Do Iranian Christians welcome the bombing campaign? Are they praying for an end to the regime? Do they think things will worsen for the exercise of their faith? Three local Iranian pastors share their perspectives.
As Christian Nationalism supports brute force and the application of power locally and globally, Palm Sunday presents a reality check for true followers of Jesus. His example is ours to follow, not the example of Constantine. Jesus' triumph, in contrast, was subversive; one of humility, compassion, and grief for those abused by the misuse of power. Only Jesus' way leads to resurrection.
Many creatives want to serve but assume mission belongs only to preachers, Bible teachers, or medical workers. When they begin to see that media, design, photography, and storytelling can also be part of God’s work, something begins to open within them and, as Jasmine testifies: many new things become possible.
Under the language of "reform", two decisions were advanced last week by the UK government: the decriminalization of do-it-yourself abortion up to birth; and the decision to not reinstate the requirement for in-person medical consultation before abortion pills are prescribed. Here's why I am angry, ashamed, and apprehensive.
The war between Iran and Israel/United States, can be framed as a pursuit of two very different end-times perspectives. One from Evangelical Christianity (USA), the other from Shiite Muslim theology (Iran). Both envision the return of a messiah figure to rule the world. Jesus, however, did not call us to precipitate the end, that is the Father's prerogative. We are to love God and our neighbor, and this must remain our focus.
A recent research project has highlighted concerns about the effective quality of Christian faith in the United States of America. It revealed a highly privatized and personalized faith with limited public impact and relatively low confidence in salvation. Back to the Bible recommends that churches worldwide learn from the American data and make an urgent shift from activity metrics to transformation outcomes to assess the impact of our faith in the world.
Ethics cannot be limited to just one area of life like business. Unfortunately, it is a subject almost forgotten by institutions and organizations in many parts of the world. Christians should not ignore biblically-based ethics in business. In any workplace our most profitable course of action is to be the kind of person or organization our colleagues and clients want to do business with.
From his ancestral home in Old Jerusalem, Jack Sara laments the relentless rhythm of violence that rises, devastates, and returns again to wound people and their future. Nevertheless, he holds fast to his faith in God and God's vision for a peaceful world—for shalom. He calls us to pray for peace, speak up for peace, be reconciliatory, and hold on to our ultimate hope.
Like other believers in conflict zones, Ukrainian Christians have been wrestling with issues of war that many Western Christians have long discussed only in theory... issues that may become reality sooner rather than later. Ukraine is becoming a laboratory of ethics for the global Church. We would do well to listen very carefully.
For decades, the case for legal abortion rested on two central claims: that women’s rights depend on autonomy over their bodies, and that legal access would make abortion safer than the dangerous black-market alternatives it replaced. If those claims still matter, pro-choice advocates should be deeply concerned about how abortion pills are being distributed today and work with the pro-life movement to change it.
When we are impacted by the reality of war Christians need a strong theological foundation rooted in Scripture not doctrinal tradition that emerged from another context with questionable bias. Rather than choosing a side, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus and the ethics of the kingdom of God, because the future of the world does not ultimately depend on the success of empires.
The Church was the United States of America’s first volunteer network. Long before civic and governmental infrastructures existed, congregations faithfully fed families, welcomed immigrants, cared for the vulnerable, and stitched together the fabric of American society. This is sorely needed once more.
