One of the significant problems we have with our churches is that they can end up like the military. That the way to be more holy is to be promoted: from curate to vicar to archdeacon to bishop to archbishop: from the sunday school to the women’s ministry to eldership to minster to moderator of the general assembly. As if your curriculum vitae is your life.

My CV is fairly academic and quite long. It is, thank God, not my life. My family is more important. And the gospel is far more important. I would rather sit in the pews. It is clear that our leaders must be our servants: to Lord over and demand fealty is not of Christ. Nor is to set oneself up as a modern saint or martyr while alive. In this life we have too much to do. In this life we are flawed, but we speak, particularly when the narrative tells us not to.

Here one example, one I predicted would happen, will suffice.

That’s my immediate response to the news that Metiria Turei has resigned and will be leaving Parliament. Rage, just utter rage at a political system where this can happen. Where people who have been poor are vilified and harassed because of the choices a corrupt, unfair, immoral system forced them to make. Where those people are sent a clear message that they should not and never can be involved in politics. Where instead, we’re ruled by entitled wankers like Gower and Hosking and People Like Them who meet their approval.

The actual resignation was triggered by unsubstantiated rumours put about Metiria’s family. The sort of rumours which are impossible to answer without involving people who never signed up for politics. Rather than do that, Metiria resigned. It was the decent thing to do. At the same time, it is utterly fucking vile that these arseholes get to win like this. It is absolutely disgusting that the right wins by going after people’s families. But that’s the sort of arseholes we have running this country.

Earlier today, I said that if the right wants a C19th “democracy” which excludes poor people, they need to be reminded of the C19th solution: pitchforks and guillotines. I stand by that. Fuck them all, burn it all to the fucking ground.

I have no illusions. In this time of #Goolag, we are going to be shunned. We are going to have our place of worship shut, our means of witness censored.

Because this narrative is diversity. Metira Turei is innocent of any fraud because she was poor (she was not: her partner came from a rich family), Maori and a women. Those who accuse her are guilty because they are white, or male, or rich (even if they are less rich than Turei).

But all must be burned down for the narrative. We do not hold with that. We build up, for the kingdom of God.

Mark 9:30-41

³⁰They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; ³¹for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” ³²But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

³³Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. ³⁵He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰Whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.”

There are things we can do. We can ensure that those who ascribe to intersectionality are not let anywhere near power. For they will try to brainwash us. We can resign, leave, rebuild.

We can choose not to use the tools of the oppressors. Stop using Google, limit facebook, Move to protonmail or Tutanota. I am in the process of seeing how to do this.

But do not expect this to be without pain.

And expect to need allies. It is not a time for us to be prissy about theology or worship. The besetting sin of the reformed is virtue signalling from spiritual pride, that we have a perfectly concordant governance according to scripture, our worship is according to scripture, and the world is not in us.

In that we lie. We forget that the psalms were sung to tunes so catchy they were called Geneva jigs.

And we will need all our brothers in Christ. All who work for the gospel will have their reward. And when we can see truly, we will all have to repent of theological error.

For the true unity we have is in the gospel, and by the Holy Spirit. Who teaches us in suffering, at times to death.

Featured Song: Blessings from The Crossing Christian Church on Vimeo.