “foreigners residing among you must be treated as your native-born.” God himself is described as the one who “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing”.  Those who mistreat foreigners face strong condemnation. In the words of Deuteronomy, "Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow."  The fact that the rights of foreigners are so often linked with the rights of orphans and widows is a recognition of our obligation to protect the most vulnerable in society.

Of course, you can argue that these verses applied only to ancient Israel, and so have little relevance to today’s world of mass migration. It is true that these passage can suggest no specific policy over benefit entitlement or temporary work visas. Once I again, I think that’s a matter for our own judgement. But there is undeniably a principle at work here. We are commanded to protect the immigrant, and condemned when we fail to do so.

While UKIP’s opposition to mass immigration is hardly a secret, the specifics of its policies are more confused. The most striking announcement recently was Farage's commitment to repeal laws against discrimination in the workplace. I just can’t square this with the Bible’s commandment to ‘treat the foreigner as your native-born’. And UKIP's anti-immigrant message doesn't stop at its policy on border controls.   Pressures on the NHS? The Royal College of Nursing might blame underfunding and staff shortages, but what do they know? Farage knows better- it’s the foreigners. The so-called ‘crime epidemic’ in London? Blame the Romanians, says UKIP’s leader. Never mind the fact that the 2014 National Crime Survey recorded the lowest levels of crime since the survey began in 1981. Traffic on the M4? Yes, you guessed it, Farage was late to the UKIP conference in Wales because of the foreigners.

Of course, population growth (be it due to immigration or Anglo-Saxon babies) can cause pressures in on public services. But what worries me about UKIP is the way they claim immigration is the cause of all of society's ills . They blame 'the foreigner' by default. It betays a deep-seated resentment of the very neighbours that the Bible commands us to love.

UKIP’s hatred of foreigners is even clearer when we look beyond their official policies to the people who advocate them. You all know the insane number of UKIP MEPs, councillors and candidates who end up resigning after racist comments or behaviour. And, of course, there are those such as UKIP candidate Jonathan Stanley who resigned in protest at the party’s ‘open racism and sanctimonious bullying’. While it’s true that other parties face such scandals, they are markedly more common in UKIP than in other parties. Even if not all of their candidates are racists, it’s clear that, when voting UKIP, you don’t know who you vote for. The chance of them being unveiled as a racist after your vote has propelled them into office is woefully high. Perhaps most revealing, though, is the way UKIP responds to these scandals. It’s true that such candidates are often expelled from the party. But too often, UKIP’s response defends, rather than condemns their behaviour.  When UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom talked of sending aid to ‘bongo bongo land’, the Party merely asked him ‘not to use the phrase again’. It wasn’t until a month later, after he had hit a journalist in public, that the party whip was finally removed from him. Godfrey ‘I’m not a racist’ Bloom didn’t love his neighbour as himself because he happened to be black. And UKIP didn’t care. How can a Christian vote for a party that is so blasé about such racist attitudes?

Of course, you can argue that these racist candidates have been dealt with. That’s true, although I am sure that the final weeks before the election will unmask yet more racists in UKIP’s ranks. But even then, there remains one problem with UKIP that just won’t go away- Nigel Farage himself. When Jesus was asked by expert in Jewish law about which neighbours we should love as ourselves, he told the story of the Good Samaritan. His point was that we should love even the Samaritans, who were the most hated ethnic group in Israel at the time. Farage, on the other hand, has said in an interview that he would be concerned if his neighbour was Romanian. He even went on to say that ‘you know what the difference is’ between a Romanian and a German.  In Christ, ‘there is no Jew or Gentile’. In Farage, the truth is rather different.  He’s a racist. There is simply no other way of putting it.

Jesus told us that, after loving God, loving our neighbour was the second greatest commandment. And so I think there is a clear reason for giving these commands particular consideration when voting. As always, it’s difficult to relate these principles to policy. I know I won’t be able to vote for a candidate that loves God. I’m not even sure if that should be the basis on which Christians should cast their vote. But I think it is clear that what does separate parties is the extent to which they love their neighbour. While many parties support measures that honour neither their neighbour nor God, UKIP’s resentment of the foreigner marks it out from any other mainstream pary. “Cursed are you who withhold justice from the foreigner’- I think that includes UKIP. 
And so I urge my Christian brothers and sister to think carefully before voting UKIP on 7 May.