90% Increase in Children Orphaned by COVID-19 in 6-Month Period, Study Says

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February 28, 2022

At least 5.2 million children across the world have lost a parent or caregiver for a COVID-19-associated reason, according to a new report from The Lancet. The authors, who were updating a previous study, estimate that the number of these “COVID orphans” was up to 6.7 million by Jan. 15, 2022.

“We found a surge in COVID-19-associated orphanhood and caregiver death over our new 6-month study period (May 1–Oct 31, 2021), with the total number of children affected nearly double that observed in the first 14 months (March 1, 2020–April 30, 2021),” write the authors of the report, which was published Feb. 24 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. “By Oct 31, 2021, 5.0 million COVID-19 deaths had occurred, and roughly 5.2 million children had lost a parent or caregiver due to COVID-19-associated death.”

The authors call their findings “disturbing” and say, “For children, the potential consequences of parent or caregiver loss are devastating and enduring, including institutionalisation, abuse, mental health problems, adolescent pregnancy, and chronic and infectious diseases…As rates of COVID-19-associated orphanhood surge, an evidence-based emergency response is becoming increasingly urgent.”

COVID Orphans Increase by 90% in 6 months

The new report from The Lancet updates a previous one the journal published July 20, 2021, that looked at data occurring between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. The new report added six months to the earlier time frame. Data gathered from May 1, 2021, to Oct. 31, 2021, found a 90 percent increase in the number of children orphaned by COVID-19. The highest rates of orphanhood occurred in Peru and South Africa, and the authors noted that they found “racial and ethnic disparities” among COVID orphans in the U.S.

Key findings from the study include that there is a disproportionate loss of paternal caregivers compared to maternal caregivers among COVID orphans. “Three of every four children affected by orphanhood lost their fathers,” write the authors. “Paternal orphanhood rates exceeded maternal ones in all countries, and were highest in Peru, South Africa, India, and Mexico.”

Another key takeaway from the report, say the authors, is “the disproportionate orphanhood among young adolescents.” The study categorized children in three groups: 0-4, 5-9, and 10-17 years of age. Children in the latter age group were far more affected by the loss of a parent or primary caregiver, with over 2.1 million between the ages of 10 and 17 impacted. “We also found the age-related composition of orphanhood changed little between the 6-month study period and our original study period (appendix p 26),” say the authors, “despite proliferation of the delta variant, which could potentially increase risks of orphanhood among younger children.”

The authors observed that the age of the children impacted affects what will benefit them:

Children of all ages experience grief and might also experience inadequate care, altered mood of the surviving parent or caregiver, food insecurity, marginal housing, and family disintegration, but associated effects, needs, and vulnerabilities vary by age. Younger bereaved children need immediate full-time nurturing and ongoing support for early childhood development, and the quality of care affects subsequent development, health, and mental health. Adolescents face post-orphanhood risks (varying across contexts) including sexual violence, exploitation,20 HIV infection,21 suicide, child labour, adolescent pregnancy, separation from family, household poverty, and leaving school to care for younger siblings.

Pastor Survives After Being Stabbed 7 Times Outside His House

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Jesse T. Jackson

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February 28, 2022

Santa Ana, California’s Second Baptist Church‘s senior pastor, Ivan Pitts, was stabbed seven times on the morning of Feb. 24, 2022, outside is home in Long Beach.

According to the church’s executive director of operations, Kelita Hull-Gardner, Pitts was approached by an identified man in the pastor’s driveway desiring to ask him a question. The man then stabbed Pitts in this left eye, back, and the shoulder-neck area, adding up to a horrific seven times.

The pastor’s stab wounds resulted in both lungs being punctured, broken bones in both his eye socket and shoulder. Miraculously, Pitts was able to run for help at a nearby construction site.

Hull-Gardner shared that police have Pitts’ attacker in custody after construction site workers snapped a picture of the assailant’s license plate, leading authorities to the attempted murderer.

According to ABC7 Eyewitness News, police said the suspect will be charged with attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and felony vandalism.

“We are grateful to God Almighty for sparing the life of our dear pastor,” Hull-Gardner said. “The doctors are claiming him to be very lucky, but we know luck has nothing to do with his survival.”

His wife Tanishé was at his side before having a successful surgery later that afternoon to repair three cuts to his left eyelid and a tendon, Hull-Gardner shared and asked for prayers for Pitts and his family.

“I am so fortunate,” the father of four said in update on his condition posted on the church’s Facebook page. Not only was he recovering well from surgery, but he was also in great spirits, the post read.

Pitts has pastored Second Baptist Church since 2012 and witnessed a second campus located in Lake Forest, California open its doors in 2016.

A motive has yet to be released as to why the pastor was attacked and stabbed seven times.

Good Samaritan Being Called an ‘Angel’ After Rushing Into Burning House to Rescue Sleeping Resident

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Jesse T. Jackson

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February 28, 2022

Ken Andreen of Pennsylvania is being called an “angel” after saving a man from a burning house fire while delivering meals last Thursday in a Penn Hills neighborhood just shortly after 8 A.M.

Andreen witnessed the flames billowing out of the roof and second-story window while working his job for “Mom’s Meals,” a homemade meal delivery service.

Neighbor Angela Spynda yelled to Andreen from her front door, letting him know that she had called 9-1-1. Andreen asked if there was anyone in the burning house. After hearing ‘Yes,’ the delivery driver sprinted to the front door, ignoring Spynda’s plea to wait for emergency workers to arrive.

Andreen can be heard knocking on the open door and shouting “Hello!” After hearing a response, he quickly approached a man who had been sleeping on the couch. Andreen then picked the man up and threw him over his shoulder.

The neighbor explained that Andreen was in the burning house for a “good two or three minutes.” Spynda’s door bell video camera recorded the entire incident and shows Andreen carrying 45-year-old Carsten Molt out of the burning house to safety.

“I had to do what I had to do,” Andreen told WPXI News. “God put me in right place at the right time.”

Firefighters said that if it weren’t for Andreen rushing into the house to save the man, the outcome for Molt would have been completely different.

Suffering only from a sore throat, Molt was grateful for Andreen’s heroic actions. “[I] probably would have perished otherwise. I just want to thank him and at some point and meet him,” he said.

Andreen said that “I wasn’t thinking about myself at all. I was thinking about saving the person that was in there.”

“Good Samaritan. I didn’t think we had too many of them out there anymore but we do,” Spynda told WATE News. “He was like an angel.”

Shrugging off the Good Samaritan comment, Andreen doesn’t believe that he’s a hero. “It’s just something [he] had to do.”

