The Swiss elections brought an overall slide to the right. The clear winner is the SVP (Swiss People's Party), which won nine additional seats in the National Council. The EVP (Evangelical People's Party) and the EDU (Federal Democratic Union), which practice politics on the basis of the Gospel, are now represented by two politicians each.
The rise of politicians from America to Russia claiming to champion Christian values and peace yet preaching hatred and division is polarizing families, churches, and communities even far beyond their own countries. Something like this has happened before. Will we Christians learn from recent European history and seek first Christ's kingdom or continue to ride the slippery slope to human totalitarianism in our contexts?
The Tall Poppy Syndrome has been popularized and exported from Australia but it is endemic in us all and it literally makes us unwell. An antidote can be found throughout Scripture. Rather than drawing others to join us wallowing in misery, we can repent from the Tall Poppy Syndrome and flourish alongside the flourishing.
Right now online it is very easy to be gaslit into responding aggressively to opinions that we disagree with, but it will ultimately harm our sense of well-being. We don’t need to engage in every online debate, writes Katherine Brown. We don't need to take the bait to belittle another perspective while defending our own, but we are called to share good news.
In response to increasing antagonism towards migrants and refugees in some Western nations, followers of Jesus should take a long hard look at biblical precedents that promote hospitality and especially New Testament examples. The Church should have a bigger imagination than that promoted by anti-migrant protesters.
