Whose voices do you listen to most? To whom do you give a voice? In a world of increasing polarization – cultural, political, economic, religious – giving a voice to others requires considerably more intentionality, and a preparedness to be judged by those who prefer the simplicity of the “them and us” world. We listen […]
It has been a deluge. Information, opinions, perspectives, denials, announcements, and no doubt much more to come. Christians have been just as prolific as the rest. Exploitation of the pandemic for other agendas has been equally voluminous, from politicians and some media outlets with primarily political agendas through to the horde of conspiracy theorists. Christian […]
Harold Abrahams won the Gold Medal for the 100 meters sprint at the 1924 Paris Olympics. His story, and that of Eric Liddell, is told in the movie “Chariots of Fire” though the movie has multiple historical flaws. In the movie at least, Abrahams is challenged by the Master of his Cambridge University College as […]
Where you live matters. Your context matters. God’s people have never been called into a ghetto, some kind of vacuum, protected by high walls of fear, suspicion, and judgementalism about everyone else. Your church’s context matters, it is the place where the church shines the light of the future in Christ, your city. Your church […]
I was reminded of this statement the other day in a book I was reading (another story for another day). It was a reference to those who “despise the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10). It was intriguing as it stirred my mind to recall a number of similar perspectives. The context was the early […]
I love being in two places at once! I don’t mean an absent-in-body-but-with-you-in-spirit thing which we sometimes say when declining an invitation. I mean something quite different, but it is still a mystery to me as to how exactly this can be true. There is, of course, the place I now am physically. So, where […]
This Easter is disturbing. For so many across the world, these are terrifying times. I don’t need to elaborate as I am sure you all know very well; we could all write out a long list of the various hardships being faced. With varying degrees of engagement, International Churches (ICs) are working to love and […]
I have often been troubled by this passage in Hebrews 5:11-6:3 (please read it now!). A range of questions come to mind. Is it true of my church? Am I part of the problem? Given the list of the basics here (6:1-2), what does the writer to the Hebrews regard as “solid food”? What is […]
A man with an exceptionally large house decided to invite others to come and live with him. He had the space, in fact he had quite a mansion with many wings, apartments and rooms, extensive gardens and forests all around and a huge estate beyond these, and an amazing diversity of stimulating possibilities for fulfilling […]
The civil war continued sporadically. My friend took me to see the community development project he managed in a village about two hours North of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. But for a long time, nothing much had changed. The village was caught between two opposing forces and they were unsure which way the outcome would turn. […]