Bible, Faith Inspired NASA ‘Human Computer’ Christine Darden to Soar

By

Stephanie Martin

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February 28, 2022

Dr. Christine Darden, an aerospace engineer and the first African American woman promoted to the U.S. government’s Senior Executive Service, says Scripture reminded her that with God, all things are possible.

In a recent CBN profile, Darden describes how her faith helped her pursue rigorous studies and a stellar 40-year career at NASA. Though not featured in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures,” about African American women whose computations launched Americans into space, Darden is known as the fourth Hidden Figure. On the lecture circuit, the mathematician and engineer continues to inspire young people with a message of curiosity, passion, perseverance, and faith.

Christine Darden Knew ‘God Can Help Me’

Darden, now 79, describes being curious from an early age. Instead of playing with a new doll, for example, she took it apart to see how it talked. Darden, who loved math as well as physical sciences, took six college math classes at the same time—and often was the only female in the classroom.

But thanks to Scripture, Darden knew that God was with her during her trail-breaking academic pursuits. “Things in the Bible helped me live the life and believe that God can help me do certain things and work with me in certain ways,” she says. “Well, how can I take six math courses?”

Darden explains that her dad urged her to obtain a teaching certificate, thinking she “wouldn’t get a job otherwise.” Interestingly, one of her college classmates in Virginia was the daughter of Katherine Johnson, who was already hurdling racial barriers at NASA.

Despite the space agency’s nearby location, Darden hadn’t really considered a space-related career. But when someone in the college career-placement office encouraged her to apply to NASA, she was soon hired as a data analyst.

After confronting the director about disparities in job tasks, Darden received a promotion to engineer. And after earning her doctorate, she specialized in sonic boom minimization and high-speed aerodynamics. Darden, who has published extensively, also played key roles in research and government consulting.

Christine Darden: Faith and Work Are Connected

Now retired, Christine Darden continues to inspire people through lectures—including at Christian schools. “Many [students] have come up and said they are so inspired by my career and the tough times that I went through,” she says. “Some have even said they were going home to do their homework now.” Darden advises students, “If it’s something you really like, you might have to work for it.”

Ukrainians Seek Bibles in Wake of Russian Invasion, but Shortage Making It Difficult

By

Dale Chamberlain

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February 28, 2022

Kyiv Ukrainian Bible Society — A sign outside St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church in South Bound Brook, N.J., reads, "Pray for Ukraine," Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. Religious leaders and members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States are growing increasingly alarmed over the threat of a Russian invasion to Ukraine and have stepped efforts to help their family members back home. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

As Vladimir Putin’s army threatens the life and liberty of Ukrainian citizens, many are turning to prayer and Scripture. So many, in fact, that the Ukrainian Bible Society in Kyiv is selling out of Bibles.

Since Russia launched an unprovoked land invasion of Ukraine on Thursday of last week, many civilians have been attempting to flee to safety in neighboring countries, some praying and singing as they go. CNN captured one group kneeling and praying in the streets of Kharkiv, despite the harsh winter weather and threats of danger. In another video, a group of Ukrainian citizens can be seen singing a song titled “Let My Prayer Flow” while at a train station in Kyiv.

According to deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society Anatoliy Raychynets, so many Ukrainians are turning to the words of Scripture that they are running out of printed copies of the Bible. The Ukrainian Bible Society is an affiliate of the U.S. based American Bible Society.

Raychynets, who has been in contact with American Bible Society president and CEO Robert L. Briggs, has conveyed tragic stories of death, injury, loss, and fear. Nevertheless, Raychynets has been sharing the words of Psalm 31:21 with as many people as he can: “Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.”

In the days before Russia invaded, Raychynets told Eternity News, “We printed Bibles for 2022 and we are now in [the] second month of the year and the stock in our warehouse is almost gone. This is a big challenge! We are talking about what we can do and how we can print more Bibles because people are asking for whatever we have.”

“In our churches—whether it is Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, or Evangelical churches— there are more new people. Not only on Sundays or Saturdays, but also during the week,” Raychynets said. “On evenings when we have a Bible study, new people are coming. They want to pray, to hear something that brings hope or comfort.”

Raychynets reiterated the same when speaking with Briggs: “We need more Bibles.”

The Ukrainian Bible Society has also been running out of their trauma healing resources. These resources were developed six years ago in response to trauma resulting from previous conflicts with Russia and have proven incredibly helpful to many Ukrainian Christians and seekers. Again, the main challenge is that demand is outpacing their ability to provide adequate supply.

Despite the bitter and deadly conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Raychynet nevertheless has expressed solidarity with Christians and churches across enemy lines.

“We speak to our colleagues in Russia,” Raychynet said. “We church leaders speak to one another, and we pray together. We are united in the Lord.”

SBC’s ‘Racial Reconciliation Sunday’ Condemned By Conservative Baptist Network, Other Prominent SBC Leaders

By

Dale Chamberlain

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February 28, 2022

Racial Reconciliation Sunday SBC Conservative Baptist Network — (L) Screengrab via Twitter @BaptistNetwork. (R) Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

Sunday, February 27 was the last Sunday of Black History Month. For the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), it was also Racial Reconciliation Sunday. While the tradition began in 1965, this year, the event drew sharp criticism from some SBC leaders, including the SBC-affiliated Conservative Baptist Network (CBN).

Founded in 1845 after splitting with northern Baptists, the SBC had a history of opposing the abolition of slavery and advocated for the ordination of pastors and the commissioning of missionaries who owned enslaved people. However, the SBC has made a concerted effort to break ties with the racism bound up in its founding, advocating for racial justice and inclusion through various resolutions and initiatives, from the middle of the 20th century into the present.

Such efforts on the part of the SBC have often been met with backlash and staunch opposition from some within the denomination’s own ranks, this year’s Racial Reconciliation Sunday included.

The SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) created a bulletin insert for SBC churches to use in their commemoration of the event this year. The bulletin insert, which was authored by Lemanuel Williams, said in part, “Racism has its roots in demonic strongholds that aren’t easily bound. They are primarily spiritual.”

Williams urged Southern Baptists to pray and fast “against the strongholds of racism.”

“Racism—and slavery along with it—is our nation’s original sin. It is backed by demonic forces and cannot be easily overcome,” Williams went on to write. “Developing a regimented practice of prayer and fasting against these strongholds is the best first step in waging warfare against them.”

The SBC’s Executive Committee tweeted a link to the resource for churches on Friday, saying, “This Sunday, February 27, is Racial Reconciliation Sunday in the SBC. The @ERLC has provided a free, downloadable bulletin insert for use by your church this weekend.”

