DÉJÀ VU AT THE HILTON: two Presidents, two moments, two lessons
On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan had just finished addressing a labour gathering at the Washington Hilton when John Hinckley Jr. stepped out from the crowd and fired six shots at him. One bullet ricocheted off the presidential limousine and struck Reagan in the chest, puncturing a lung and causing severe internal bleeding. He…
SAUDI ARABIA: praying light into darkness
During the previous three weeks we prayed for Iran, Israel and Lebanon. This week we continue the journey of prayer in the war zones of the Middle East by calling light into darkness as we turn our attention to one of the most strategic, complex, and spiritually significant nations of the world: SAUDI ARABIA.
“WHO CAN I BELIEVE” and who is telling the truth?
For more than two years — ever since 7 October 2023 — every conversation about the Middle East has carried the relentless undertones of anger, accusations, suspicion, and a deep uncertainty about who to really believe. Meetings, interviews, church gatherings, advocacy circles, even casual conversations all seem to circle back to two persistent questions: Who can I believe? What is the truth? I have come to the conclusion that truth is found in the Container, not in the content…
SELECTIVE HOLINESS: the plank-eye disease
A double standard is born the moment my truth becomes a mirror for your faults but never for my own. It is the quiet hypocrisy of a heart that demands repentance from others while excusing itself. In other words, I judge myself by my motives but others by their actions. It is the subtle belief that righteousness is something I enforce outward, not something I embody inward. Here are some examples
LEBANON: praying light into darkness
Minutes after President Trump announced on Friday that “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer,” saying that the U.S. had “PROHIBITED” them from doing so, reports emerged that an Israeli drone strike had killed one person in southern Lebanon. What unfolds next — a break in the bombings or a break in political alliances — is uncertain. …
IRAN – weaponizing suffering to sanctify an agenda
A number of videos are circulating online showing Iranian Christians in Europe celebrating the recent attacks in Iran, claiming that these strikes mark the beginning of freedom — and insisting that this is what all Iranian believers desire, regardless of the cost. In this narrative, Israel and the USA become the heroes, not aggressors, and those who suffer — believers and non‑believers alike — are portrayed as beneficiaries, not as victims. Present the story this way, and almost any act of violence can be justified. But to use the joy of a few as a political tool to legitimize the killing of innocent citizens is both unbiblical and morally corrupt.
ISRAEL: praying light into darkness
Last week we prayed for IRAN and today we continue our journey of prayer by calling light into darkness as we focus on ISRAEL Print out the information below, and at any time of day, place the map of Israel before you, light a candle, and hold Israel before God. Let the flame remind you that Christ’s light still shines in the midst of fear and fire.
TRUMP AND ARAQCHI: a lesson in diplomacy
Instead of dwelling on the Easter message that Mr Trump sent to the Iranian leadership, it would be more revealing to place darkness beside light. A comparison with the response from the Iranian leadership exposes far more than western reporters could.
JESUS THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER: building hope in the Middle East
Jesus, the Son of God, construction worker while dwelling on earth as Emanuel – God with us – now overseeing a construction site in Lebanon that rises amongst the ashes. A construction that symbolises the One who came to establish peace amongst men, and peace with God
IRAN: praying light into darkness
We start the journey of prayer today by calling light into darkness as we focus on the epicenter of the current conflict: IRAN