We live in a day of lies—a time when repetition masquerades as credibility, and the sheer volume of falsehoods threatens to drown out the still, small voice of truth. This is no more evident than with the AI generated videos of Charlie Kirk living in and speaking from the afterlife. Christians should be shocked by what is best considered synthetic martyrdom, sadly many are being wooed by it.
Christian Zionists' proclamation of unconditional love for Israel feels hollow in the Middle East. The General Secretary for the Middle East & North Africa Evangelical Alliance continues, "rather than opening doors to the gospel, it hardens suspicion. If evangelicals support Israel merely to trigger Armageddon, then our love is no love at all—it is manipulation".
The suicide rate in the USA among 10-14-year-old children had nearly tripled in the last decade, while the rate for older teens increased by 76%. Children and teens worldwide can experience social isolation, health fears, and the uncertainty all around them, realizing that their parents don’t always know how to deal with difficult circumstances. All these can easily lead to depression. But we can provide real hope by helping them to rest in God.
The United States is a nation gripped afresh by violence. Many of its people are struggling to feel, to understand, to see a way forward. US peace and reconciliation advocate, Jim Eaton, calls Christians to a better way, the way of Jesus; a way that is not partisan but peaceful, not livid but loving.
The recent assertion by Israel's President Netanyahu, that his country is the sole thriving sanctuary for Christians in the Middle East, is a myth. Christianity has long thrived in the Middle East since the time of Jesus, and indigenous Christians continue to play significant roles in nations surrounding Israel. Within Israel, however, indigenous Evangelicals are treated like second-class citizens, even as Evangelicals outside of Israel are courted to support Netanyahu's purposes. This situation
When a war threatens to destabilize the world because of the narcissistic ego of a powerful person, the narcissism of a leader pursuing peace is often the only antidote. In this insightful opinion, leadership expert Les Csorba encourages us to hope for peace via President Donald Trump as one in a long history of leaders whose narcissism has been of benefit to their nation and to the world.
The Tall Poppy Syndrome has been popularized and exported from Australia but it is endemic in us all and it literally makes us unwell. An antidote can be found throughout Scripture. Rather than drawing others to join us wallowing in misery, we can repent from the Tall Poppy Syndrome and flourish alongside the flourishing.
Right now online it is very easy to be gaslit into responding aggressively to opinions that we disagree with, but it will ultimately harm our sense of well-being. We don’t need to engage in every online debate, writes Katherine Brown. We don't need to take the bait to belittle another perspective while defending our own, but we are called to share good news.
The Church at the Crossroads conference was held between September 11-13 in Glen Ellyn, near Chicago. It was a gathering of Christians who recognize that the global Church stands at a defining moment, one where Jesus is calling his followers back to the narrow way of the cross. The situation in Palestine was the primary subject of the gathering this time. This opinion is from one of the perspectives presented at that event.
As the younger generation challenges the status quo in Nepal, local churches find their voice, offering hope, and stability in uncertain times. A young Nepali believer, Surendra Bajracharya, writes that this is an opportunity for the church, especially its younger members, to respond to God’s calling and reach out to their peers beyond the church walls—young people burdened with broken dreams in a trembling nation.
The proverb, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never harm you” has been proven wrong too many times as words have traumatized people, whether or not the speaker/writer intended to. The internet has lifted restraint on our communications and words are being easily weaponized. Here are seven disciplines to help followers of Jesus to use their words with Kingdom-minded intention.
Conservatives and liberals in the United States (and increasingly elsewhere in the world) are accusing each other of creating an environment that contributes to political violence. We need to be very careful about making cause-effect connections. However, if we legitimize violence as a way to solve problems, we should not be surprised if others turn to violence also. If we sow the wind, we should not be surprised about reaping the whirlwind.