The tweet received a number of negative responses, resulting in an official statement of dissent from the CBN, as well as some bewildered replies from SBC pastors and leaders who were confused as to why a Sunday dedicated to racial reconciliation had become so controversial.

In response to the SBC Executive Committee’s tweeted link to the ERLC’s resource, one commenter said, “How sad that you all can make such a spectacle of the Lord’s day. Every Sunday should be for worship. There should never be different ‘themes’ that seem so man-centered rather than God/gospel centered.”

‘A Religious Politician’: Head of US Ukrainian Orthodox Church Slams Moscow Patriarch Kirill, Putin

By

Lew Nescott Jr.

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February 28, 2022

(RNS) — As Archbishop Daniel, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, watched his home country endure an invasion at the hands of Russia this week, he found himself waffling between two emotions: shock and devastation.

It’s not that he was surprised by tension between the two countries, which is long-standing. The rifts between Russia and Ukraine even extend to the religious realm: In late 2018 and early 2019, Orthodox Christians in Ukraine declared independence, or autocephaly, from the Orthodox Patriarchate in Russia. The Orthodox Church in Constantinople promptly set about recognizing the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, while Russian Orthodox leaders refused. The result: two opposing Orthodox factions in the country.

But seeing such tensions escalate to the level of armed conflict — with deadly consequences for Ukraine and its people — tore at Archbishop Daniel’s heart.

“I came to the United States of America in 1995, right after the collapse of Soviet Union,” he said Thursday (Feb. 24) in an interview for Religion News Service with Lew Nescott Jr., an independent producer covering religion and politics. “I lived through the images of tanks going through Moscow and when Soviet Union fell.

“Now, 30 years later, I am living through the images of Russian tanks going through the streets, through the sovereign borders of Ukraine,” the archbishop said.

The interview is below, edited for length and clarity.

You went on a pastoral visit to Kyiv the first weekend in February. It must seem like it happened a year ago.

Absolutely. When I was in Kyiv, I stayed in a hotel very close to St. Michael’s Cathedral. I recognized the balcony where CNN was doing their live shot on television — at the hotel where I stayed. I called a friend of mine who lives in a monastery, a monastic. I said, “How’s it going? What’s happening?” He sent me images of news media all over St. Michael’s monastery trying to get as much coverage as they can.

As we were talking, he said, “Can you hear it — explosions in the background?” It was probably in a proximity of a few kilometers from there, and they were able to hear them.

Being in Kyiv at the beginning of February, people were on the edge. They thought of the possibility of provocation from Russians, but nobody expected a full invasion. Now, our Western allies and intelligence from the U.S. have been saying — and in many news networks — that it’s possible, the Russians would do that. But you know, we live in the 21st century; who wants to believe that in the middle of Europe, in Ukraine, somebody will take the actions that he has taken?

Franklin Graham Sends Disaster Response Teams to Europe; Says He Opposes War

By

Yonat Shimron

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February 28, 2022

Franklin Graham Ukraine — In this May 7, 2020, photo, the Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, sits for a portrait at his group’s coronavirus field hospital in New York’s Central Park. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

(RNS) — The Rev. Franklin Graham said his Christian humanitarian relief organization was sending disaster response teams to Poland, Romania and Moldova to assess how it can meet the needs of Ukrainians fleeing their country.

Graham said at least 24 Samaritan’s Purse personnel will be on the ground in those countries bordering Ukraine this weekend.

“First of all we’re concerned for the people,” said Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse in a phone interview with RNS Friday (Feb. 25). “I can’t imagine the fear these families are going through.”

The Russian assault on Ukraine is leading to a massive exodus of people fleeing war.

Axios reported that more than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled their country in the past 48 hours. (Ukraine is not allowing men of military age, 18 to 60 years, to cross the border, so the majority of Ukrainians escaping are women and children.)

A woman pushes a baby stroller after crossing the border from Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing from war by crossing their borders to the west in search of safety. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Graham noted that these Central European countries aren’t set up to accommodate a large influx of refugees and will need infrastructure to support them. He said Samaritan’s Purse can help with food, clothing, housing and other needs and would work with officials in those countries to best assist the displaced.

Samaritan’s Purse is also ready to send an emergency field hospital and will have one ready to ship from Greensboro, North Carolina, if needed. He said the advanced response team now arriving in Europe will include medical professionals.

Graham was widely criticized last week for tweeting, “Pray for President Putin.” A conservative and a supporter of former President Trump, Graham met with President Vladimir Putin in 2015 and has praised the Russian president for “protecting Russian young people against homosexual propaganda.”

Graham has also held multiple meetings with Russian church and government officials since then.

But Graham made clear Friday he does not support Putin’s invasion into Ukraine.

“There are a few things Putin has done that are right,” Graham said. “But this is a war. I don’t support war and I don’t know of any Christian that supports war. We pray for peace, not war. I don’t support this at all.”

A man walks past a building damaged following a rocket attack the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A man walks past a building damaged following a rocket attack in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Graham reiterated that praying for world leaders is something Christians do and that in this particular instance he was praying that “God would work in his heart.”

“We want to try to prevent conflict and do all we can. Asking for prayer for a person isn’t supporting him. It’s asking God’s wisdom and favor to give direction.”

For now, Graham said he was staying put in the U.S., though he might also send his son, Edward Graham, to Central Europe to work alongside the disaster response teams.

“If this drags out for another week or two or three, the refugees could be in the millions,” Graham said. “They’re going to need lots of help.”

This article originally appeared here.

Pope Francis Calls Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Express ‘Profound Pain’

By

Claire Giangrave

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February 28, 2022

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday to express his sadness and desire for peace as the conflict in Ukraine rages through the country’s borders and city streets.

In a tweet Saturday (Feb. 26), the Ukrainian embassy to the Holy See said during the phone call, Pope Francis voiced his “most profound pain for the tragic events unfolding in the country.”

Pope Francis’ phone call is the latest effort made by the Vatican to show support and mediate peace in Ukraine. On Friday, the pope rode in a white utilitarian car to visit the Russian embassy to the Holy See in Rome. During the meeting with Ambassador Aleksandr Avdeyev, the pope expressed his “concern over the war,” according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.

In another tweet the same day, Zelenskyy thanked Pope Francis for his efforts to promote peace in Ukraine. “The Ukrainian people feel the spiritual support of His Holiness,” the tweet stated.

