February 23, 2009
Whistleblowing is a thankless job. Ask Paul van Buitenen, now sitting in the European Parliament as a one-man party, Europa Transparant. Shortly before I first met him in Brussels ten years ago, his exposure of corruption and cronyism involving Former French Premier, Edith Cresson, had caused the resignation of the whole of Jacques Santer’s European […]
February 16, 2009
It happened again last week in Berlin. When I asked a German congregation to think of a prominent European personality who had converted to Islam, immediately the name ‘Cat Stevens’ was called out. Now, how long ago was that? It was in 1977-over thirty years ago!-that singer Cat Stevens converted to Islam at the height […]
February 9, 2009
Nobody quite knows which saint gave his name to February 14, the day on which lovers traditionally send each other Valentine’s cards. Biographies of two Valentines honoured on this date, from the second and third centuries, offer no romantic connections. Geoffrey chaucer, author of Canterbury Tales, may have created the Love-factor in the 14th century […]
February 2, 2009
As we drove through the narrow paved streets of the Old City of Riga, Latvia’s capital, we passed shops where angry protestors had smashed windows and looted just two weeks ago. My host’s apartment was just off the Cathedral square, where 10,000 demonstrators had protested peacefully against economic mismanagement and demanded new elections. Most of […]
January 26, 2009
This summer, my wife Romkje and I invite you to join us as we head off once more around Europe in search of people and movements who shaped Europe. As with past years, we start in Amsterdam, city of Rembrandt, Abraham Kuyper and even the Pilgrim Fathers. After travelling around Holland, through Germany and the […]
January 12, 2009
The road winds through English woods and fields in the countryside north of London, and eventually circles in front of the grand entrance of a sprawling red-brick country mansion. A forest of chimneys and turrets sprouts from its steep shingle roof. At first glimpse I thought, thank heaven I’m not responsible for the maintenance of […]
January 5, 2009
It’s amazing what journalists come up with when prospects are down. We’re facing crises on many fronts: credit, ethics, energy, environment… not to forget, of course, the Middle East. Yet some writers see potential for good. This year will mark the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of […]
December 14, 2008
• European leaders came to an historic agreement in Brussels last week to limit co2 emission levels to help save the environment. • Just a few days earlier, Christian scientists and philosophers met to discuss the relationship between faith and science at the University of Leiden in Holland. • Also near Leiden, in 1642, two philosophers met in […]
December 7, 2008
This week the world is commemorating the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights-and rightly so. As an international Magna Carta, it’s authority and influence has been unparalleled. It has set a global standard for governments everywhere and stirred the aspirations of countless individuals and organisations. Today more people than ever […]
December 1, 2008
Luther would have been amazed at the efforts of the Vatican today to put the Bible back into the heart of the Roman Catholic Church. In October, bishops from around the world were called to Rome for a three-week synod to discuss how to promote prayerful reading, understanding and proclamation of God’s Word. Pope Benedict […]
November 24, 2008
It was one of the best experiences of his life, one quiet Scandanavian exclaimed at the close of last weekend’s gathering to restart the work of Youth With A Mission in Italy. The broad participation and excited anticipation took us by surprise. Some had come especially for the event from Argentina, Columbia and Brazil. […]
November 17, 2008
For over twenty years, holistic care of body, soul and spirit has been the driving vision behind the Klinik SGM Langenthal in Switzerland, one of three recipients of this year’s Hope Award presented last week. In 1987, the SGM (Stiftung für Ganzheitlichte Medizin, or Foundation for Holistic Medicine) opened their faith-based hospital in Langenthal, halfway between […]
