The Los Angeles wildfires caused great loss at the beginning of 2025 but Easter reminded us of resurrection, redemption, and renewal. Already new life can be seen returning to the scarred LA landscape. It is a reminder that in the face of overwhelming devastation and destruction we can retain hope in new creation through Jesus, and work now in our environments to testify to that hope.
The idea that Chinese Christians have a responsibility to take the gospel "back to Jerusalem" has become widely popularized but it fails to recognize a much larger perspective. The role of China’s church in world evangelization has more to do with intentionality of heart than with getting to any one particular destination. Chinese believers among diaspora worldwide have great potential to advance the gospel everywhere, but it requires a shift of thinking away from traditional missions paradigms.
Some theories, like Nancy Eiesland's in The Disabled God, suggest that disability reveals God’s presence in the world. Mark Arnold, the Additional Needs Ministry Director for Urban Saints, has been reflecting on whether Jesus himself experienced disability, and what the Gospels might reveal about that. Here are a few insights from his reflection.
In a very personal reflection, Dr Brian Stiller, Global Ambassador of the World Evangelical Alliance, recounts a memorable meeting with Pope Francis, highlighting his humility, love for Jesus, and commitment to serving others, especially the marginalized.
A well known Swahili proverbs observes, "when elephants fight, the grass suffers". It is a direct analogy to the human condition when our leaders enter into geopolitical conflict and the ordinary people suffer the most. It can seem overwhelming but here are some basic things followers of Jesus can do to help minimize the damage.
The political positioning of new regimes is matching an ideology that has been forming for some time—Dark Enlightenment. We are watching a new world order emerge that will cause great suffering. As the performance of Bach's St Matthew's Passion unfolded, it resonated deeply with the times we find ourselves in.
Thomas Schirrmacher has worked with Pope Francis in a variety of official roles, both for the World Evangelical Alliance and the International Society for Human Rights. He accompanied the pope on three state visits and also visited him privately at Santa Marta on numerous occasions, often around the pontiff’s birthday. These are his reflections.
The collective gasp in the sanctuary on Sunday was audible. Amidst the celebrations of Palm Sunday, my pastor told us about the email that around 25 members of our community had received just days before. I have since read that email for myself. I am stunned and devastated.
Among many other things, Easter is an opportunity to reflect on Jesus' relationship to political power. Modern readers of the Gospels and Epistles too easily miss the political significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. Far from leaning into and leveraging political and imperial power, Jesus and his followers are called to righteously and justly subvert it for God's glory alone.
Eastern Europe has a rich tradition of celebrating the Easter season and passing meaningful Christian customs on to successive generations. Christians in non-Christian contexts and those in newer Westernized nations can learn much from older expressions of Christian faith and hope in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
We are being tempted afresh to give our allegiance to men who wield great power and wealth in the hope that we will benefit from their rule over us. This is a temptation as old as humanity. The true follower of Christ should give no allegiance to anyone but Jesus.
It is undeniable that zero gravity space travel takes its toll on the human body. It reminds us that we are embodied beings and that our bodies are an important part of who we are. They must not be neglected nor become an object of obsession because they will eventually fail. Yet, followers of Jesus have hope in the resurrection, and the certainty of receiving eternal bodies is cause for great joy as we approach Easter.
