Over the sound of chatter, we suddenly heard the distinct ringing of a gong. We were so caught up in our discussion that we had completely lost track of time. The sound of someone hitting the gong reminded us that it was 9:00pm—the time we set aside each evening as a community to pray and reflect on the day. […]
There is a great irony that occurs every November 11th in the life of the Church. Nowadays most churches in the West have chosen on that day to commemorate Veterans Day. It is a day set-aside by many churches to honor those Christians who have bravely served in the military. However, historically throughout the centuries, the Church has paused on that very day for quite a different reason. Traditionally, November 11th has been set aside by the Church to reflect on the life of a Christian military deserter named Martin of Tours. […]
Once, after teaching a workshop on the early Christian attitude to war, a fellow urban missionary named Aaron White told me the story of his close friend who was a military soldier. One night Aaron’s friend confessed to him that he hated Mahatma Gandhi. He hated that Gandhi’s pacifist teaching and way of life made his own attempts to work for world peace look evil. […]
