Nationalism - Why I'm A Five A Wise Man.

Nationalist movements grow in Asia, Europe and America. 'My country first, right or wrong' makes a god of nationalism. It threatens to end the post-war era of democracies.

However. God desires us to love the place in which we live. but true love of country opens our hearts to love other countries also. Standing up to oppression and forgiveness can go hand in hand.

So how do we combine patriotism with the love of the Christ, who is the Child of all humanity?

Jesus was born into a particular people and place, yet he gave and gives his life for love of all people and places.

How can we reflect Christ and be both universal and local?  As I pondered what is my nationality I came up with this answer:  I’m a Five A Wise man.

The Five A's stands for African, American, Arab, Asian, Australasian.

Get it?  My and your DNA is universal.  The world is my home. I love all countries. 

But in my case my immediate family are the four nations of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, The Wise man stands for Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English. What about you?

The Good Friday/Belfast Peace Agreement remains a miracle in the battlefield of competing nationalisms.  A sustained majority may choose whether to be joined to the Republic of Ireland or to remain fully part of the United Kingdom.  This requires equality of  trade conditions for all four nations in the United Kingdom, and then to build creative, though independent partnerships.   The breaking of that agreement is a  moral failure. 

I plead with USA and the European Union to uphold this Peace Agreement, and to remove the extra bureaucracy and unequal costs of goods which come from three nations within UK to the fourth UK nation.  By all means require goods going from Northern Ireland into the Republic to meet EU requirements. The Westminster Government should apologise for allowing this failure to happen when it signed an incompatible protocol

The Way of Life of The Community of Aidan and Hilda calls us to strive for justice and God's righteous rule everywhere.  Apologies, repentance, and mutual respect and ingenuity, not recriminations, are the way forward.

Now write down what your nationality is and how you would campaign for justice for a nation that has been badly treated.