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In a world being ripped apart before our very eyes we could all use a bit of love, faith, and peace right now. But there’s a reason for the dysfunction we see around us and it is called Sin. That’s not a popular opinion these days, but what if Sin was simply the imposition of good upon others? This post explores that very question.
When Jesus prayed “that they all be one” (John 17) we interpret that one-ness in all manner of ways that fail to match our lived reality. But if we understanding it to mean an inseparable family bonded in/by the blood of Jesus (via faith in/allegiance to Him) our reality matches perfectly: warts and all. The challenge then remains: how to align.
We do not like to talk about it, but we cannot keep our head in the sand. The energy required for church and missions in the West to flourish is depleting, but there is good news: it is thriving elsewhere! This post reflects on these hard facts and concludes that Western Christians still have much to contribute alongside the global Church.
We’re living in a leader-obsessed era, expecting leaders to be more than they are capable of being. Leadership talent and achievement is well rewarded in industrial contexts, but indigenous expectations of leaders tend to be quite different. From an Indigenous perspective, I consider what it means to be ‘up front’.
2020 was the year of lockdown, 2021 is the year of death. We who remain in ‘the world of light’ carry a responsibility for the betterment of our societies as we live in pursuit of the concerns of the mission of God. Let us invest ourselves wisely in our remaining days, participating in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation.
Missions workers need to beware of the temptation to exploit and extract gain from those they are called to serve. While it might feel like missions is an act of generosity and service it can subtly be impositional and extractive. The antidote is to create room for reciprocation, give and take, for mutual benefit.
Evangelicals are rocked by respected leaders who are outed as abusers. Evil conducted by leaders is not new or unique to Evangelicals, but common responses of comparison, condemnation, or tighter legislation are not helping matters. An alternative response rarely talked about is to deepen community.
The saying, “actions speak louder than words” has been sorely tested lately with the questionable words of influential leaders producing undesirable consequences. Also of concern are the words from those who would presume to speak on behalf of God, yet have been found to be little more than froth.
As we approach the end of 2020, we could be forgiven for feeling tired, overwhelmed, and generally depressed by the state of the world. Peering into shadow and gloom has that effect. Here I encourage you to “turn and face the light” to find new life once more in the hope of God’s love and purpose for a hurting world.
The world is facing a prolonged period of grief. We can manage shock for a time but eventually we need to lament loss. The industrialised world does not tend to understand collective lament, but for the indigenous it is part of life. One way Māori find to express lament is with group songs/chants which can have remarkably positive effects.
Leaders full of confidence but without substance are all too easily accepted in a world that favours superficial image over character depth. We need leaders who humbly bring treasures from their depths as collaborative offerings for “The Great Commitment” to help build a better post-pandemic future.
The world seems to be heading into deeper divisive fragmentation. When the New Testament calls so strongly for unity, how might this be achieved? This post considers the need to seek understanding and be willing to surrender outdated views in order to move missions forward with agreed action.