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Compassionate Collaboration, Christian Mission and the Bank of Dave
A glimpse of Jesus’ compassion appears in Matthew 9:35-38. In one of the more well-known images of Christian witness, Jesus responds to crowds “harassed and helpless” with a call for collaborators (“Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (38)). The verses in Matthew are one of a cluster of Gospel narratives in which Jesus is described as a shepherd, sent by God to strengthen the weak and heal those damaged by sin, greed and betrayal.[1] A contemporary image of compassion and collaboration appears in a recent movie, Bank of Dave (2023). Movies, along with other forms of popular culture, are not commonly used as…
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The Truth of Suffering: Dealing with the Coronavirus Pandemic
Just over two years ago we faced an alarming revelation: a new disease had emerged, characterized by its high transmission rate and lethal potential. At that time, we had neither knowledge of treatment nor a vaccine. Our sole defenses were lockdowns, quarantines, masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing. Every day, news outlets would broadcast the mounting death toll worldwide. Fear permeated our lives as we confronted the chilling prospect of losing ourselves or our loved ones. This was the stark reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the advent of vaccines and treatments, life began to regain some semblance of normalcy. But this relief was short-lived. Humanity found itself threatened by…
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Achieving Authenticity: Dyslexic theology in response to festive Bible reading challenges
I’m doom scrolling on social media when I find myself stopping to read this post: Maybe it’s time to start A New Christmas Tradition. Beginning December 1st, read one chapter of the book of Luke in the Bible each evening. There are 24 chapters. On Christmas Eve you will have read an entire account of Jesus’ life and wake up Christmas morning knowing WHO and WHY we celebrate! At first, I’m mildly amused. The comments are filled with people saying, “I’ll be doing this,” and that it’s “not difficult to achieve.” As a researcher looking at dyslexia and reading the Bible, this is gold. But as a dyslexic Christian who…
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Exchanging self for others: the ongoing process of hospitality in Mahāyāna Buddhism
Before we begin, I would like to propose a brief exercise. Please consider this as an invitation to experience something different, but feel free to not engage in it if you do not feel comfortable with it. Let us imagine ourselves, with all the conditions we currently have at our disposal: food, drink, a roof over our heads, education, access to health system, a community we are part of, and also our abilities to benefit other beings. Even though we have all that, our minds are focused on the problems we have in our daily lives – papers to write, our jobs to keep, taxes and debts, conflicts with family…
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Refreshments, Art, and Play: Reflections on Community Service
When visiting the UK last summer my wife was surprised by our experience of churches. They had art exhibitions, offerings of cake, tea and coffee, and perhaps the most impactful for my wife were the areas within church buildings where children could play with toys and read. One church we visited was running a Beatrix Potter exhibition – by its very nature child-centric – that combined many of the above noted elements (refreshments, art, and play) leaving a deep impression. These features appeared to the two of us to be services for the public good, which were offered regardless of the religious beliefs or intentions behind the organisers or the…
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Evangelising Africa in the 21st Century: What it Takes to Create Impact and Convert Souls
Missionaries first arrived in Africa employing various strategies to convert native populations, such as providing education, healthcare and other civilizing services, that were often successful at drawing followers to Christianity. Recently, however, many of these duties have fallen to governments instead, leaving a lesser role for churches in these areas. Yet despite this shift in responsibility, churches continue to play an essential role in education and healthcare provision. Due to decreasing church attendance rates in Africa, churches need new methods of evangelism to attract and keep followers. I will share my own experiences on what has proven successful at engaging people and cultivating commitment to church attendance. Church-run institutions across…
