A COVID-19 crisis helpline for people with medical, psychological and financial worries
En Español, Français, Pусский, Português Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed our lives. A totally unexpected pandemic appeared in the city of Wuhan in China. And now, due to its high transmissibility, many of the countries have decided to isolate or strictly confine their populations, to prevent further spread of the disease. We highlight three…
Read MoreTake up your cross and follow Jesus
En Français, Português ‘Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…..For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”’ (Matthew 16:24-26) Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) was a Baptist missionary and the first American…
Read MoreTrusting God through difficulties – five keys to resilience and perseverance
En Français, Pусский, Português We all face difficulties in life. What is unique about the coronavirus pandemic is that we are all facing the same difficulty at the same time – although its effect on each one of us is different. But each family has its own story of illness – mental and physical, chronic…
Read MoreDon’t be afraid
En Français, Português ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.’ John 14:1 We are going through times when fear has invaded everyone, including some Christians. The fear generated by COVID-19 is another virus that is even more contagious and more virulent than COVID-19 itself. The psychosis it…
Read MoreCelebrating Easter with your family
En Français, Português ‘Give the whole community of Israel the following instructions: on the tenth day of this month, let every house or family get a lamb. If there are too few people in a house to eat a lamb, let us associate with the nearest neighbouring family, taking into account the number of people;…
Read MoreWorking together in Indonesia – what COVID-19 taught us as a community
En Français, Pусский, Português It all started when I received a phone call from a colleague informing me that one student under our ministry had tested positive for COVID-19. Inevitably, my mind rushed to two weeks earlier when she was the worship leader at a student gathering with approximately 180 students attending. Some of them…
Read MoreTen things to pray for Christian healthcare workers
Em Português, Français This morning I read a news article entitled ‘What am I still allowed to do?’ It outlined what the new UK-wide lockdown means for each of us and when we can leave the house. In many countries around the world, similar measures have come into effect in the last few weeks. However,…
Read MoreHealthcare resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Christian ethical perspective
Em português, français This is a short summary of a briefing paper – please read the full version for a more thorough consideration of the issues. As doctors based in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), a well-resourced healthcare system, we approach the subject of healthcare rationing with a degree of humility. However, as…
Read MoreLocked down by COVID-19? Spend time with your family
En Français, Pусский, Português ‘So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he…
Read MoreFacing pandemics – four more leadership principles
En Français, Português In my previous blog on leadership in pandemics, I introduced six guiding principles: Do not give in to panic; Innovate if we don’t have resources; Be compassionate and protect the most vulnerable; Have faith in God and reflect and learn what he is teaching us; and Review and change things as new…
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