Oh no not again!

 If you say something stupid at the dinner table, the people there are hearing and its gone in a few days, but  as it is possible nowadays, to write on social media, it will be there for a long time and yes the whole world will see.

It depends on what you say and how many so called followers you have for sure, but some can trace it.

I have a colleague who wrote something stupid ten years ago on Facebook, it took at least 2-3 years until it was gone, but not really forgotten.

Some politicians are doing the same and the opponents are using that for sure just as media is doing against them.

For years the left has been pecking on a specific political party here in Sweden, so has media and yes for good reasons, but there will be so called backlashes.

Recently there has been so much horrible posting from socialists and left parties in Sweden.

Some have been very anti semitic, some left-wing politicians have sent letters to imprisoned terrorists—convicted of horrific acts of terror—encouraging them in their struggle.

Some have been very aggressive towards gays.

Today I read that a rather well known social democratic politician wrote on social media and I quote the article from the paper today:

Two days after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023—in which around 1,200 people were murdered—this politician described the attack as Israel getting a "taste of its own medicine" and denied that civilians had been killed by the Palestinian resistance movement.

"A racist, supremacist apartheid state—the world’s fourth-largest military power—is indiscriminately mass-murdering an indigenous population that had the audacity to rise up and give its cruel, brutal masters (funded and sponsored by the world’s only superpower) a taste of their own medicine," the man wrote.

The Social Democratic candidate: Tentacles everywhere

He went on to say that one should have no sympathy for the "suffering" of "Nazi-like oppressors, persecutors, and war criminals."

And with the help of "the well-oiled pro-Israel propaganda machine, which has tentacles reaching everywhere," Israel manages to brainwash politicians and the general public.

He got sacked.

This is just a few, there are many, many others, mainly on the left but even on the right.

I get angry when I read things like this, but how to talk to someone you disagree with?

Jesus calls you to love your neighbour before you convince your neighbour. Mark 12:31. If you don't agree politically, you can still affirm their dignity as made in the image of God.

Listen to understand, not to win.

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

Stay calm and respectful. Romans 12:18: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

But how about these who writes lies and horrible things?

Antisemitism is not just "another political opinion." It violates the command to love your neighbour and the specific biblical witness about the Jewish people. Paul grieves for his own people Israel in Romans 9-11, and Genesis 12:3 still echoes. As Christians we have a particular history to repent of and a particular duty to stand against it now.

You can say: "That statement is antisemitic and false, and as a Christian I cannot stay silent about it."

Do not repost and write bad things about this person yourself.

Use legitimate channels. Write,  support your church leadership if they speak out, report hate speech if it breaks the law. Romans 13 teaches respect for governing authorities, but it also teaches that authorities are accountable to God for justice.

Stand with the Jewish community, not just against the politician.
Especially in Malmö, where antisemitism has been a real wound, this matters. Pray, build relationships, attend or support events that show solidarity, check on Jewish friends and congregations. Isaiah 1:17 - "seek justice, defend the oppressed."

Stay calm…..

Fighting the Wrong Fight

 "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." - 1 Corinthians 1:10

 

 

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:3

 

"My prayer is... that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." - John 17:20-21

 

 

The early church had the same problem we do. In Corinth, they were fighting about who baptised them, who was the better preacher, who had the better spiritual gifts. Today we still fight about the same secondary things:

Baptism - how much water, when, in whose name.
Worship style - hymns vs. modern, loud vs. quiet.
Theology details - end times, predestination, spiritual gifts.

These things matter, but they were never meant to be the hill we die on. When we make secondary issues primary, we become a divided army fighting in the tent while the real battle rages outside.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:4-6 what is actually primary: "There is one body and one Spirit... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all."

We can have different convictions on baptism and still share one baptism into Christ. We can have different traditions and still have one Lord.

The enemy doesn't need to destroy the church if he can just distract us.

 

 

If we stopped fighting each other, what could we fight together?

Jesus was very clear about the real enemies:

 

 

 

 

Poverty and Brokenness: 

Not just lack of money, but broken homes, loneliness, mental health, addiction. In my city of Malmö and around the world, people are desperate for hope. Isaiah 58:6-7 says true fasting is to "loose the chains of injustice... share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter."

Injustice: 

When we read the prophets, God is furious not about worship style, but about injustice. "Let justice roll on like a river" (Amos 5:24). The church should be the first to stand for the vulnerable, the exploited, the unborn, the oppressed.

 

Idolatry: 

Our biggest idols today aren't statues. They are comfort, success, social media approval, even our own correct theology. An idol is anything we look to for what only Jesus can give. We need to fight idols together by helping each other lift up Jesus again.

 

We were never called to fight to be right. We were called to fight for the lost, for the hurting, and for holiness.

 

Of cause we need to address what is “wrong theology”, what's clearly not biblical, so called false teachers, for sure we need to do that.

 

Unity doesn't mean uniformity. It means moving in the same direction

 

The world is not moved when Christians agree on baptism. The world is moved when Christians who disagree on baptism wash each other's feet and then go serve the poor together. That is supernatural.

