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The UK is in crisis over Brexit. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We are split more thoroughly on this than I can ever remember us being split about anything in my lifetime.<\/p>\n As Christians, we pray for the future of our nation at this time. But I also think we have a responsibility to try to understand the perspective of people we disagree with. We should not be so partisan as to refer to those on the other side of the argument to us as crazy. There are many good christians on both sides of this particular argument<\/strong> and also many who are internally divided and even after all these years not sure what they think.<\/p>\n I thought I would do my best in this post to explain the current situation for those who have perhaps not been following it, try and suggest why people believe what they do, and perhaps suggest what may be the only way out.<\/strong><\/p>\n One thing that is not often said about this situation is that in fact many of my countrymen have a severe case of Brexit Fatigue<\/strong> and are simply bored, no longer really caring what happens. A lot of people have given up following the news on it. But it is clearly the most crucial decision point we have faced as a county in decades.<\/p>\n Many of us no longer follow the detail, and you might therefore be surprised to realise that what is happening at the moment is just the beginning<\/strong>. \u00a0We are not even arguing about our future relationship with the EU after we have left. We are arguing about the transition arrangement. SO much has yet to be agreed, and we can\u2019t even agree to the first steps<\/strong>. This Brexit crisis will go on and on.<\/p>\n To use a marriage analogy, what is before parliament at the moment is not the divorce deal, but merely a separation arrangement<\/strong>. We have been together too long to simply untie the knot, the argument goes. So a transition period will allow time for things to remain essentially as they are whilst we figure out what to do next. \u00a0It is as though we are separating but living in the same house together and beginning to try to build a wall in the middle to divide it in half. It turns out that when part of the EU to separate brings up many of the issues that a divorce needs to address<\/strong>, without actually resolving any of them.<\/p>\n Around a million people marched yesterday<\/a> in London demanding a re-run of the 2016 referendum<\/strong>. Almost five million signing an official petition<\/a> asking the government to just call the whole thing off and cancel Brexit. But on the other side, a lot of people frustrated that we haven\u2019t left already, and not understanding why Brexit doesn\u2019t mean Brexit<\/strong>, and leave doesn\u2019t seem to mean leave any more.<\/p>\n Many of my countrymen agreed with Mrs May when she publicly and angrily criticised MPs for not making a clear decision<\/a>. After all they have voted against May\u2019s deal, leaving with no deal, and carrying out another referendum: what do<\/em><\/strong> they want to do?<\/p>\n The problem with May\u2019s frustrated speech is that those very MPs have since become increasingly incandescent with her<\/strong>, and in some cases are in genuine fear of their lives due to the abuse they have received from some members of the public. And the MPs she berated are the ones that she needs to support her deal<\/strong> at the third time of asking. Even some of her closet allies are saying this weekend that it is time she simply resigned.<\/p>\n We are stuck at the moment because compromise in this situation just isn\u2019t working<\/strong>. \u00a0After decades of being in the EU, but always as a bit of a reluctant partner, we can\u2019t find a satisfactory way out. \u00a0And it seems we want to have our cake and eat it. When we were in we negotiated a lot of opt outs. Now we are on our way out the door we want to hang on to many aspects of our relationship.<\/strong><\/p>\n \ufffd\ufffd pic.twitter.com\/wA8BApntwV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Lisa M Watkinson (@LisaMarieWatki) March 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n