Well the waiting’s over, although the uncertainty’s clearly going to continue for months if not years to come. We are leaving the European Union. Brexit is now a verb not a noun and British politics seems to be in meltdown. Get ready for bumpy rides on the stock exchange, and seesaws on the currency market then, at least in the short term.

So how should we react? And what can I possibly add to the veritable tsunami of (sometimes vitriolic) comment that engulfed us over the past few months? I’m not sure, but as I sit here at my desk pondering what to say two images have sprung to mind.

The first is that of Jeeves. Jeeves is a fictional character in a series of humorous short stories and novels written by P. G. Wodehouse. He is the highly-competent valet of the wealthy and idle young Bertie Wooster. I simply love these stories and not because they paint a sentimental picture of bygone days, but because of what Jeeves stands for. Jeeves is archetypal wisdom. He always knows the answer whatever the dilemma, and he never fails to ensure that everything works out for the best.

I frequently think of Jeeves when I read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians for in it he tells them that God can be compared to the familiar household steward of the day whose job it was to ensure everything worked out OK. And that lets me approach the Brexit vote with a simple conviction: history is not out of control; it is not a meaningless series of haphazard events. Our history is in God’s hands. He knows the times and the seasons, He can see the future and He can intervene in ways beyond our imagination.

The Jews were the first to discover God in history which is why the Bible asserts from beginning to end that in the final analysis God is in ultimate control whatever may be happening all around us. This conviction allows me to approach the future with confidence, whatever the consequences of the Brexit decision, both in the short and long-term.

The second image is more sobering, and sadly very far from fictional. It is of the brutal civil war that broke out in Burundi in the mid-1990s and left some 300,000 dead. I vividly remember being told that one university professor went on record as saying that he had three types of students on his campus: Hutus, Tutsis and Christians. Christians he said were a sort of third race. And he was not the first to say this. The concept can be traced back to the writings of the second century writer Arsistedes who saw it in the writings of the New Testament which pictures the followers of Jesus as a new corporate entity, distinct from both ‘Jews’ and ‘Gentiles.’

The Christians of Burundi stood out because they lived very different lives and this is what I would like to think we need to hear when responding to the Brexit vote whatever our personal convictions. For I believe God created men and women in his image and that He loves every single one of us. And He wants us to work for a world characterised by loving unity, a passion for justice and a desire for mutual prosperity. As some once said: “Christians are citizens of another kingdom and should march to the beat of a different drum.” Jesus should shape their values and inspire the way they live. And they can be sure of one thing: if they make his Kingdom their priority they can be sure they will have all they need to do it.

Rob James is a Baptist Pastor broadcaster and writer who currently operates as a church and media consultant for the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is available for preaching and teaching throughout Wales and can be contacted at [email protected]