Yesterday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a rain-soaked Downing Street speech, announced a July 4th general election, saying, ‘Who do you trust?’… ‘Us’ or ‘Them’
The Labour leader Keir Starmer responded, saying that the election is the ‘moment the country’s been waiting for’. It’s ‘Us’ that can bring the needed change – not ‘Them’.
Over the next six weeks there will be a lot of talk about ‘Us’ and ‘Them’.
In ‘Unfollow’ Megan Phelps-Roper writes about being part of Westboro Baptist Church – the extreme homophobic, anti-Semitic, beliefs, the offensive pickets at the funerals of American soldiers… She was one of ‘Us’; the rest of the world were ‘Them’.
In November 2012, aged twenty-six, she left the church and her family behind. She left the ‘Us’ and joined the ‘Them’. She tried to understand her upbringing by looking at other fundamentalist religious groups… Jehovah’s Witnesses, members of the Islamic State…
‘As I watch the human tribal instinct play out in the era of Donald Trump, the echoes of Westboro are undeniable: the division of the world into ‘Us’ and ‘Them’; the vilification of compromise; the knee-jerk expulsion of insiders who violate group orthodoxy; the demonization of outsiders and the inability to substantively engage with their ideas…’
The story of Pentecost is about ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ coming together – different races, cultures, languages… Peter, a Jew, had to learn that Gentiles who were ‘Them’ became ‘Us’; Paul says that Jesus ‘…made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.’
He also said: ’There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’
Me, my identity, is the unique blend of ‘Us’s that I’m part of – people with the same nationality, culture, beliefs, family, values, politics, religion, hobbies, interests… Consequently there will always be a ‘Them’ – those who are different from me.
Musing… ‘How do I live out ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ in the light of politics and faith?’
malcolmsmusings.org 
To answer your question, I don’t think I can live out “Us and Them” in light of Pentecost. Maybe something along the lines of “aware” and “not yet aware”?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, David. That’s helpful. But I’m still challenged when I hear national political leaders – and church leaders sometimes….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The idea of “we” (us and them) sounds utopian, but each of us can start with “love thy neighbor.” Thanks for your reflections on this serious issue, Malcolm.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly, Nancy! “Us” can be anything more than one person. And a good place to start is with the neighbors closest to me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, David. Great place to start. The question then is how we extend it to the wider community and beyond…. Jesus certainly implied that when answering ‘Who is my neighbour?’
LikeLike
God point, Nancy. Starting where we are with ‘we’ is good. I’m particularly sensitive at church hearing ‘You should…’ which implies distance, rather than ‘we should’ which is more inclusive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not answering your question… But thought about this:
“Gentiles who were ‘Them’ became ‘Us’; Paul says that Jesus ‘…made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.’”
. Beautiful to know that ‘we’ are one in Christ, through Christ, and in Him there is no favouritism.
. In Him, all dividing walls were broken and we, as church, have free access to him.
. That we are better, more creative, inspirational, supportive, sharing the love and the gospel of Jesus effectively when together as one, as a Church.
I remembered this song of long ago available on YouTube:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great response, Allan. Jesus declaration in Luke 4 regarding his mission to the poor, the prisoners, the blind… is very much about reaching out to the ‘Them’, including them as ‘Us’. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… points forward to walls being broken down at Pentecost.
LikeLiked by 1 person