April 7, 2008
You don’t have to be a believer to recognise the unique role of the Bible in shaping Europe. Arch-atheist Richard Dawkins freely admits that ‘without knowledge of Christianity and the Bible, you just can’t understand European history’. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in a marked departure from his predecessors, talks openly about ‘France’s essentially Christian roots’. […]
March 31, 2008
Around the fireside over the weekend, several of us gathered to discuss one of the oldest questions in the book: why do bad things happen to good people? The immediate occasion for this discussion was the tragic death in Africa over Easter of almost-20-year-old Eva, which I wrote about last week. Each of us know […]
March 24, 2008
Midnight has just passed and Easter Morning was still at its darkest. The phone rang, stirring me out of deep slumber. The voice on the other end told me they had tragic news. Close colleagues had just heard that their almost-20-year-old daughter had been killed in a car accident that day in Africa. Eva (see […]
March 17, 2008
Palm Sunday, Como, Italy: We had arranged to meet our friends at the Piazza Duomo at 10am. But on arrival, we discovered that we were not the only ones gathering around the great marble cathedral at that hour. Crowds of the faithful were converging on the central square of the northern Italian city, famous for […]
March 3, 2008
Our planet has been wrongly named. That was the opinion of a science reporter I once read in a German airline magazine. And flying across the mighty Pacific and then the North Atlantic on a 12,000 kilometre trip back to Europe, I have to agree! The vast majority of this trip has been over water. […]
February 25, 2008
Kiwi culture is something I have to readjust to everytime I visit my land of birth. New slang and expressions demand translation and explanation. christians often have had a name for running behind the times. Many of us grew up hearing prayers and Bible readings in 17th century english – as if somehow that was […]
February 18, 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent lecture addressing the relationship of Islam to public law ‘touched several raw nerves in our culture’, commented the popular evangelical Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, at the London School of Economics last Thursday. When that happens at the dentist, he suggested, we know it’s going to be painful but we […]
February 11, 2008
A miracle is unfolding in Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light district, following the prayers and actions of many in recent years. Supported by two-thirds of the city’s inhabitants and all but two of his city council, Mayor Job Cohen is driving through a bold plan to replace brothel windows and sex-bars with fashionable stores, galleries, cafes, […]
February 4, 2008
Thirty-four years ago today, I left the shores of my homeland for the first time. I suddenly recalled this personal benchmark during a special lunch today with family and friends back in New Zealand, to celebrate my mother’s 85th birthday. As we shared happy memories around the table, honouring my mother Shirley for her spritely […]
January 28, 2008
In the last of three short articles, YWAM’s International Director of Urban Missions, Tim Svoboda, challenges the mission’s leadership to strategize for effective urban outreach. His challenge can be adapted by other missions and denominations. Tim led the YWAM urban work in Chennai, India, where he pioneered city-wide networks and diverse ministries. He recently received […]
January 21, 2008
Here is the second of three short articles by Tim Svoboda, YWAM’s International Director of Urban Missions. This comes to you as Romkje and I are travelling to New Zealand, returning to Europe early March. Tim led the YWAM urban work in Chennai, India, where he pioneered city-wide networks and diverse ministries. He recently received […]
January 14, 2008
Over the next three weeks, I will be sending on to you short articles from Tim Svoboda, YWAM’s International Director of Urban Missions. For two reasons: one, Romkje and I leave this weekend for New Zealand to be with family there, returning early March, and this saves me extra work! More strategically, what Tim has […]
