For the most part, churches have not developed a robust theology of intercultural engagement. Instead, churches in multi-cultural contexts resist the influence of cultural newcomers by sanctifying their pre-existing dominance. In doing so, great opportunities for spiritual growth are missed.
It is a remarkable thing to be human, to be made from God’s breath and in God’s image. In each human being you see the fingerprints of both the divine and the demonic. Put together our worst and our best tendencies, and everything in the middle, and we appear as confusing creatures.
How should followers of Jesus respond in a time of political turmoil and cultural fragmentation, when the loudest voices often drown out the wisest? We don't need to guess. God has revealed what the Lord requires of us, and Jesus demonstrated the practicalities of it. God's people must keep justice, loving mercy, and humility at the forefront of our ethics as a compass to guide us.
South Africa celebrates Pride Month during October even as persecution of homosexuals is rising in other African states. This should be of concern for Christians as freedom of belief has long been a commitment of Protestant Christians. It doesn’t mean Christians must agree with differing beliefs, but it does mean that we must support the human right of others to hold, practice, and celebrate their beliefs as we have the right to hold, practice, and celebrate ours.
When God calls us out from our homes, we go as strangers to lands that are strange to us. Yet, God goes ahead of us and stays with us, challenging us to always trust in him. Here is the experience of one young woman who has been challenged to use her gifts for the sake of the gospel and a better world.
Gratitude is powerful medicine. It is like oxygen for the soul. We don’t thrive without it. We are hard-wired to say "thank you". Psychologists now confirm what scripture has always taught: grateful people are happier, healthier and more hopeful. In contexts of rising conflict, gratitude is a healthier way forward. Ask the Holy Spirit to form that fruit in you for your benefit and those around you.
As the shock-wave from the shut down of most US Aid initiatives continues to impact real lives, the global Church has been given an opportunity to reinvent approaches to well-being that don't replicate bloated bureauracies or irresponsible charity. True justice must begin with lament and proceed with mutuality. Here's how we can move forward in a post-aid era.
After a miraculous healing and turning to Jesus, an Indian family has faced persistent persecution. Recently it became so fierce they were forced to flee. Nevertheless, a powerful witness to faith in Christ remains in their village that we pray will one day bear much fruit. Here is their first-hand story.
As the ceasefire and exchange of people signals relief in Gaza and Israel, those who live and serve in the Holy Land know how fragile this peace can be and how difficult it will be to rebuild livelihoods. Hope of lasting peace will only be found when all people living in the land are able to live freely and are treated with dignity. In the meantime, followers of Jesus in the land remain faithful, trusting not in geopolitics but in the Prince of Peace.
Evangelicals yearn to see crowds entering God's Kingdom and this is legitimately happening in some parts of the world, commonly known as people movements. By removing some persistent barriers, it is possible to see the Church reactivated as a movement, even as it already is in some of the most hostile of contexts. This opinion links to a statement that encourages the Church worldwide to reactivate itself to once again see crowds coming to Christ.
The rise of politicians from America to Russia claiming to champion Christian values and peace yet preaching hatred and division is polarizing families, churches, and communities even far beyond their own countries. Something like this has happened before. Will we Christians learn from recent European history and seek first Christ's kingdom or continue to ride the slippery slope to human totalitarianism in our contexts?
As new Christians (especially if you're non-Western) we are too often taught that our ethnic identity should be ignored or even suppressed in favor of a spiritual identity. Our teachers ignore the fact that Evangelical Christianity is heavily interpreted through a Western lens. Non-Westerners will flourish in Christ if they are encouraged to embrace the redeemed benefits of their unique ethnicity, because that is part of them being a gift from God as a blessing to the Church and the world.