Thanked Pope Francis @Pontifex for praying for peace in Ukraine and a ceasefire. The Ukrainian people feel the spiritual support of His Holiness.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022

“In these days we’ve been shocked by something tragic: war,” Francis said in closing his prayer service on Sunday, adding that faithful have prayed for the conflict to be avoided.

“Those who wage war forget humanity,” the pope continued. “They don’t consider people, don’t look at the concrete life of people, but place before everything partisan interests and power.”

Francis condemned the “diabolical and perverse logic of weapons,” which distance people from God’s will and from seeking peace. Civilians “are the true victims whose bodies pay for the follies of war,” he said.

The pope urged faithful to continue praying for the end of the war in Ukraine and said his thoughts are with the elderly and the mothers fleeing war. Francis urged countries to establish safe humanitarian corridors to welcome refuges coming from Ukraine.

The pope and his No. 2 officer at the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, made several appeals for peace in the days leading up to the conflict. On Wednesday (Feb.25), Francis condemned the “folly of war” and urged all parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine to make an examination of conscience.

Parolin in a statement on Thursday said “there is still time” for negotiations and good will and encouraged faithful to take part in the day of fasting and prayer for Ukraine, called for by Pope Francis on the upcoming Ash Wednesday (March 2).

The majority of Ukrainian faithful are Orthodox, split between those who adhere to the Orthodox Church that reports to Moscow and the Ukraine Church loyal to Kyiv. Catholics, mostly part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, make up less than 10% of the population.

Francis also called the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, promising to “do everything I can” to assist the embattled Ukrainians in the conflict.

Money Back Guarantee Tithing? Guest Preacher Robert Morris Challenges Willow Creek to Give With Full-Refund if Unsatisfied

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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February 28, 2022

robert_morris_willowcreek — Screengrab via YouTube @Willow Creek Community Church

On Sunday Feb. 22, 2022, Gateway Church’s senior pastor Robert Morris preached at Willow Creek Community Church as part of their sermon series titled “More Than Money.”

Sexual abuse allegations surrounding Willow Creek’s former pastor and founder Bill Hybels, which led to his resignation in April 2018, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in lower tithing numbers at the church.

According to The Roy’s Report, Willow Creek has been working on a reduced budget, which is half of 2019’s revenue, also reporting that weekly giving is still down 20 percent this year.

Willow Creek’s executive pastor Tim Stevens explained that last year’s giving is similar to 2021’s giving, sharing that “the reality is that a larger percentage of our giving happens at the end of the year.”

Morris has been a controversial figure in some evangelical circles because of his support of former President Donald Trump, with others saying his preaching is a “softer” version of a prosperity gospel.

In his sermon titled “The Principle of First,” Morris shared that thousands upon multiplied thousands of people have told him that when they started the first 10 percent of their income to God, it changed everything in their life.

Challenging Willow Creek’s congregation, Morris explained what he does with their 44,000 member church. “I’ve told our church on multiple occasions, I’ve said to them. If you’ll try it for one year—if you are not fully satisfied—at the end of that year, I’ll give you your money back.”

“With twenty-two years of church, no one has ever asked for their money back,” Morris said.

Morris then guaranteed, apparently without the blessing of Willow Creek’s leadership, “I’m so confident—I’ll say it here. You tithe for one year and you’re not fully satisfied…” Gateway Church’s senior pastor said, then paused.

“They will give your money back,” Morris said, pointing to Willow Creek’s leadership with an apologetic giggle. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he told them and joked that he’d never be welcomed back to preach at the church again.

After Morris’ sermon, Willow Creek’s senior pastor Dave Dummit said, “I’ll just go ahead and say yes. Just like the Lord said, test me in this. I think I’ll go ahead and be bold and say if you do this for the year and you are not fully satisfied, we’ll give the money back. I like that challenge.”

Biden Selects Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as First Supreme Court Nominee

By

Tom Strode

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February 28, 2022

Ketanji Brown Jackson — White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

WASHINGTON (BP) – The White House announced Friday morning (Feb. 25) President Biden’s historic nomination of federal appeals court judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jackson, who serves on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, is the first African American woman nominated to the Supreme Court. Biden had pledged during the 2020 presidential campaign he would select a Black woman for the high court.

If confirmed by the Senate, Jackson, 51, would become the fourth female justice on the current court, marking the first time the Supreme Court has had that many women among its nine members. Jackson’s confirmation would make her the youngest current justice except for Amy Coney Barrett, 50, who was nominated by President Trump and confirmed in 2020.

“We should not miss the historic nature of this nomination of Judge Jackson,” said Brent Leatherwood, acting president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, in written comments. “America remains a land of opportunity, and that is no small thing in our current world.

“That said, seats on the U.S. Supreme Court are vitally important positions in our constitutional system. Because of that, Judge Jackson must receive a thorough vetting by Senators – particularly on issues related to the First Amendment – to gain a better sense of what guides her judicial philosophy.

“Matters such as abortion, religious liberty, and the family are especially relevant right now. Gaining clarity on them will be key during this process. Ultimately, while it is true her confirmation would not change the makeup of the court, most Americans do not want a new justice that would dramatically alter the direction of the court.”

The announcement of Jackson’s nomination came nearly a month after Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, informed the president in a Jan. 27 letter of his retirement when the court’s term ends this summer. Breyer, who is considered a member of the Supreme Court’s liberal wing, will have served nearly 28 years upon his retirement. Jackson served as a clerk to Breyer during the high court’s 1999-2000 term.

President Obama nominated Jackson as a federal judge in the District of Columbia, and the Senate confirmed her in 2013. Selected by Biden last year for the D.C. Circuit Court, Jackson received a 53-44 vote for confirmation in June. Three Republicans – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – joined the Democrats in the equally divided chamber to confirm her.

As it has been for more than three decades, abortion is likely to be a major subject of debate during the confirmation process. Though Jackson reportedly has not issued an abortion ruling, some organizations on both sides of the issue commented on her nomination as if they expect her to be supportive on the high court of a right to the procedure.

Jackson “is backed by many of America’s most radical pro-abortion groups,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List. “We have no doubt she will work with the most pro-abortion administration in history to enshrine abortion on demand nationwide in the law.”

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said Biden “made a campaign promise to impose an abortion litmus test on his nominees.” It “is extremely important” that senators “carefully examine” Jackson’s record and judicial philosophy, she said.

Mini Timmaraju – president of NARAL Pro-choice America, a leading abortion rights organization – praised Jackson’s nomination, saying she “has a demonstrated record of defending and upholding our constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms – including reproductive freedom. We are confident that she will be a voice for justice, equity, and freedom on the Court in the decades to come.”

Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), said Jackson “has not ruled on any cases that directly address abortion rights.” CRR looks forward to her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding her philosophy and her perspective on the “fundamental right” to decide about, “and have access to, the full range of reproductive healthcare.”

As a member of a Boston law firm in 2001, Jackson and other lawyers filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a Massachusetts law that established a moving “buffer zone” around people and cars nearing abortion clinics, SCOTUS blog reporter Amy Howe wrote. The First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law.

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1996, Jackson served in a variety of public and private roles. These included service as a federal public defender in Washington, D.C., for two years and a stint as a staff member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and another as vice chair of the commission.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Vatican Offers to Mediate Negotiations Between Russia and Ukraine

By

Claire Giangrave

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February 28, 2022

ukraine vatican russia — Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, left, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin meet during a synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Vatican City in 2019. Photo courtesy of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state and Pope Francis’ top lieutenant, said in an interview to Italian papers on Monday (Feb. 28) that the Holy See is willing to mediate between the two warring parties in the conflict in Ukraine.

The Vatican, the cardinal said, is “willing to facilitate dialogue with Russia” and “ready to help” all parties involved to return to the negotiating table.

“I am convinced there is always space for negotiation. It’s never too late!” said Parolin, citing Francis’ repeated calls to overcome conflict through dialogue and fraternity.

As Russian and Ukrainian representatives arrived for talks Monday at the Ukraine-Belarus border, Ukrainian representatives have voiced skepticism that the talks will put an end to the conflict.

But while “we must avoid every escalation, halt the conflict and negotiate,” Parolin said, he also looked to longer-term implications between East and West. The cardinal said that “returning to a new cold war” is a “disturbing scenario” and that only “a culture of fraternity” can build a stable and just world peace.

In an interview with Italian press published Monday, Parolin became the first high-ranking Vatican official to state that “Russia waged war against Ukraine.” In the weeks leading up to the war in Ukraine, Francis made numerous appeals for restraint by all parties involved in the conflict but avoided pointing the finger directly at Russia in his remarks.

The cardinal acknowledged the danger facing Europe and the eerie echoes of the world wars. A European intervention in the Ukrainian conflict “would be a catastrophe of massive proportions,” he said, but the eventuality “cannot be excluded.”

“I have seen some of the statements these days that recalled the incidents that preceded and provoked the Second World War,” Parolin said. “These references make one shudder.”

The Vatican has mobilized its diplomatic branch to promote peace in Ukraine. Parolin canceled his attendance at a conference for peace in the Mediterranean this weekend to remain in Rome. Francis spent the past few days meeting with Russian ambassadors to the Holy See and calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Parolin renewed the pope’s appeal to the Russian ambassador “to stop combat and return to negotiations.” He quoted Pope Pius XII, who, days before the start of World War II, made an impassioned appeal for peace, dialogue and respect for human rights.

Why Are Christians So Mean?

By

Gary Thomas

-

February 28, 2022

Dallas Willard was once asked, “Why are Christians so mean?”

His answer was up to the task. He said that Christians are mean in proportion to when they value being “right” over being “like Christ.”

It’s not enough to simply believe correct doctrine; as God’s chosen people, we are asked to behave a certain way, particularly as it relates to others: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Col. 3:12-14).

The book of Romans also sets up a high standard for believers, telling us to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (12:10), “never be wise in your own sight” (12:16) and keep in mind that “love does no harm to its neighbor” (13:10). No harm. To anyone. So, in our relations with anyone we are to be devoted to their overall welfare, to not be overly confident in our opinion, and to never do anyone any harm. There’s no room here for any “Bible believing” Christian to be mean.

What a different world this would be if, indeed, we were “devoted” to everyone’s welfare, if we were humble in our own opinions, and committed to not do anyone harm—no gossip, no mean-spirited denunciation, no slander. Doesn’t that sound like a nice world to live in?

The new life of believers envisioned by Paul in Colossians 3 basically prohibits three things: sexual immorality, greed and being mean. Sexual immorality is denounced in many ways and greed with one word: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” (v. 5).

This denunciation of sexual misconduct is perhaps what the modern church is known for. But in Paul’s way of thinking, we should also be known for not being mean. Being mean is denounced as extensively and vigorously as sexual sin: “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” (v. 8).

Put all this together, and Christians aren’t to be involved in any form of sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual immorality of any kind, but we are also to shun any aspect of being “mean”: domestic violence, emotional abuse, bosses mistreating subordinates, bullying or ridiculing gays, violent rioting, and social media trolling. Just as the #metoo movement is challenging the notion that “authority” gives someone the right to be predatory, so the Bible teaches us that “right theology” doesn’t give us the right to mistreat others even when we think we are in the “right” and they are in the wrong.

Consider the life Paul calls us to in 1 Corinthians 13, a life of love. Love is patient when others mess up. Love is kind. Love isn’t rude or easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love always protects. There’s no attack in love.

If you are arrogant, harsh, impatient, unkind and judgmental, instead of compassionate, patient and gentle, you are not acting as one of “God’s chosen people” regardless of how many graduate degrees you have, how many Bible verses you know, how many books you have published, how big your church, organization or social media impact is, or even how well you control yourself sexually. It doesn’t even matter if you are “right” on the issue if you are acting in a wrong manner. You’re adding to the overall problem rather than being part of the solution.

One of the greatest temptations to be mean, of course, is when we catch someone else in a sin. We’ve all read of the Pharisees who caught a woman in the act of adultery (obviously and discriminatorily letting the man go!) and demanded she be publicly shamed, which Jesus refused to do. The Pharisees were right in thinking adultery is wrong; they were wrong in that they were acting in a mean instead of a redemptive way. This mob mentality currently has the Internet on its side, so public shaming can now be national and even international.

Anger over a sin is appropriate. A group of believers saying “Enough is enough, this kind of behavior can’t be tolerated anymore” is doing the Lord’s work. That’s what societal change is all about! God hates sin, and so should we. There’s a time and place to repudiate evil acts. But the way we talk about individual sinners, especially when we don’t know the full story, is the portal to us being lured into sin by adopting a mean-spirited response to sin.

There’s a fascinating reality about the way Jesus touched lepers. People were astonished that he could touch them without becoming leprous himself. Can we touch hateful people without becoming hate-filled? Can we stand against abuse without becoming abusive? We never feel more justified doing evil than when we are self-righteously confronting evil. Remember, it’s not just about being “right.” It’s about responding like Christ.

There is a group of people I would love to work with, support and publicize because I believe in their cause. But their bullying behavior makes it impossible for me to join them. They carry the right message—a minority message, unfortunately, that needs to be heard—but simply changing who you bully doesn’t mean you’re not a bully, and I can’t join that. Methods matter.

