Empathy was foisted upon us 60 years ago as a more egalitarian substitute for sympathy. I suppose I’ve always had an analytical mind, sometimes that’s just an excuse for inaction. But I never believed this new word offered anything useful. I have been part of a small minority. The majority has come to believe that … Continue reading Unmoved by empathy
Faith and life
The old path is narrow
Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. I am – Christian, born-again, evangelical, Anabaptist, Mennonite – all those terms … Continue reading The old path is narrow
Flotsam and jetsam
At the beginning of Creation, God separated earth and sky from the primordial sea. The sea remains as a constant threat to the earth and those that dwell upon it. The sea is chaos, unpredictable, ever changing, ever threatening to overflow the boundaries that God set for it. The Bible depicts the multitudes of mankind … Continue reading Flotsam and jetsam
The Church of God is not racist
But members sometimes do and say inappropriate things Several weeks ago the French news magazine Le Point carried an interview with a man who had come to France in his youth from Togo. The title of the article was France is not racist, a point of view staunchly upheld by the man being interviewed, although … Continue reading The Church of God is not racist
Questions
The techniques for evangelism known as the Church Growth Movement, were first introduced to North America in 1961. I use the word techniques deliberately, as the movement sought to use sociological research to select social groups that could be reached through the use of modern marketing methods. The key assumption of the movement was that … Continue reading Questions
The Quiet in the Land
Throughout Christian history, there has always been a united, visible body of believers who professed much the same faith regarding conversion and a personal relationship with God but who refused to conform to the state enforced form of worship of their day. The Martyrs’ Mirror catalogues the faith, and the persecution of these people because … Continue reading The Quiet in the Land
In Search of the Age of Gold
From postmillennialism to the social gospel to saving the world from weather For lo!, the days are hastening on, By prophet bards foretold, When with the ever-circling years Comes round the age of gold When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendours fling, And the whole world give back the song Which now … Continue reading In Search of the Age of Gold
Are you a deist or a theist?
If you are a deist, you believe: - that there must be a higher power because this complex world could not just have happened; - that there are moral lessons in the Bible that will help us to find happiness; - that the Bible as a whole is mysterious and confusing and better left alone; … Continue reading Are you a deist or a theist?
Scales of Justice Call for Balance
Majed El Shafie was born in Cairo, Egypt. After converting to Christianity he was arrested in 1998, tortured and sentenced to death. He managed to escape to Israel, where he was once again arrested. In 2002 he obtained political asylum in Canada and became a Canadian citizen in 2006. He lives in Toronto and is … Continue reading Scales of Justice Call for Balance
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
One hundred and forty years ago a young Englishman came to an Indian Reserve in Saskatchewan as a missionary. He learned the Cree language well enough to effectively share the gospel and some band members were converted. He returned to England to marry and then came back A church was established and began to grow, … Continue reading Its shame and reproach gladly bear
