LEBANON: Reframing faith in the context of conflict
We have just returned from a visit to war-torn Lebanon, meeting with local as well as Syrian leaders. Our hearts were deeply touched by the commitment and resiliency of those who follow Christ in extreme circumstances. It will be impossible to share all our experiences in a way that will give justice to the situation, the people and the experiences we had – but we would like to focus on EIGHT lessons we felt the Lord teaching us during this time of exposure.
NAVIGATING OUR WAY THROUGH DARKNESS: a Christian response to the Syrian massacres
Some Christian commentators are exploiting the suffering of people in Syria by placing graphic videos of beheadings on Social Media with inflated figures of Christian casualties. Amid a barrage of opinions, one spiritual principle emerged: The significance of Christianity is not the need to expose darkness but how to navigate our way through darkness. Darkness cannot overcome darkness. So, instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle. Here is a response from Syrian Christians to the events unfolding in Syria.
70 CHRISTIANS BEHEADED IN THE DRC: the danger of spiritual leprosy
Seventy decapitated bodies of Congolese Christians were discovered last week in a Protestant church in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But amid the excruciating pain experienced by the body of Christ in Africa, it often seems like Christians in the West remain oblivious to the suffering of those who share the cross of Christ. Few churches acknowledged the beheadings or dedicated time during services to pray for their brothers and sisters in the DRC. This is called SPIRITUAL LEPROSY
NATIONALISM vs PATRIOTISM: The question of our time?
How do we as Christians respond to this new phenomenon of NATIONALISM? What’s the difference between being patriotic and nationalistic. Is it OK to be patriotic? Can I be both a Christian and a patriot? Can I celebrate my national and cultural identity and still consider Kingdom principles? And how can faithful Christians hold in tension their love for a country like Israel and their primary love and commitment to the kingdom of God?
NATHANAEL’S BUBBLE – think for yourself
You and I have bubbles. Everyone does. No matter who we are, where we live, or how enlightened we think we are. We all live in bubbles. We discuss wars, we contemplate pandemics, we scrutinise vaccines, we share convictions, and we judge evildoers, but we fail to recognise that “our truth” comes from a bubble of prejudice, shaped by our experiences and environments.
USAID: thank you for your tender hearts
This morning, I intended to write an article to debunk the conspiracy theories involving USAID and the misinformation alleging that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE team (Department of Government Efficiency) uncovered billions of dollars in US taxpayers’ money funnelled through USAID to the “East-West Management Institute.” According to these claims, this money was then redirected to George Soros’ “Open Society Foundation,” purportedly resulting in a well-funded attack on Christian family values by supporting initiatives like abortion, pornography, LGBT rights, the WOKE movement, and more. But instead of getting involved in an argument of little value, I would like to use this opportunity to say THANK YOU to my friends and all the faithful, selfless workers at USAID who saved countless lives and relieved the pain of millions of people.
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MAR-A-GAZA: conceived in cultural ignorance
It appears that President Donald Trump views every situation through the real-estate lenses of Mar-a-Lago, his luxurious 126-room, 5,810-square-meter mansion in Florida. According to Mr. Trump, the solution to the Gaza conflict, which has now claimed nearly 50,000 lives, isn’t based on mercy, as Bishop Budde urged, but rather on transforming Gaza into a Middle Eastern Riviera—a “Mar-a-Gaza,” if you will. This notion not only oversimplifies the complexities of a region entrenched in conflict, but it also highlights the profound ignorance of Western leaders who approach the Middle East with NO understanding of its cultural worldviews. Here are 6 to consider.
EMOTIONAL GENOCIDE: the hidden statistics of the children of GAZA
While political warlords, Presidents, and Prime Ministers vie for power, and theologians discuss the legitimacy of Israel, millions of children, the weak, and the vulnerable are fighting for survival in a war that will leave scars few can foresee and nobody wants to predict.
THREE-FOLD MERCY: not calling Trump OUT, but calling him IN
President Donald Trump and his allies has introduced a formal resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to condemn and disregard the remarks of Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde when she delivered a sermon at an inaugural prayer service on Jan. 21 on the moral responsibility of leadership and a warning against the culture of contempt. However, she was not calling for his downfall; she was calling for his transformation. While it is true that Budde called him out, she also called him in.
BISHOP BUDDE: the commission, the castle and the coat hanger
The statements by Bishop Budde as she addressed the commander-in-chief of the biggest Christian nation in the world opened a barn door for love to shine in, but sadly we started cursing the darkness (and one another) instead of simply lighting a candle. If there is one commission we need to read over and over again, it is this one in John 13.