After Saturday Comes Hope
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- One of the modern-day saints of the Middle East is Father Douglas
Bazi, a Chaldean priest who endured nine days of captivity and torture after being kidnapped by the al-Qaida terror group. During my Skype interview with him last year, I was startled at how surprisingly cheerful and relaxed he appeared when recalling his harrowing experiences.
The Hope of a True Arab Spring (Column)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- Spring has arrived here in my home city of Melbourne, Australia, the fruit trees are in blossom and once again our garden is full of color. And not before time. We have just endured our coldest winter in twenty-six years. So much for global warming.
Growing Tolerance, Reduced Persecution – Something to Pray About (Column)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
PORTO-NOVO, BENIN (BosNewsLife Columns)-- Events in the Middle East during 2014, and now in Paris at the start of 2015,suggest that militant Islamism is on the move. At the same time it often seems that the persecution of Christians is intensifying throughout the Muslim world
Persecution, Prayer in Pakistan; Simple Calendar Showing God’s Hand Amid Suffering (Column)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE/ISLAMABAD (BosNewsLife Columns)-- I have just received a surprising gift from some returning missionaries. It's a small 2015 calendar, with each month’s page depicting a color photograph of a church. An accompanying card tells me that these are all vibrant churches, full of joyful worshippers who love to sing the praises of Jesus.
Lost As We Once Were And In Need Of A Saviour (COLUMN)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- The annual Ramadan observance has begun, and Muslims around the globe are fasting during daylight hours. At the same time, our church is participating in the “30 Days of Prayer” worldwide movement that prays “with faith, hope and love for the Muslim world” during this period.
NEWS ALERT: North Korea Releases Detained Australian Missionary
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife
BEIJING/PYONGYANG (BosNewsLife)-- North Korea has released an elderly Christian missionary who was jailed for promoting Christianity in the isolated Communist-run nation after he allegedly "apologized" for his actions.
Yes, The News Is Good (COLUMN)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- As Christians celebrate the risen Christ it is a period to remember that the news is good, not bad. The victory is won, the strongholds have been defeated. So at a time when the news media seem to be relaying little but relentless disaster, it is worth looking instead at some good news.
Bangladesh – Making Cricket News for Wrong Reasons (Column)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- Cricket is little known outside countries that were once part of the British Empire. Yet in some of those places, and particularly on the Indian sub-continent, it enjoys immense popularity. In India itself it is by far the most popular sport, and here in Australia our national team attracts a large and enthusiastic following. So it was big news in early October when Cricket Australia announced that it had abandoned plans for a short series of test matches in Bangladesh, because of security concerns.
Fighting Back – Must We Always Turn the Other Cheek? (Column)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- When do Christians fight back? Many are asking that question after the horrific beheading of 21 Christians in Libya. Some continue to believe that Jesus enjoined us not to fight at all. That we must always turn the other cheek
Persecution Fatigue – Can We Mourn Every Murdered Christian? (Column)
By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist
MELBOURNE/NAYPYIDAW (BosNewsLife Columns)-- On my blog some weeks ago I reprinted portions of a speech given in the Australian Parliament by a politician who had secretly travelled into a rebel-held region of Myanmar, also known as Burma.