Reclaiming the Image of the Church in Brazil for Christ
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Reclaiming the Image of the Church in Brazil for Christ

When you see a pastor on television, what is the first thing that jumps into your mind? In Brazil, the answer for many would be, “I don’t trust this person.” Unfortunately, those feelings aren’t unwarranted. Many television pastors, both from Brazil and here in North America, have damaged the reputation of pastors – taking advantage…

Peace on Earth
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Peace on Earth

“Peace on Earth” rings out from Christmas carols and greeting cards at this time of year. It echoes the good news of the angels long ago; it expresses the hope for shalom as a result of God coming down into our world. We cherish the serenity of a crèche and singing Silent Night by candle…

What Do Radical Islam and Militant Christianity Have in Common?
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What Do Radical Islam and Militant Christianity Have in Common?

Radical minorities  In both Islam and Christianity, the mainstream has understood the core teachings of their founding prophets as proclamations of the Peace of God on earth. In each, the “way” has been characterized by peaceful interaction in societies that welcomed coexistence with religious minorities. While both have had their historic “bad moments,” the operative…

Grandmothers Help Treat Depression
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Grandmothers Help Treat Depression

Dixon Chibanda is a psychiatrist in Zimbabwe, one of only 12 such doctors for a population of more than 14 million people. Mental health problems in that destitute country are rampant, and a significant percentage of them can be summed up in one word: kufungisisa. In Shona, Zimbabwe’s official language, the word covers brooding, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, and its literal meaning is “thinking too much.”

Refugees Forced to Leave Sanctuary During Lockdown
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Refugees Forced to Leave Sanctuary During Lockdown

While many churches around the world have temporarily closed their doors due to COVID-19, Cape Town’s Central Methodist Mission has not had a regular service since last Christmas. Normal church operations were interrupted in late October of 2019 when a few hundred refugees sought refuge in the sanctuary. They remained in the building for five months until they were evicted during South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown.

As Syria Goes…
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As Syria Goes…

While living in Jordan, my wife Sally and I fell in love with Syria and its people through many visits stretched over four decades. Our last adventure in 2006 was to Aleppo, when we stayed in a converted khan in the middle of its souq (market), which sold traditional hand-crafted goods, inlaid wood, beaten copper, loom-woven silks and braided gold. We saw Syria through the eyes of besotted tourists and barely noticed the unrest roiling under the surface.

The return of ‘Holy Russia’
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The return of ‘Holy Russia’

If there is a cold war between Russia and the West, it is very different from the one that lasted between 1945 and 1989. Communism is a spent force in Russia, having failed to realize its elusive goal of the classless society. Even if some of the old methods of repression are back, they are now being employed in the interest of a vision much older than that of Lenin, namely, the reconstitution of “Holy Russia.”