A thought-provoking discussion of politics and faith highlights our first Norton Colloquium.
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To Latvia’s north, the former Soviet nation of Estonia also shares an eastern border with Russia — and Churches of Christ there share the concerns of their brothers and sisters to the south. “For Estonians, it has never been a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ about a war or a threat to their freedom.”
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At 4:44 a.m., the calls to prayer begin. They come from everywhere, it seems, reminding me that I’m in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. There’s at least one mosque in every direction from the home of Daniel Setiabudu, the Christian minister who’s graciously taken me in for a couple of nights.
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For Ukrainian Christians, each day brings a terrible mix of hope, loss and uncertainty. Last month, the Ukrainian army launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region — invading its invader for the first time in the 2½-year-old conflict. In surprise attacks, Ukraine seized some 500 square miles of Russian territory and more than 90 villages.
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Ose Ehimare was 24 weeks pregnant when she boarded a plane from Nigeria to the U.S. Fourteen years later, Ehimare and the quadruplets — Alyssa, Bibiana, Noah and Valencia — made the 6,000-mile journey again so that the four teenagers could be baptized among the family that helped them come into the world.
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The Seremban Church of Christ meets in a predominantly Muslim nation with strict anti-conversion laws. But it doesn’t meet in secret. Far from it. In bold letters, a sign in front of the church’s building reads “GEREJA” (“CHURCH” in Malay) and lists the times for the congregation’s three Sunday services — in Mandarin, Tamil and English.
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(OPINION) I hate seeing my fellow church members joining in with the howling masses. I hate that my kids see it. These are the things I can do without. And, to borrow another line from Mr. Smith and Mr. Orzabel: “In violent times, you shouldn’t have to sell your soul.” Social media serves as a kind of release valve. I understand that. But reactionary posts rob us of perspective.
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Before the storm plowed into Texas, Hurricane Beryl skirted the southern coast of Jamaica, bringing damaging winds and flooding to the parishes of Saint Clarendon, Saint Catherine, Manchester, Saint Elizabeth and Westmoreland. The storm tore roofs from buildings, destroyed mango orchards, flooded farmland and knocked out power.
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As Hurricane Beryl made its way toward Mexico on July 4, Christians across the Caribbean began the long task of damage assessment and recovery. Two days earlier, the Category 4 hurricane devastated the island of Carriacou, population 9,600, which is part of the nation of Grenada.
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(OPINION) In the early days of the war, we were united in purpose. I didn’t know what to expect now. My Ukrainian brothers and sisters must be exhausted, I thought. And they have to know that support has wavered in the U.S. — that some politicians have called for my country to drop its financial support for Ukraine. Would I find tired, resentful faces this time?
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Venezuelan and Ukrainian immigrants were among 70 families who made a pilgrimage through Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood, past dog walkers and Little Leaguers, to the church’s food pantry. Christians from a nearby high school loaded sacks of fresh vegetables, canned goods and bread into their cars or backpacks as airplanes soared overhead.
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The Great Supper is the name Christians in Brazil’s northeastern state of Paraiba give to their annual gathering. And this year, the 25th Great Supper brought 120 believers, representing 14 Churches of Christ, to the city of Cajazeiras. They shared more than a meal, said Mike Pruitt, a longtime missionary in Recife, a coastal city about 340 miles east of Cajazeiras.
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Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island, is renowned for its beautiful avenues of baobab trees and its most famous, wide-eyed resident, the ring-tailed lemur. The island — 250 miles east of southern Africa — is also “one of the most underrated surfing destinations in the world.” Madagascar’s southwest Toliara region has 12 sites that the website designates as “world-class” for catching waves.
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This isn’t “Hoosiers” — a feel-good story about a small-town basketball team overcoming steep odds to win the state title. In fact, the Lady Eagles of Oklahoma Christian Academy went 0-14 this season, losing by scores of 67-21, 43-11 and 85-10. But their story is every bit as inspiring as that of the fictional Indiana team coached by Gene Hackman.
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On this Friday afternoon, an Oklahoma church’s usual, angelic a cappella gives way to the guitar riffs of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Volunteers wearing hairnets, plastic gloves and T-shirts that say “Jesus ♥ You” congregate around plastic tables. In unison, the crowd proclaims, “PROTEIN! VEGETABLES! SOY! RICE!” as they fill and seal plastic bags labeled MannaPack.
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The 14-0 Colorado School of Mines, favored to win the game, jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. But the Orediggers wouldn’t score again. With its run-intensive “flexbone” offense, the Harding University Bisons dominated time of possession and scored 38 unanswered points, winning Harding’s first-ever Division II national title in front of more than 12,000 fans.
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Inside the fellowship room, volunteers heave armfuls of clothing onto folding tables, organizing them as gospel music plays from the Bible class DVD player. Hymnals are stacked in the corner to make room for tables of children’s clothes. Shoes go in a side room, next to belts and ties. At the back are bins of Christmas decorations.
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Everything at the ribbon-cutting for Dolly Parton’s new exhibit was high fashion — including the ribbon. The country music legend grasped a large pair of scissors alongside Lipscomb University President Candice McQueen. They struggled just a bit to slice through the pink and gold sash, bedecked with butterflies.
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Sandro Jadon was standing in the birthplace of Christ when he got the “Tzevaa Adom” alert on his phone. That’s Hebrew for “the color red” — a “red alert” notice on the messaging app Telegram. Hamas was firing rockets from Gaza. At first, the Arab Israeli tour guide and member of the Nazareth Church of Christ didn’t think much of it.
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Netivyah serves a network of Messianic Jewish congregations, one of which lost the son of its minister in the fighting, said Joseph Shulam, Netivyah’s founder. In a video posted from Nashville, Shulam and his son, Barry, asked for prayers and for support. In addition to its feeding programs and “Houses for Healing,” Netivyah supplies Israeli soldiers with headlamps, cell phone chargers and utility kits.
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