Faith arise!

Incarnation

Our faith has at its heart incarnation and a gospel which centered on three facts as to what happened to Christ's BODY in this world. If this is the emphasis God puts on INCARNATION of his love, how much more should we incarnate (give it our hands and feet) our faith both on personal and on society level?

The next wave of globalization

The World Bank published a new report called "Global economic prospects 2007: The next wave of globalization". According to the report the globalization could spur faster growth in average incomes in the next 25 years than during 1980-2005, with developing countries playing the central role. This, without careful management could cause growing income inequality and severe environmantal risks like exceleration of global warming and extinction of fisheries. Good news of future prospects of reduction of world poverty doesn't apply one region though: the progress in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to remain slow.

Spiritually thinking, it is interesting that the last decades we have seen in revivals all over the developing world the fullfillment of the word "He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty." I don't expect this to change. What I am really looking forward to is God to raise up people to speak in his name about the environmental issues that our irresponsible behavior has caused. According to the WB report the annual emissions of greenhouse gases will increase some 50% by 2030 without widespread policy changes. Everyone can think how green our winters here in north would then be...

And if you hadn't yet realized that Christmas is an educational high season for climate change campainging you can watch this interesting video. The idea of making our pagan traditions serve environmental education is a bit interesting, but from media perspective I like the films though.

 

The core

 

Sometimes I wonder about my life that has taken me to many people: new agers, politicians, native people, muslims, humanists, soldiers, biker gangs and CEOs, artists and nomads. I embrace diversity, cause I see something of the Creator in everything. I long to see the Spirit manifested in everyone in particular way. My question is: How can I build bridges with different people seeking their way to their Redeemer. In the end only two questions seem important to all of us: WHO is Jesus & what is MEANS to know Him?

   

Father, where are you?

One of the most dynamic Kingdom stories I've heard this autumn is to be read here (in Finnish unfortunately!). Friend of mine Mari from Turku had a propting of the Spirit to go and sit in front of the Finnish parliament building on the day when the parliament had an election on the law about fertility treatment of gay couples and single moms. She carried a sign saying: "Father, where are you?" Reading her story it is easy to see that her being there was a divine appointment. Many people reacted to her presence by starting to share about their relationship to their own father, about the role of the father in Finnish family and society. Her message even touched a few members of parliament, who had commented the message inside the building, and the next day Mari was invited to have coffee with some representatives of the Christian Democratic party.   

Commitment to speak good

Last weekend I attended a gathering of the leaders of national prayer initiatives in Finland. I have been involved in the core team for a feew years. The main struggle during these years have been to define a shared vision for this connection. The people involved are strong leaders and have their own visions about what the connection is all about, and this doesn't really help to build unity and friendship. My natural perspective into it has been just to get to know and bulid relationships. But that is me. Guess I'm not really a prayer leader but more of a connecter anyway.

God gave us a new beginning this weekend with a shared realisation that the gathering can serve as a link between different kinds of prayer movements that are specialized in different areas.

There was also a commitment made to speak good about other movements and leaders. As leaders we need each other, both encouragement and correction but critical atmosphere kills our ability to help each other these ways.

During our prayer time someone got a vision that I found helpful. It was about Finnish people among nations. Many people see that Finns have a special characteristic of understanding honesty and righteousness among nations. This turns easily into bitterness and focusing into other people's faults. Yet our calling is to bless other people with this gift, take our cross and bear each other's iniquities.   

This way we don't only stop binding each other with our critical attitude but enable each other to benefit from the our weaknesses when they can be honestly confronted and one can start to change. In the end, isn't Jesus following community a community that is constantly transformed.