Is faith a negative thing in life?
				                                    					The effect or influence that a particular thing has on us depends largely on where that thing falls on the scale of our values. It's one thing to lose your folding fan in a foreign country and quite another to lose your passport.				            
            
        Gifts for good
				                                    					When I was in my mid-twenties, I attended a university in Brisbane, Australia, two hours from where I lived. I had a friend in the city who I’d sometimes stay with to avoid having to travel back and forth on back-to-back uni days.				            
            
        The meaning of life: between the sandbox and the constellations
				                                    					Life is a stage that we enter without a script, although we are constantly influenced by forces of varying visibility: social, educational, religious, economic, and political.				            
            
        The miracle of the ordinary | Rediscovering transcendence in simplicity
				                                    					In our desperate search for miraculous answers or confirmations, we often forget that the most profound miracles are hidden in the seemingly mundane details of our lives.				            
            
        The imminence and delay of the eschaton
				                                    					This article addresses the two often conflicting aspects of the parousia: its imminence and its delay.				            
            
        The great astonishment
				                                    					I was talking to the man I call Professor and I asked him, "I know you had reservations about getting baptised. Why did you decide to do it anyway? What was the deciding factor?"				            
            
        To be or to become? That is the question
				                                    					“The Christ of Nicea is obviously a far cry from the historical Jesus of Nazareth, an itinerant apocalyptic preacher in the backwaters of rural Galilee, who offended the authorities and was unceremoniously crucified for crimes against the state. Whatever he may have been in real life, Jesus had now become fully God.”				            
            
        Where should we go for help?
				                                    					There were once two friends. One day, one of them went to the other, with a heavy heart, less than desirable thoughts in his head, and a bevy of bad behaviours. He really wanted to change them. He wanted to get better.				            
            
        How can I know God as He is, rather than as I imagine Him to be?
				                                    					To know God is an aspiration inherent in the rational being who recognises His existence.				            
            
        Like colours in a cheap fabric
				                                    					Soviet soldier Bakhretdin Khakimov was declared missing in action during the war in Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of 15,000 USSR soldiers and more than a million Afghans. Thirty-three years later, his family found out he was alive, living as a true Afghan among his former enemies.				            
            
        Understanding suffering better
				                                    					"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28).				            
            
        The fascinating Gospel of John
				                                    					Dr Kendra Haloviak-Valentine, Professor of New Testament Studies at La Sierra University in Redlands, California, comes from a family with a tradition of theology and research.				            
            
        The truth in the 20th century, or the certainty of uncertainty
				                                    					In 1961, London witnessed the premiere of John Osborne’s play Luther. Osborne (1929–1994) did not aim to present an accurate historical portrayal of Martin Luther’s life. Instead, the play served as a platform to express the ideas that consumed the restless mind of Osborne.				            
            
        Reacting to the worst news
				                                    					In a conversation with Dr. Shelly-Ann Bowen, we discussed her research on what determines whether someone will be active or passive in the face of catastrophic events—fires, floods, or a cancer diagnosis. Social injustice, a lack of self-awareness, and even an immature understanding of faith paralyse action. But there are ways to make positive changes.				            
            
        Paul’s savage class critique in 1 Corinthians
				                                    					If you’ve ever been to a Christian church, there’s a good chance that you’ll have experienced a unique ritual involving bread and grape juice: the Lord’s Supper, or as we’ll refer to it, Communion. Depending on the denomination, your experience may vary wildly. You may be offered a cup that everyone collectively sips out of, accompanied by a piece of bread. Others will...