June 6, 2026
Do you sometimes wonder about the relevance of our Christian faith outside the church building? Or, how the story of Jesus relates to some of the biggest questions facing Europe, cities, culture, faith, justice, identity and politics? This summer in Amsterdam might be exactly what you need. The Schuman Centre for European Studies is inviting […]
May 30, 2026
Those who live by the sword, warned Jesus, will die by the sword. Warmongers, in other words, ultimately wound themselves. The past century illustrates how tragically true that insight has been, culminating in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran today. During an emergency UN security council meeting this week, the Ukrainian ambassador warned his Russian counterpart that […]
May 23, 2026
A seductive narrative has captured parts of the conservative Christian world: that we need strong nationalist leaders to defend ‘Christian civilisation’ against secular liberalism, moral decline and cultural fragmentation. In this story, Putin is cast as the guardian of traditional Orthodoxy, while Trump is portrayed as the defender of Christian America. Orban reinforced the same […]
May 16, 2026
Ascension Day commemorated this week marked a profound turning point in human history. Yet few recognise its significance. For most it’s just a forgotten yet convenient religious spring holiday. The forty days prelude to the ascension after Jesus’ resurrection left the disciples in a strange and uncertain limbo. Jesus had risen from the dead. The […]
May 9, 2026
“Happy anniversary!” Today is ‘Europe’s’ 76th birthday. You hadn’t noticed? Few European nations make much fuss about “Europe Day”, May 9. Yet it is the birthday of the European integration project. Since then, the countries of the European Union have avoided war among themselves — unprecedented in European history. Exactly 76 years ago today, the […]
May 2, 2026
You don’t have to be Catholic or royalist to appreciate the influence of popes and kings in reasserting democratic fundamentals currently under attack from illiberal regimes on both sides of the Atlantic. Pope Francis, who passed away just a year ago, consistently promoted the rule of law, justice, equality and the common good. He became […]
April 25, 2026
The Dutch will go orange-crazy this coming Monday. Canals in Amsterdam will overflow with boats crammed with orange-clad merrymakers. Music will fill streets festooned with orange flags. Children will sell old toys and homemade cakes on pavements everywhere. National television will follow the slow procession of royal family members walking among the crowds and playing […]
April 18, 2026
Freedom – of speech or of worship, from want or from fear – was both celebrated and contested on various fronts this week, reminding us that the battle for freedom demands vigilance from us all. The week began on Sunday with jubilant crowds of Hungarians gathered in front of the Parliament Building in Budapest, dancing […]
April 11, 2026
A quiet, serene image from the lunar space capsule of Planet Earth setting over the moon’s horizon offered a curious relief from the apocalyptic threats of violence emanating from Washington this week. Suspended in the vast blackness, our planet appeared not as a battleground of competing powers, but as a delicate, radiant sphere—fragile yet hospitable […]
April 4, 2026
One of several unsettling aspects of the Easter story for me has always been how the same people who had welcomed Jesus into the city with ‘Hosannas’ could call for his crucifixion just days later. These were religious people. They knew Scripture. They were waiting for the Messiah. They were egged on by religious leaders […]
March 28, 2026
Ever since Constantine in the fourth century, nations and empires have been tempted to define themselves as ‘Christian’. But can a nation or an empire be ‘Christian’? What happens when it claims to be? Constantine’s conversion seemed like a wonderful answer to prayer. Persecution stopped. Christianity became the privileged religion of the Roman Empire. Church […]
March 21, 2026
A 12th century bronze Romanesque copy of a plaque from a church door in Verona, Italy, became a source of inspiration and understanding during our recent trip to Ukraine. The day before Romkje and I left for Ukraine, two weeks ago today, we joined a Benelux gathering of Together for Europe in Aachen, Germany. […]
