British households are now being advised to keep enough essential supplies to cope for three days. Across Europe, governments are making similar preparations, and some are openly discussing the possibility of war. Is this simply sensible emergency planning, or a sign that something fundamental has changed?
For years, most people in Britain would have laughed at the suggestion that they needed an emergency stockpile at home.
That is no longer fringe advice.
The UK Government’s Be Ready guidance tells people to prepare to manage for three days during an emergency. Its checklist includes three litres of drinking water per person per day, non-perishable food, essential medicines, a torch, battery or wind-up radio, power bank, warm clothing and other basic supplies. [beready.ca…ign.gov.uk]
The Government isn’t telling us to panic-buy. In fact, it specifically recommends building up supplies gradually during ordinary shopping. [beready.ca…ign.gov.uk]
But there is a question worth asking:
Why are we being told this now?
Britain is not currently at war. Government emergency planning covers many threats including severe weather, cyberattacks and disruption to essential services. [beready.ca…ign.gov.uk]
Yet look beyond Britain and the language becomes considerably more uncomfortable.
Swedish civil-defence guidance, for example, explicitly tells its population that an armed attack against Sweden cannot be ruled out. [ijr.com]
Suddenly, the idea of ordinary European families preparing themselves for a major crisis doesn’t seem quite so distant.
For Christians in Britain, the response shouldn’t be panic.
Nor should it be complacency.
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled.”
Matthew 24:6
Perhaps those words have rarely sounded quite as relevant to modern Britain as they do today.
Prepare your home, certainly. But more importantly, prepare your heart.
I think that is the direction the God Matters article should take: Britain first, Europe as the warning signs, then the Christian perspective.