This aversion to the growing meanness I see all around me (from both liberals and conservatives) explains why, if you look through my Twitter and Facebook feed, I doubt you’ll find me denouncing a single person (I’m leaving a tiny door open in case I’ve forgotten something from years ago). For starters, I usually don’t know the people I’m called to denounce and I don’t know the facts. And secondly, the people I do know who are caught in a sin I will treat according to Galatians 6:1: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.”

Arrogance moves us to want to be heard rather than to be helpful. Pride makes us want to feel like we are on the “right side” while humility wants us to serve as God’s voice of healing to those who are on the wrong side. Self-righteousness gathers around common hatred and judgement of the fallen; grace gathers sinners together around the foot of the cross. Does what I say publically or privately help bring someone back, or does it push them further down? I’m grateful that God has and still does win me over with the kindness that leads me to repentance (Romans 2:4), and I figure I should have the same attitude toward others.

What holds me back from commenting about individuals on Twitter, Facebook and this blog is the awareness that I may be wrong. I may not have all the facts. When I don’t know the particular individual or situation or wasn’t there, I’m more likely to be wrong than right. And my uninformed opinion really shouldn’t matter to anyone, least of all myself.

This isn’t to challenge the courage of someone like Rachel Denhollander whose courageous speaking up finally brought an end to gross, evil abuse. Her testimony wasn’t mean—it was necessary and beautiful. I understand the concern some have that “silence is complicity” and if speaking up stops evil rather than just piles onto the evildoer, it’s a holy charge. The challenge today is that, with social media awareness, if I denounced every evil act in politics and the church, that’s all I’d be doing. And why some people get singled out and others don’t is a mystery to me.

John the Baptist righteously called out Herod. But he’s not writing this blog and you usually won’t find such a message here. You won’t find me addressing the “scandal of the week” as it pertains to Christian leaders or politicians. This blog will urge each of us to individually examine our own hearts.

Remember: The same Bible that discounts sexual immorality also discounts meanness. Let’s be consistent. No hateful speech toward anyone, Christian or non-Christian, the “pure” or the fallen. Challenge misbehavior, but realize that God specializes in redeeming people who have misbehaved.

The people of God are to be different, in every way. Not just in our sexuality, but in our speech, in our temperament and manner, and in our love of grace and mercy. Let us be truly devoted to each other’s welfare, not overly wise in our own sight, and committed to doing no harm to anyone.

Let’s be different. Let’s not be mean.

[Note: I owe a big debt to a fellow writer/blogger who graciously gave much time to help me hone this message. I don’t want to mention her name because I’m not entirely sure she fully agrees with everything I say here and thus don’t want to embarrass her, but S., before God, thank you for being such a precious sister in Christ and courageous leader in God’s church.]

This article originally appeared here.

3 Signs You’re Dying on a Hill That Jesus Never Asked You To

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

February 28, 2022

Many American Christians seem to always be looking for their next hill to die on. In many ways, we feel that what defines us most is our sense of embattlement. We almost relish in the idea that the odds are stacked against us.

Not that dying on a hill is inherently a bad thing. In fact, the earliest generation of the Church did it all the time.

Throughout the first few centuries of its existence, the Church was constantly, and often brutally, persecuted. Early Christians who refused to deny their faith were beaten, tortured, and killed. Some were even fed to hungry lions in the Roman Colosseum as a form of morbid entertainment for thousands of people.

For many Christians around the world, persecution is still their reality today.

But for the early Church, something interesting happened in the third century. Their faith went from being persecuted to being the official religion of the Empire.

That seems like it would be a unilaterally good thing. But the early generations of the Church had grown to admire the bravery of martyrdom so much that they almost didn’t know what to do with their newfound security. Always being willing to suffer was their way of becoming more like Jesus.

So in the absence of an external threat that would inflict suffering, they began engineering ways to experience suffering of a different kind. This is how monastic traditions were born. Groups of Christians began to deprive themselves of food, sleep, comfort, and marriage relationships. They intentionally made their lives harder in order to grow like Jesus. Their martyrdom changed from being externally applied to being experienced within their own hearts.

This Mentality Continues to Pervade the Church Even Today.

Again, that isn’t always bad. The bible teaches us that we need to die to ourselves, crucify our flesh, and take up our cross.

But there’s also a danger. Sometimes, we end up dying on hills that Jesus never asked us to. We engineer suffering, or at least perceived suffering, in the name of Jesus. But Jesus isn’t always in those places.

While our faith deeply informs how we understand suffering, and we know that we will sometimes be misunderstood, disliked, and even persecuted for our faith in Jesus, it’s never healthy to tend toward a martyr complex.

Sometimes, American evangelicalism seems to be in a codependent relationship with its own sense of embattlement. And so if there is no monster to slay (or be slayed by), we will create one. We will ramp up rhetoric about a world that is coming for us, to persecute us, to steal our children, to ruin our American-Christian values.

In the midst of that, we cry persecution.

But the truth of the matter is that our non-Christian neighbors don’t hate us for our faith. They dislike us because we have failed to love them well. And we have failed to love them well because we were too busy dying on hills that Jesus never asked us to die on.

That isn’t to say that we don’t have legitimate battles to fight. And it can certainly be difficult to discern which hills we’re actually called to die on.

So here are three signs that you might be dying on a hill that Jesus never asked you to.

1. You Aren’t Ever Able to Be Critical of Your Own Tribe.

In the age of cancel culture, loyalty and conformity to your base is often more highly valued than truth and virtue. While many conservative Christians decry this kind of moral relativism, they are nonetheless just as likely to be guilty of it.

If You’ve Ever Felt Abandoned by God

By

Jenni Catron

-

February 28, 2022

Loss is a debilitating feeling. Something as simple as losing your keys creates anxiety and unsettledness until they are found. The loss of a job triggers fears, insecurities and doubts, the feeling of being abandoned by God. The loss of someone dear creates a sense of desperation, a longing that is never fulfilled.

We’ve been in a series at Cross Point called Cover to Cover, where we are looking at the entire story of the Bible and unpacking the themes that God has woven throughout it. We’ve also had a daily scripture reading plan and daily devotional where we can share our thoughts and learnings with one another.

Abandoned by God?

Today we read John 20:1-18.

In this passage, Mary and the disciples are reeling from their loss. Not only did they lose Jesus to death, but they soon discover his body is now missing too. One more loss to compound their sadness.