 

Unity is not that we sing the same note. Unity is that we sing different notes that make a harmony.

 

But again!!!

Have you noticed it? I have to be honest.

Many can sit in a room with someone from another faith and be full of respect, curiosity, and grace. they say, "We all worship a God in different ways."

But then we talk about the church down the road - the one that worships a little differently, baptises differently, prays differently - and suddenly there is suspicion, sarcasm, and coldness.

 

Protestants – Catholics- Orthodox, against each other.

 

 

We have become more tolerant of other religions than we are of our own family.

We treat a stranger with more honor than our own brother. We should treat strangers nicely for sure though.

 

But you see the world sees it. And it doesn't make sense to them. Jesus said the world would recognise us by our love for one another, not by how open-minded we are to everyone else except each other.

 

 

We forgot who the fight Is against

Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 - our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

 

We are not called to fight other faiths. People of other faiths are not the enemy - they are people Jesus loves and died for. We are called to love them, serve them, and share Jesus with them with gentleness and respect.

 

But we are called to contend together for the gospel against real darkness - against hopelessness, deception, poverty, injustice, sin, and death.

When we spend all our energy fighting the Pentecostal church, the Lutheran church, the Baptist church, the Catholics down the road, we have no energy left to be light in a dark city like Malmö.

 

The devil doesn't mind if you have perfect theology, as long as you are too busy fighting your brother to ever fight for a soul.

 

Think about it today:

If someone from another faith visited both your church and the church you disagree with, would they see two rivals - or one family?

Unity doesn't mean we have to agree on everything. It means we recognise that the person who confesses "Jesus is Lord" down the street is closer to you than anyone else.

Family first.

Election year

 We are approaching an election in Sweden. We have had four years of a coalition of four different right-wing parties.

 

A lot has happened, especially regarding views on crime and punishment.

 

It is now illegal to escape from prison. You might find that strange, but it wasn’t illegal before.

 

It is now also illegal to take stolen goods out of Sweden. Again, sounds perhaps strange that it wasn’t illegal before.

 

Shouting "Death to the Jews" in streets and public squares is now a punishable offence.

 And so, so ,much more has happened.

 

But what should she think of elections and politics?

 

First, I make this very clear never speak party politics from the pulpit. Never publicly tell people who to vote for or not vote for.

 

Ive have been writing about this once before, recently I guess but after a talk with some friends last Sunday at church here is more.

 

 

 

Philippians 3:20 says our citizenship is in heaven, but Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 say earthly government is real, ordained by God for order and justice. So we don't withdraw from politics, and we don't make politics ultimate.

 

Governments are accountable to God. Their God-given job is to do justice, punish evil, protect the vulnerable, and promote the conditions for human flourishing. That means no party or candidate perfectly represents the Kingdom of God. We can support one while keeping a clear conscience that our hope is not in them.

 

People are made in God's image. Including the people you vote against, the people you disagree with online, and the politicians themselves. That sets the floor for how we talk.

 

What should we think when we vote?

 

Think of voting as stewardship, not salvation.

Vote from conscience, not tribe. Romans 14 says each of us will give an account for our own conscience before God. Party loyalty, family history, or cultural pressure are not good guides by themselves. 

 

 

Think in terms of neighbour love. Elections are one of the few times your private choice affects millions of other people. Luther said government is an expression of loving your neighbour because you are making decisions for people you will never meet. Ask: Who are the most vulnerable affected by this election in my city, my country, and the world, and what helps them flourish?

 

 

Hold power loosely. Proverbs warns us about putting trust in princes. It is right to care about outcomes, but unhealthy when an election result destroys your peace, joy, or love for others. If we believe God is sovereign, we can be engaged without being anxious.

 

 

How should we talk about it?

 

This is often where our witness succeeds or fails. This is perhaps the hardest part I totally agree with that and something I need guidance personally.

 

Truth + grace, not one or the other. Ephesians 4:15 says "speaking the truth in love." That means no exaggeration, no sharing things you know are misleading just because they help your side, and no cruelty even if what you say is true.

 

 

Distinguish between person and position. We can say "I think that policy is unwise and harmful" without saying "Anyone who supports it is evil or stupid." Jesus was fierce with ideas and gentle with people.

 

Check your heart before you post or preach.

 

Am I cutting people down or building people up?

 

Keep the church the church. The church is the only community where left and right are supposed to take communion together. If someone would feel unwelcome in your church because of how you talk about politics, that’s not good.

 

Your political identity should be less loud than your Christian identity.

 

Hard perhaps to live up to, but necessary. On the other hand I just say a clip on instagram this morning. One political party in Sweden are posting a pic of a young woman standing at a beach, with her arms stretch high screaming: “I love abortion”

A river and a sea

 I have heard it sometimes in my home town and elsewhere

 

“From the river to the sea, all Palestine will be free”

In a way I do know what it means but I was very surprised when two left people were asked in London, the question:

 

Which river and what sea? And they could not answer.

 

"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is a political slogan.

