A few years back I was asked to visit a critically ill man to pray for him. When I arrived at the hospital it was clear that the man, in his late 70’s, was near death. He was unconscious and hospital staff had suggested family members come quickly to say their goodbyes. A number of them were...
Watching the Reef Die
The Great Barrier Reef is dying. It’s hard to believe but we are witnessing the decline of one of the great natural wonders of the world. Yesterday, the Queensland Government released a report that shows the health of the reef is now “poor”. A panel of independent scientists...
No, You Cannot Pray for Me
“Can I pray for you?” It’s a question I am often asked. Just once I’d like to say “no”. I preach and teach at a lot of different churches and there is always someone moved by the sight of my Parkinsons driven tremors to seek me out to pray with me. Some are very...
Dear Kevin
Dear Kevin, The first time you were PM you inspired me. You ramped up foreign aid and focussed it on helping poorer countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals; gave us a more humane asylum seeker policy; delivered that spine-tingling apology to the Stolen Generation; and declared climate...
The Wisdom of Nelson Mandela
This week has seen the world preparing itself for the death of Nelson Mandela, one of the towering figures of our age. Thought I’d share some of my favourite Mandela quotes: I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a...
Does God Have a Plan for My Life?
I heard a preacher on Radio Rhema this week who said something along these lines God will clearly reveal his will for every decision in your life. For God has a plan for every area of your life and he wants to reveal that to you. Really? God had it planned that I would marry Sandy in 1987, move to...
Comparing Policies on Refugees and Asylum Seekers
As we move toward a Federal election I will post comparisons of some key policy areas held by Labor, the Coalition and the Greens. In this post I look at refugee policy. The world faces a global refugee crisis. Over 15 million people have been forced to flee their country due to a well-founded fear...
After Hellfire & Brimstone What? Regaining Confidence in the Gospel
I grew up with a gospel built on the pillars of love, sin, fear and certainty. I was overwhelmed by the knowledge that God loved me so much he sent Jesus to die for my sins; fearful of going to hell and anxious that my friends avoid that fate; assured that people were morally decrepit and deserving...
Justice That Heals
There have been a number of ah-ha moments in my life, times at which I have seen myself and my world in a new light. One of those was to discover the place of justice in the Christian life. Echoing the prophet Micah, Jesus identified justice, mercy and faithfulness as the three central dimensions...
State of the World’s Children
Today is World Children’s Day. So how are kids faring across the globe? Here are some of the latest statistics from UNICEFs 2013 State of the World’s Children Report. [table width=”500″ colwidth=”400|25|25|25|25″...