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.
Many of our societies appear to be moving back into increased lawlessness as models of justice and equity are being undermined by the powerful, allowing corruption to creep back in to the most stable of nations. This is an opportunity for the Church to preserve and shine as salt and light. But, as this pastoral opinion shows us, it will require intentionality, commitment, and sacrifice.
Are we seeing the emergence of a new age of crusaders who think Christian nationalism is something to defend for God's sake? Eddie Arthur believes it is not at all appropriate. He goes on to argue that immigration is not the source of problems in the UK context, but it is the source of the revival of Christianity in the nation. In Christ, our eternal future is a multi-ethnic reality not a nationalistic pipe dream.
In this opinion from personal experience, the author describes the radical transformation of his home village from a so-called "village of thieves” into a Christian community built on faith, hope, and love. He tells the story of an unlikely group of villains who have their lives profoundly changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Having survived another April Fools Day, it is appropriate to reflect on who the Bible considers a fool to be. It is not the lack of intelligence but the rejection of God, with negative consequences for the individual and society. Much of the cause of suffering in the world today is the result of folly in three major ways.
In this next article on children and personal smart devices we see that access has become something of a rite of passage for many children. Affordability might mean children can have a smart device, but it doesn't mean they should. Parents concerned for the long-term well-being of their children must consider the implications of unfettered access to all the internet has to offer—for good or ill.
