Glad Tidings Come in Times of Terror

The nativity story is the advent of God’s love to a fear-filled world. It might seem like a strange thing to say, but my adult life has been consistently marked by the terrorist attacks of our era. I was out of college and in my second year at Princeton Theological Seminary when the World Trade Center was attacked just an hour’s train ride away. As a St Andrews doctoral student living and working in Cambridge, England, I experienced the trauma and heartache from the environs of... Read More

Missionary Hostages Forgive Haiti Gang, Sang Psalm 34

“Jesus taught us by word and by his own example that the power of forgiving love is stronger than the hate of violent force,” says director of Christian Aid Ministries, which will keep working in Haiti. All the former hostages from a US-based missionary group kidnapped in Haiti have been flown out of the country after a two-month ordeal, the leader of their Ohio-based missions organization said Friday, as he also extended an offer of forgiveness to their captors. David Troyer, general... Read More

Mark Lowry, Did You Know Your Mary Song Would Be Controversial?

The success of “Mary Did You Know?” is a miracle to the songwriter, three decades later. For Mark Lowry, almost every day is Christmas. Whenever the storyteller and singer takes the stage for a concert, he always closes the show with the same song—“Mary Did You Know?”—no matter what time of year it is. “When you have one hit, you better end with it,” Lowry said in a recent phone interview. Lowry co-wrote “Mary Did You Know?” with Buddy... Read More

Trucker Ministry Continues Amid Holiday Hustle and Bustle

While headlines warn of a driver shortage and supply chain crisis, chaplains say the demands of the industry have always been arduous. With reports of a supply chain crisis causing delivery delays this holiday season, many Americans were praying for truck drivers to get their Christmas goods delivered on time. Meanwhile, a fleet of ministers stationed at truck stops across the country were praying for the drivers themselves. Despite the headlines, news of a trucker shortage this year has... Read More

US Senate Confirms Rashad Hussain as First Muslim Religious Freedom Ambassador

(UPDATE) Bipartisan vote of 85–5 installs Biden nominee championed by many Christian IRF advocates. Rashad Hussain has become America’s new ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, after the US Senate voted 85–5 last night in favor of his historic nomination as the first Muslim to hold the position. Previous IRF ambassador Sam Brownback praised the decision and its bipartisan majority. “Religious persecution is rampant around the world, and the... Read More

All I Want for Christmas Is a Song that Mentions Jesus

Most-played hits around the world celebrate love, snow, and chestnuts before getting around to Christ. Jesus is the reason for the season. But he doesn’t show up much in the top Christmas songs played on Spotify. According to October 2021 data from the streaming service collected by Every Noise, the most-played Christmas song around the world is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas,” followed by Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” and Ariana Grande’s... Read More

It Takes a Campus: Pandemic Expands Mental Health Resources at Christian Colleges

Rates of anxiety and depression were on the rise before. Now counselors, students, chaplains, and professors alike are doing their part to help. Before the pandemic, Meghan Becker would meet with five to seven students in crisis a week. As the director of Baylor University’s CARE Team, it’s her job to connect them with the right professionals and resources to address a range of issues, such as suicidal thoughts, depression, stress, drug use, or other troubling behavior. The... Read More

It Takes a Campus: The Pandemic Expanded Mental Health Resources at Christian Colleges

Rates of anxiety and depression were on the rise before. Now counselors, students, chaplains, and professors alike are doing their part to help. Before the pandemic, Meghan Becker would meet with five to seven students in crisis a week. As the director of Baylor University’s CARE Team, it’s her job to connect them with the right professionals and resources to address a range of issues, such as suicidal thoughts, depression, stress, drug use, or other troubling behavior. The... Read More

Always Festivus and Never Christmas

This season calls for reconciliation, not rage and resentment. This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. In my much younger years, I celebrated Festivus. This was not by choice. I was working at a place where every year, at a celebratory holiday party, we always knew there was one guy who would spend the entire time “airing grievances” at the rest of us. One of my coworkers would say, “Are you ready for Festivus this year?” He was,... Read More

Free at Last: All 17 Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti Have Been Released

“I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously,” states Christian Aid Ministries after release of American and Canadian hostages held by Haitian gang for months. After months of fervent prayer and fasting by Anabaptists and other Christian supporters worldwide, every member of a group of American and Canadian missionaries held hostage in Haiti for months has now been released. “We glorify God for answered prayer—the remaining twelve hostages are FREE!”... Read More