But look closely at how they respond …

Simon Peter and the other disciple looked into the tomb, saw the strips of linen and Jesus’ burial cloth, and accepted it as evidence that Jesus’ body was gone. Scripture tells us they went home.

But Mary, seeing the same evidence, stayed awhile longer. She stood outside the tomb crying. It seems that she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave. She grieved.

And then the story turned.

Mary didn’t recognize Jesus immediately. I wonder if He looked different. He wasn’t the crucified version that she lost. Mary was looking for a beaten and battered body. Jesus showed up differently than she expected, and she didn’t recognize him at first.

When you feel abandoned by God or experience loss, do you leave or do you grieve? Do you look for Jesus or assume He’s gone?

Too many times in my life, I’ve allowed loss to lead me to believe I was abandoned by God. When a circumstance didn’t turn out the way I hoped or I lost someone or something valuable, I assumed God was gone too. But time and time again I discover that He is there. He might look different or behave differently than I thought He would, but He is there.

So often in our lives, we fixate on what we’ve lost rather than seeing what we’ve found. God is there. He’s in your circumstance. He might look a little different than you expected. He might show up in a different way than you hoped, but He is there.

Is there a situation in your life where you feel abandoned byy God? Look closely. Maybe he is there just waiting for you to rediscover Him.

9 Ways Faith and Hope Work Together

By

Mike Leake

-

February 28, 2022

I’ve been spending a good amount of my time studying the biblical doctrine of faith and hope. In doing so I uncovered this gem from John Bunyan and thought you might enjoy. (I’ve tried to modernize the language or summarize where necessary)

9 Ways Faith and Hope Work Together:

1. Faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17), hope by experience (Rom 5:3,4).

2. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, hope by the credit that faith has given to it (Rom 4:18).

3. Faith believes the truth of the Word, hope waits for the fulfilling of it.

4. Faith lays hold of that end of the promise that is next to us, to wit, as it is in the Bible; hope lays hold of that end of the promise that is fastened to the mercy-seat; for the promise is like a mighty cable, that is fastened by one end to a ship, and by the other to the anchor: the soul is the ship where faith is, and to which the hither end of this cable is fastened; but hope is the anchor that is at the other end of this cable, and which entereth into that within the vail. Thus faith and hope getting hold of both ends of the promise, they carry it safely all away.

Greg Laurie Addresses ‘End Time’ Significance Following Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

February 26, 2022

greg_laurie_war — Screengrab via Facebook @Greg Laurie

Harvest Christian Fellowship’s senior pastor Greg Laurie took on the question many Christians have been voicing about Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine and whether it relates to the End Times in Revelation.

“Is there any prophetic significance to what is happening in Ukraine right now and other events that are unfolding around the world?” Laurie asked. Then: “The answer is…Yes!”

In a video that has been viewed over 161,000 times on the pastor’s Facebook page, Laurie shared that he believes we are living in the last days.

Laurie opened the short video, saying, “I believe that Christ could come back at any moment. There are signs of times the Bible tells us to be looking for.”

Speaking from Matthew 24 where the disciples ask Jesus what the signs will be of His return and of the end of the age, Laurie said, “Jesus likened it to labor pains in a woman who’s ready to give birth—the idea being the closer they get together the closer you are to the birth.”

The more signs we see happening back-to-back it reminds us that Jesus’ return is nearing, Laurie continued.

Jesus said that there “will be wars and rumors of wars,” he said. “War on a scale that we have not seen in a long time.”

Laurie pointed out that Matthew records Jesus saying plagues would around us in the last days. “If the coronavirus is not a plague, I don’t know what it is—a global plague.”

“The Bible warns of a world leader that will come and dominate and deceive people but ultimately reveal his true colors and he’s called the antichrist,” Laurie said. “I believe a lot of this government overreach—imposing themselves on their people is a sign of what is going to come later when the antichrist emerges on the scene.”

Citing biblical scholars, Laurie described the Ezekiel 38 prophecy of Magog attacking Israel and relating it to a modern-day Russia.

Ezekiel says that the Jewish people will be scatter and regather in their land again, Laurie explained. After the Holocaust, Jewish people began to return to their land and, “Israel officially became a nation on May 14, 1948. So that part of the prophecy has been fulfilled.”

“Then Scripture says a nation from the extreme north of Israel will march on her, called Gog and Magog,” Laurie said. “If you look on any map you will see that is the geographical area of Russia. Ukraine used to be a part of the Russian empire—they broke off in 1991—are they going to be part of Russia again? Could be, but the one thing that I think of is when I see the aggression of Russia or Magog —if you will—it’s a reminder that’s what we’re going to see when Magog attacks Israel.”

“So Jesus said, when you see these things begin to happen, look up, because your redemption is drawing near,” the pastor proclaimed.

Here’s the bottom line,” Laurie said. “Bible prophecies are being fulfilled in our lifetime. It seems like we’re seeing more things happen in real-time—closer together—as the Scripture said they would be.”

The pastor told Christians to “look up” and to remember that God is in control. The last page of the Bible says that Christians win in the end, he said.

In closing, Laurie encouraged people to be praying for those in Ukraine. “They’re going through a time of great suffering right now,” and pray that God gives our leaders wisdom in the days ahead.

How to Read the Room as a Small Group Leader

By

David Grigg

-

February 26, 2022

As small group leaders, some can be overly focused on relationships. Group meetings have a flexible start time and no end time. The discussion may end up centering on a single bullet point question each week, and that’s okay. These leaders are excited to see what new things the group will discuss next week.

Others of us can be overly focused on structure. Group meetings always begin and end on time and include a detailed agenda. The group’s studies are lined up for the next 18 months. These leaders know exactly what to expect when it is time to get together.

Whether you are on one end of the spectrum or somewhere in-between, it is essential to keep a pulse on your group. Some people thrive on structure. Others thrive on flexibility and spontaneity. Most groups will have a mix of both. Because of this, leaders need to have one eye on the curriculum and the clock, and the other on their group members. This is the first of a series of posts entitled Read the Room, where I’ll be focusing on simple observations that can take a group meeting from good to great by keeping everyone comfortable and engaged while giving space for God to move.

Leaning In Vs Checking Out

I once sat in on a small men’s group that was being led by someone else. Shortly after the discussion began, one small group member started talking about a current family issue they were dealing with. This topic, which I saw as a major rabbit trail from the main discussion, ended up dominating the rest of the group’s meeting.

