FEAR OR FORGIVENESS: The Church in Syria Responds
Christians in Syria were in mourning after a suicide bombing struck a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus during a June 22 Divine Liturgy. At least 20 were killed and more than 60 injured after an attacker, reported to be armed and wearing an explosive vest, entered Mar Elias, a Greek Orthodox church in the city’s Dweila neighbourhood. But for believers in Syria, and all of the Middle East, persecution is neither a new theology nor an unfamiliar territory. There has always been a deep-rooted understanding that to follow Christ is to share in His suffering. Unlike the responses often seen in the West, this has never diminished their witness—it has only refined it.
DONALD TRUMP: The Pablo Picasso of communication
Now and then, in my research, I stumble across interviews that leave me genuinely perplexed — unsure whether I’m failing to grasp the message, or whether the message itself is failing to be grasped. I listen with a mix of confusion and curiosity, asking whether the fault lies in understanding or in the delivery. These interviews mostly involve Mr. Donald Trump. And yet, Mr. Trump’s art of communication as a system is carefully crafted, viciously effective, and designed to collapse the very idea of shared reality.
THE IRAN-ISRAEL NARRATIVE: is it true, truth, or a double truth?
How we view the war in Iran can contain information that is true, factual, and verifiable, but even though it might be true, it might be void of truth. When the same truth is applied differently in different situations, it creates a double standard – or a double truth. Here are eight geopolitical double truths that highlight the double standards of Western media in the Iran-Israel conflict.
NOW IS THE TIME: By Dr Katanacho
How do we embrace this season when our spirits are frozen by hate and suspicion. A powerful poem by Dr. Yohanna Katanacho – a Palestinian Israeli Evangelical believer
IRAN DECODED: 5 perspectives beyond the headlines
The attacks by Israel on Iran cannot be reduced to a simplistic view of two nations at war. We need a multi-dimensional lens that considers all the key players and the underlying cultural, religious, and social challenges—factors that are often absent from mainstream discussions. Here are 5 perspectives overlooked by most of the Western Media
DIVINE DOMINION: Israel’s expansive vision of land and power
Divine dominion exerts a formidable influence in the Middle East, with Israel positioned at its centre. The nation’s persistent military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank suggest motives that may extend beyond simple border defence and when geopolitics and the quest for power interweave with religious fervour, the promise of true peace has always remained elusive. From the misty heights of Sinai to the embattled borders of the modern Middle East, two intertwined visions—GREATER ISRAEL and DAVID’S CORRIDOR—offer a striking lens on how ancient promises collide with contemporary power politics.
FAITH ON THE FAULT LINE: Mission Work in Israel
Should Christians continue to view Israel as the nation of God, even when most Jews reject Him? Should they offer blessings, even when those blessings are met with resistance? Should Christians continue to reach out to a nation that rejects the very core of the One they confess and believe in? Instead of seeing Israel as fundamentally different, should missions approach the country as they would any other unreached group, with no special status but a commitment to equal outreach?
ISRAEL’S REGIONAL STANDOFF: 3 Narratives that define its failures
When so many nations are voicing discontent with Israel’s bombardment on Gaza, it usually points to underlying issues that merit serious self-examination and dialogue. A true and honest self-reflection on why Israel faces such deep-seated hatred from its neighbours can be seen through at least three main narratives: Biblical, moral and social
WEEPING WITH THE WOUNDED: The Orthopathos of Compassion in Gaza
What the world needs now is not another revival but a baptism of compassion. Not the orthodoxy of compassion nor the orthopraxy of compassion but the orthopathos of compassion. Not only weeping FOR the wounded but weeping WITH the wounded.
600 DAYS IN GAZA: the one known known in the many unknown unknowns:
On Wednesday, May 28, Israel marked a grim milestone—600 days of war, the longest conflict in the nation’s history. Understanding the uncertainties surrounding the future will be determined by the known knowns, the known unknowns and especially the unknown unknowns.