God is Still Good for You

Last week’s Australian newspaper included a timely and welcome article on the relevance of the Bible in shaping western civilisation. Most pre-Easter media references to Christianity are typically laden with cynicism and reinterpretation. Drawing from his recent book, “God is Good for You,” Greg Sheridan showed that the writing of the New Testament actually did much to advance the cause of women in a patriarchal society. This became just one of the many virtues of a faith that, though imperfectly modelled by all too many, is still as relevant as ever.

Three Reasons Why I Became a Christian

I became a Christian at the age of sixteen despite growing up in a traditional church. The difference was in encountering God beyond – not even within – all the rituals. It wasn’t about induction into a community of belonging or acceptance of a particular religious tradition. It also wasn’t about running from the real world or finding identity as a cultural contrarian or wowser. Far from relinquishing reason, too, the journey to finding faith involved three steps of inquiry that changed my life and could perhaps change yours.

How a Fulfilment Lens Helps to Understand the Bible

The often-mysterious symbols and rituals of the world of the Old Testament make more sense when we look at them through a ‘fulfilment’ lens. Rather than straining to find life illustrations, or perhaps puzzling over how a ‘then and there’ world could illustrate or direct our own, relevance becomes evident on every page when we understand the intent of the writers and the overarching theme encoded by God.

An All-Australian Australia Day

The national holiday of January 26^th is again being called into question. As much as we might want to identify it as a day to celebrate the unity and pride of all Australians in this nation, many will still see it as a distressing reminder of the evils associated with British expansionism. Therefore we should surely own up to our past, just as we eventually apologised for creating the pre-1970s Stolen Generation through the forced removal of Indigenous children in the misguided interests of ‘helping’ them and their families. Any advance of Christianity today will, for some, remain a similarly unwanted ideal while it continues to be associated with the invasion of 1788.

Making the Most of Christmas in 2020

This Christmas has provided some heightened activity for Melburnians only recently released from a prolonged COVID lockdown. Record pre-Christmas travel, booming Summer house sales after Winter deferrals, and the unleashing of stockpiled savings have all accentuated the usual December commercialism. By contrast, unplannable carols events have not all been substituted, and churches have only gathered again in recent weeks. To avoid Christ being squeezed out of Christmas, here are some last-minute tips that might make the most of what is left of the season with a significant focus on its major message.

Human Rights Attacked: Your Move

What a most unusual turn of events for the Australian state that is only just emerging from the nation’s strictest COVID lockdown. Barely have we seen its restaurants reopen and their lunch tables are already abuzz with agitated talk over proposed new laws being hurried upon us through the blur of the Christmas busy-period.

Combatting Coronavirus Conspiracies

Fortunately, there are few people who deny the existence of COVID-19 which has claimed many lives and made others desperately ill. Although conspiracy theorists usually accept that coronavirus is contagious, some have perpetuated real fear around its management. But is the common enemy the virus or the government? Here’s a fresh look at eight key claims or questions that are often raised.

‘All Lives Matter’?

A popular response to the recent anti-racism slogan, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ is that ‘All Lives Matter.’ Well, of course they do. But that misses the point entirely and it causes further harm. ‘Black Lives Matter’ because all lives matter. And when people of different backgrounds to myself feel that they aren’t treated equitably, my response needs to be one of compassion, one that listens, one that is quick to empathise.

‘Black Lives Matter’ in Australia too.

The recent ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests would surely seem to represent a watershed moment in history. Isn’t it unfathomable, though, that societal equity remains in any way elusive half a century after the Civil Rights protests of the 1960s and a further century beyond the Civil War’s Emancipation Proclamation? The egregious injustice of George Floyd’s death scarcely diminishes the long shadow still cast by our racist past. And this past is Australia’s, too.

Toward a Post-COVID-19 Church

Is the global church simply responding to a passing season or evolving into something entirely new? Barna research revealed (on a May 20 U.S. broadcast) that, despite the initial rush to online services, one third of practising Christians had not engaged with an online service at all in the past four weeks. (Just over half were streaming their own church, one third were visiting others, and one quarter were viewing multiple services, whereas one third were watching at alternative times to Sundays). What can we say about the prognosis for churches with any confidence in the face of such an alarming finding?