Like a dutiful small group leader, I spent the first ten minutes thinking through different strategies to politely get back on track. Then, I noticed something. Every man in the small group was fully engaged and leaning in as the conversation went on. When I spoke to the group leader afterward, I asked why he didn’t try to get back to the curriculum. He said, “If anyone was checked out or uninterested, I would have. But for this group of men today, it was clear that hearing this man’s story, encouraging him, and praying together were more important.”

This leader was fully aware of his group’s body language. No one was checking the clock or their phones. No one was leaning back with their arms crossed. Since everyone was engaged and the conversation was healthy, he concluded that God was doing something, and it was in the group’s best interest to shift the focus of the meeting.

“Any discussion is a balance between Holy Spirit moments and people just rambling. Be sensitive to the difference between God doing something you may not have planned and the group going off course.” -Steve Gladen, Leading Small Groups with Purpose

It is vital to remember that God is speaking to everyone in our small groups, and that sometimes with everything else we focus on as leaders, we may be the last to notice. Not every rabbit trail is a movement of God, but if everyone is leaning in and the conversation is healthy, we need to have the flexibility to ask if God may have a different plan in mind.

This article originally appeared here.

Raised Through the Blood

By

Nicholas Batzig

-

February 26, 2022

What is the central message of Christianity? This is a subject of timeless importance in a day when many insist that the central message is kindness in interpersonal relations; or that it is justice in its variegated societal implementation. However compelling the case may be made for either of these, the Apostle Paul gave us the divinely inspired center of the Christian message when he wrote, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

It is quite clear that the atoning death of Jesus stands at the center of the Christian message. “Christ died for sinners” is, in the words of Geerhadus Vos, “the center of gravity” in Christianity. But, this opens another question, namely, “How then should we view the resurrection?”

As a young Christian, I had a number of impassioned conversations with close friends about this subject. I would insist that the message of the cross was the center of the Gospel. They would insist, with the same emotional forcefulness, that the resurrection stood at the center since it culminated in the new creation. Citing Romans 4:24-25, one friend went so far as to say that the resurrection of Jesus was more important than His death on the cross. A number of years later, several colleagues in ministry encouraged me to read more Richard Gaffin, since he argued more persuasively that the resurrection, rather than the crucifixion of Jesus, was the epicenter of the Christian message. Interestingly, as I read Gaffin, I came across statements that seemed to go against that idea. Reflecting on Paul’s teaching in 1 Cor. 1:18-3:22 and Galatians 6:14, Gaffin makes the following assertion: “Paul’s exclusive and comprehensive epistemic commitment is to the crucified Christ.” This, of course, doesn’t mean that the cross is more important than the resurrection. In fact, I was imbalanced in my own understanding of the central message as a young Christian, because I didn’t yet understand that the saving work of Christ couldn’t be bifurcated without doing damage to the message of Christianity as a whole. This is why the Apostle Paul summarizes the heart of the Christian message in the following way when writing to the church in Corinth:

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3).

The wrath-propitiating, sin-atoning, Satan-conquering death of Jesus on the cross, together with His burial and His resurrection form the central message of the Christian faith. When the Apostle Paul said, “I determined not to know anything among you expect Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” he was utilizing a theological synecdoche (i.e. the part for the whole). Apart from the death of Jesus, the resurrection is a legal fiction. Apart from the witness of His resurrection, the death of Jesus is a tragic failure.

One of the greatest assurances of salvation that we can have during our pilgrimage in this world comes from our knowledge of the definitiveness of our redemption in Christ. The fact that Jesus’s death actually atoned for our sins, produces a confidence in believers that nothing will separate them from the love of God. If Jesus died for us, who can undo what Christ has done? Jesus would have to be dethroned and His body put back in the tomb, for His saving work to be emptied of its efficacy. The work of redemption can never be reversed or overthrown because it was accomplished by the infinite and eternal, sinless Son of God whose death on the cross was a perfect sacrifice of infinite and eternal value. The efficacious death of Jesus is captured by the writer of Hebrews in the benediction he pronoucnced over the members of a church that was tempted to turn away from Christ.

In Hebrews 13:20-21, we read,

Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, the Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, make you complete, working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight, to whom be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Though we could spend hours time meditating on each of the truths contained in this divine pronouncement of blessing, it will suffice to point out that the writer ties together the death of Jesus to the resurrection of Jesus, when he says that Jesus was “raised through the blood of the everlasting covenant.”

God is said to bring Christ from the dead “through the blood of the covenant,” the shedding whereof was the means and the way of his entrance unto death. Now the mind of the Holy Ghost herein will appear in the ensuing considerations.

1st. By the blood of Christ, as it was the blood of the covenant, the whole will of God, as unto what he intended in all the institutions and sacrifices of the law, was accomplished and fulfilled. See chap. 10:5–9. And hereby an end was put unto the old covenant, with all its services and promises.

Easter Coloring Pages: Creative Resources to Delight Kids

By

Stephanie Martin

-

February 25, 2022

As Easter approaches, planning for special church festivities and events kicks into gear. Many activities require lots of legwork and preparation. (Think Lenten worship, cantatas, dramas, and more.) But children’s workers and Sunday school teachers have a quick, easy way to enhance the Easter experience for young learners. Easter coloring pages delight kids while conveying biblical truths about Jesus’ resurrection.

Free printable Easter coloring pages are ideal for all ages. Kids in preschool, elementary grades, and even junior high enjoy them. So do adults and many seniors! The pages often are available as free downloadable PDFs. And the religious imagery includes Jesus, the cross, the empty tomb, the disciples, and more. Christian symbols and events from Holy Week are often on Easter coloring pages. Examples include palm branches and Jesus on a donkey (Palm Sunday), a basin of water (Maundy Thursday), a crown of thorns (Good Friday), and a sunrise or lilies (Easter Sunday).

The Many Uses for Easter Coloring Pages

Use Easter coloring pages in Sunday school and children’s church. Teachers can distribute them as take-home papers or use them as time-fillers in class. Also include the coloring pages in children’s bulletins.

If your church hosts a community Easter egg hunt, you can include holiday coloring pages in goody bags. And if you hand out food baskets for Easter, include a coloring page along with a card. (Homebound residents may appreciate these religious-themed art activities too.)

Horizontal Easter coloring pages make perfect placemats for brunches and breakfasts. Simply set a basket of crayons on each table! Your church also can display colorful masterpieces created by young artists.

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This Mentality Continues to Pervade the Church Even Today.

1. You Aren’t Ever Able to Be Critical of Your Own Tribe.

Abandoned by God?

When you feel abandoned by God or experience loss, do you leave or do you grieve? Do you look for Jesus or assume He’s gone?

9 Ways Faith and Hope Work Together:

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