What it means literally:

• "The river" = the Jordan River in the east
• "The sea" = the Mediterranean Sea in the west

The land between them is the area that currently includes Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Historically this was Mandatory Palestine under British control before 1948.

 

Supporters, particularly in pro-Palestinian protests, say it is a call for freedom and equal rights for Palestinians throughout the land, or for a single democratic secular state where Palestinians and Israelis live with equal rights. They argue it is not about harming Jews. 

 

Well, this is what they say in languages we know and to the media, but one journalist here in Sweden, who is from the middle east, speaks Arabic, wrote an article about this.

At one demonstration in Swedish, they said one thing, then in Arabic another thing. The thing in Arabic was, Death to the Jews. No harm right!

Jews, not Israelites.

 

When a slogan is heard by most Jews as a call for Israel to be eliminated, many Christians see it as a threat to Jewish people both in Israel and in the diaspora. In Sweden and elsewhere, reports of threats against Jews often rise when that slogan is widely chanted.

For many Christians, protecting Jewish life is a theological and moral concern rooted in the shared heritage and in verses like Genesis 12:3 and Romans 9-11, as well as in repentance for past Christian antisemitism.

Lets see what it says:

 

 

 

Genesis 12:3

New Revised Standard Version

³ I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

 

A core Christian ethical principle for many is to seek truth and peace, and to avoid dehumanizing language.

If "from the river to the sea" is understood to mean that Israel should not exist, many Christians see that as a rejection of a two-state or shared future solution, and as language that can be used to justify violence rather than negotiation. That is why some churches have spoken against both antisemitic slogans and anti-Palestinian slogans.

 

Do our politicians understand this!

Time to vote!

 It is a mid-term election in the USA. Over here in Sweden it is soon time for elections as well.

Recently we have seen on the news that China seems to have been trying to influence the US elections—which may well be true; who knows?

We also know, from a vast number of articles and news reports, that Trump has pointed out that elections have been stolen.

I’m no expert on American elections, but it seems like the US electoral system needs an update.

I read that in some states, you don’t need to show ID to vote. To me, that sounds incredibly strange—and wrong.

In Sweden, you must be a Swedish citizen to vote in parliamentary elections. However, for local elections, a residence permit is sufficient.

The voting age is 18; personally, I think that age should be raised, but that is just my personal opinion.

When it is time to vote, you will receive a voting card by mail. It shows who you are, where you live, and the district in which you are to vote.

When voting, you must present this card and provide photo identification. The entire process is monitored—naturally not inside the voting booth itself, where you place your ballot in an envelope, but otherwise throughout the entire chain of events.

I’ve heard and read that it’s not like that in the US. In quite a few states, you don’t need to show ID. But then how do they know who is voting? Can you vote even if you aren’t allowed to? Can you vote multiple times? Important questions, right?

This information is what I found:

36 states required voters to present identification to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of those, 24 required photo ID and 12 did not explicitly require photo ID. 

14 states did not generally require voters to present identification to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Some of these states are:  California, New York, Illinois, Oregon, Washington and others. You check in, give your name and address, sign the poll book, and vote. An ID may have been required when you registered the first time under federal law - the Help America Vote Act requires ID when registering for the first time - but not necessarily at the polls. 

WOW!

There is so much information and differences in the voting system .Reading it all makes your head spin. It’s not an easy system to understand—unless you live in the US, that is.

So how about these claims about stolen elections? Over here from the media it seems like it is just Trump who claims that but oh how false that is.

Trump he talked about that in 2016, before and after winning, he said the system was rigged and that millions of illegal votes were cast.

In 2020, after losing to Joe Biden, he said the election was stolen due to widespread fraud and contested the results in court and in Congress. 

This led to the Jan. 6, 2021 protests at the Capitol.

He continued to talk about stolen elections as a major theme in the 2024 campaign.

But you see others have claimed things.

Jimmy Carter after his presidency said he believed the 2016 election had Russian interference that affected the outcome.

Joe Biden as president frequently warned that election denialism and attempts to overturn the 2020 result were an attempt to steal future elections.

Gore won the popular vote, 2020. Bush won the Electoral College by 537 votes in Florida after the Supreme Court stopped the recount. For years after, many Democrats said the 2000 election was stolen. Bush himself never claimed it was stolen, Gore conceded.

If we go back in history, a long way it looks like this:

In 1824,Jackson won the popular vote and the most electoral votes, but not a majority. The election went to the House of Representatives, which elected John Quincy Adams. Jackson and his supporters called it the "Corrupt Bargain" between Adams and Henry Clay, and ran on that claim for 4 years until Jackson won in 1828.

So as Christians, we should not  fuel conspiracy theories—we should do what is right even when no one is watching—but naturally, we must hold people accountable when they do wrong and cheat the system.

We also need to keep in mind:

"Our citizenship is in heaven" - Philippians 3:20
"Seek first the kingdom of God" - Matthew 6:33

We participate in government, but we don't look to a president to save us or to be our identity. That frees us from fear and from idolatry on both sides.

So when you vote, you are asking: Who will best steward that God-given role with justice, competence, wisdom, and restraint?