Our sermon series in Spring 2026 was in 1 Peter, with the overall title of Elect Exiles. One repeated comment was that the followers of Jesus would expect to endure everyday pressures in every age and any context.

Link here: https://www.thebridgechurch.co.uk/media/

The Bible is almost entirely the story of the people of God enduring such pressure; and sometimes outright persecution.

But there is a brief moment, in 1 Kings 4.25 , when every man lived under his vine and under his fig tree. This section, in v20-34, follows the reign of David’s godly life and military conquests. This brought peace over a large region within and beyond the borders of Israel. And it generated substantial trading revenue. Solomon enjoyed the fruit of that wealth, constructing the temple and his palaces. More importantly, the people enjoyed  a season of peace.

The history of Israel includes a number of similar periods when the land enjoyed peace –

‘So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.’ Josh 11.23

Words of David, addressed to Solomon. ‘“Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not given you peace² on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and his people.’ 1 Chr 22.18;

‘And he (Asa) said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.’ 2 Chr 14.7.

‘So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.’ 2 Chr 20.30.

Micah writes after all of the events mentioned above. He prophecies a future when ‘they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree’ (Mic 4.4).  He adds, ‘the mouth of the Lord has spoken,’ indicating that this promise is certain. There is a future, when Christ shall reign, in the absence of rebellion and sin.

Turning to the NT, the disciple Nathaniel asks Jesus, ‘How do you know me?’ To which Jesus answers, ‘when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ (John 1.48)

This is Nathaniel, knowing the history of Israel, reminding himself of the reign of Solomon and the glorious prophecy in Micah and seeking God for the future fulfillment of his words. Surely God will invade earth once more, bringing unbroken peace to all!

Paul turns this ‘brief moment; around:  He describes the brief moment as this life, the life of suffering, in contrast this life is brief. Eternity is so long:

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Cor 4.17-18)

Forgive the irony! The ‘brief moment’ of peace brought about by the life of David, the man after God’s own heart, the most Christ-like of all the kings, is exchanged for the ‘brief moment’ of human history, with its suffering and pain. An eternity awaits,

The UK Supreme Court heard an important case late in 2025 concerning the Human Rights of a child in relation to Christian education at her school. Some responses to this decision said that Christian education, such as RE lessons and assemblies, breached the pupil’s and parents’ Human Rights. On my reading the decision I think this is incorrect.

Jumping to a key subsequent development, the Northern Ireland Department of Education is reviewing religious education and collective worship in schools in light of the Supreme Court decision. And the core RE syllabus is being improved. There is no question of RE or Christian-based assemblies being stopped.

There are lots of nuances in the debate, which social media and major news outlets tend not to engage with.

So, a lengthy quote from the decision to understand what it is NOT about!

11. At the outset of this judgment, it is important to emphasise what this case is not about.
12. First, this case is not about secularism in the education system. No one is suggesting that religious education should not be provided in schools in Northern Ireland. Rather, JR87 and G strongly support the provision of religious education provided it does not amount to indoctrination. Indeed, parents cannot object to the integration of teaching as to a directly or indirectly religious or philosophical kind in the school curriculum: see Folgerø v Norway (Application No 15472/02) (2007) 46 EHRR 47 (“Folgerø”), at paras 84(g) and 89.
13. Secondly, this case is not about whether Christianity should be the main or primary faith that pupils learn about in schools in Northern Ireland. Historically and today, Christianity is the most important religion in Northern Ireland. It is within the Department’s margin of appreciation in planning and setting the curriculum for the greater part of religious education to focus on knowledge of Christianity: see Folgerø at
14. Thirdly, this case does not concern indoctrination, evangelism, or proselytizing outside the school environment. Parents are primarily responsible for the education and teaching of their children: see Folgerø at para 84(e). Parents retain in full their right “to enlighten and advise” their children and “to guide them on a path in line with [the parents’] own [religious or] philosophical convictions”: see Lautsi v Italy (Application No 30814/06) (2011) 54 EHRR 3 (“Lautsi”) at para 75. Parents have an undoubted right in their own homes or within their own church or religious environments to guide and encourage their children to believe in and to practise religion in line with the parents’ own religious and philosophical convictions.
15. Fourthly, there is no challenge in this case to the margin of appreciation enjoyed by the Department in setting and planning of the curriculum for religious education in Northern Ireland. The Department enjoys a wide margin of appreciation as the function of setting and planning of the curriculum “mainly involves questions of expediency … whose solutions may legitimately vary according to the country and the era”: Folgerø at paras 84(g).
16. Fifthly, there is no challenge in this case to collective worship in schools in Northern Ireland being focused on the Christian religion or that in Catholic maintained schools the focus of collective worship may be distinctive of the Catholic denomination: see para 54 below.

I have grandchildren attending school in Northern Ireland. The culture is quite different to the mainland. There are Churches everywhere. A higher proportion of families, and therefore children, regularly attend Church. Northern Ireland has long contributed disproportionately to the overall numbers of British missionaries.  Paragraph 12 quoted above is consistent with this observation. The Supreme Court explicitly stated that there is no challenge to the teaching of RE in schools, or Christianity in particular, in Northern Ireland. The local situation means that it is appropriate that Christianity be taught in NI schools, reflecting the majority religion of the province.

The Court also affirmed the over-riding parental responsibility of educating their children.

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2026/170.html

A delightful book, telling part of Steven Oliver’s story, from growing up in Cape Town during the Apartheid era, to leading a truly inclusive Church in rural South Africa, before moving to Dubai.

Steven was one of the key apostolic leaders that God raised up, especially after the untimely death of Simon Pettit. The work of Newfrontiers in South Africa and into southern Africa, grew in a context of the Apartheid and post-Apartheid eras. The relationship between Church and State in SA had long been strong; some Christians actually argued that Apartheid reflected the hierarchy of peoples! Racial distrust was normal. Praise God that Churches grew which challenged that. The Dhilabeng Church, which Steven planted, started as multi-racial and included wealthy and very poor; this was not common at the time.

There are a number of remarkable incidents of answered prayers, miraculous healing, river water rising for outdoor baptisms.

But perhaps more important are the qualities that Steven and his team sought in their Church; qualities of love, of compassion, of generosity, of team work, inter-dependence, and more. This is key, as the apostle Paul sought to plant and support Churches manifesting godly values (2 Tim 3.10), not merely sound doctrine.

Having spent some time in Malawi, I briefly worked alongside Simon Pettit and Piet Dreyer, who are both mentioned in this book. I have also met Steven Oliver, who is a few months older than me. (I will not compare myself with him!)