In my last article of this series (which you can read here), I considered how migration and exile are experienced by Christians in the UK in a variety of ways.
Whilst exile is usually associated with geographical displacement, exile can be experienced in various ways without ever leaving home. Cultural, economic, political and/or ecclesiastical exile can occur to any group of Christians, migrant or not. British evangelicals may be experiencing all kinds of exile, whether or not we have moved. When we find ourselves living in exile, how should we live?
Carl R. Truman wrote an article for Banner of Truth in 2015 on exile, in which he said:
"[Exiled] communities living within a wider alien, and even hostile, culture need means by which to preserve their identity AND keep hope alive for an ultimate return to their homeland. If they are not self-conscious about this, then the values and patterns of the host culture will over time penetrate their community and lead to their assimilation. The question is, how do we preserve our identity?"
The comforting doctrine of the necessity of affliction
The untidiness of life - the mess, chaos, accident or whatever label we choose to describe the lack of order …