Walking With The Risen Christ
While it is important to structure small-group meetings, it is more important to understand how all these practices relate to the fact that the risen Christ is in the midst of the meeting.
While it is important to structure small-group meetings, it is more important to understand how all these practices relate to the fact that the risen Christ is in the midst of the meeting.
Twelve Strands pulls together the writing journeys of 12 Asian authors from countries as diverse as South Korea and Pakistan. Some write poetry and songs, while others write children’s books. Some are able to share the deepest pains and highest joys of those whose testimonies they give voice to. All feel an almost compulsive need to write so that the knowledge of the love of Christ can reach the farthest corners of their country, if not the world. They share a calling.
Probably due to concern about the sensitivities of Muslim listeners, Christians in Malaysia—and the rest of the world—are reluctant to speak in public about Jewish and Christian exilic consciousness. We are reluctant to speak about a consciousness which is rooted in Scripture and expressed powerfully through Christian martyrs. I believe this is unwise, for the result of this reluctance is a veiling of what Christians are prepared to die for.
What is democracy? It is more than just elections. It involves the existence of a space which allows for people to freely debate on public issues and government policies as well as present alternative ideas without the fear of repercussions. If the health of a democratic society is dependent on the existence of such a space, how can we ensure a free and vibrant public sphere?
How do we relate Christianity to political engagement in Malaysia today? This is the question that we, as part of the community of believers, are trying to answer in this book. It is our conviction that “if Jesus Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all”. We proclaim the lordship of Jesus over every aspect of life. Therefore, it is important for us to reflect on the relationship between what we confess on Sunday and what is happening in the country every day.