1 Kings 21:1-16 Increasingly in the West, religion and spirituality are treated as private that should have no bearing on our public behaviour. Yet, our vision of God and beliefs (even without faith in God) affect our identity and attitudes.…

1 Kings 20:31-43 A friend’s colleague was a heavy drinker from youth, out with the lads most nights. He would take bets on whom he could drink under the table, making an accomplishment out of his addiction. At one point,…

1 Kings 20:1-30 John Newton, who later wrote ‘Amazing Grace’, had a troubled childhood marked by conflict and disobedience. He renounced his faith as a young sailor, deserted the Navy and later ended up as a crew member on a…

1 Kings 19:9-21 In my last post, I mentioned the fellow worker at the hostel whom I had a difficult relationship with. When God finally spoke to me at the retreat centre, I was reading through 1 Peter and was…

1 Kings 19:1-8 During my gap year in a Christian youth hostel in Haifa, Israel, I worked with a fellow volunteer of my age who came as a traveller, was saved and stayed on. She had a lot of emotional…

1 Kings 18:30-46 A few years ago, I suddenly developed a painful tennis elbow. My routine has not changed, so the reason was a mystery. A cortisone injection seemed to have sorted out the problem, but a month later I…

1 Kings 18:20-29 When I was learning to drive, my instructor explained early on about areas that my mirrors did not cover, and how important it was to look over my shoulder so as not to miss a car in…

1 Kings 18:1-19 At a doctoral board meeting of a secular university, I was struck by the vitriolic comments made by fellow (secular) board members who were commenting on the proposal of a Christian master’s student. I must admit that…

1 Kings 17:17-24 Dramatic changes in our situation, a tragedy, an illness or accident are often the times when we awaken from the busy-ness of life to ask the deeper questions. What is the source of our fulfilment? What does…

1 Kings 17:1-16 In my gap year that I spent working at a Christian youth hostel in Haifa, Israel, I once encountered three tourists who missed their cruise ship and had to wait three days before the ship returned from…