Thursday, 31 March 2011 12:41
In December 2004 the Asian Tsunami startled the world. In that terrible context Tan Kang San, Director for Mission Research for OMF International in Singapore, wrote this reflection.
As I watched in horror the unfolding crises in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and Malaysia, I was reminded of Paul's description of the groaning creation in Romans 8. Some Christians will say the disaster is God's judgment on the world. Historically, such views have led to the church being seen as interested only in people's spiritual needs. Others see the church as primarily responsible for responding to people's immediate and physical needs-forgetting the deeper longings of those who are hurting. But Romans 8 shows the Gospel seeking to engage meaningfully with the total needs of the whole person to redeem the world for Christ.
John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, arrived in New Zealand at the end of February and spent more than a week speaking at venues around the country. Given the timing of his visit, questions for the adjunct lecturer at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics often centred around Christchurch’s earthquake.