Dear Family and Friends,
You may have noticed this has been a slow developing trip. There was a one-day seminar in Kenya, a team meeting in Rwanda, and a second team meeting (Nigeria) cancelled due to the unfortunate death of our coordinator. But the real story at this point has been the meetings with Norman Paul and Emmy in Rwanda both of which are turning into major events for next year. But the pace is about to pick up.
ONLY THE BEGINNNIG
Earlier this evening (5:30pm here, 9:30am PT), I met with a small planning committee. We talked about the seminar on the schedule for tomorrow and about future plans. We agreed that tomorrow’s seminar, with about 80 registrants counting those who will be watching online, will be the kickoff for larger event that they will start planning for as soon as we finish tomorrow.
TIKTOK AGAIN
A highlight of our discussion came when Ebenezer referenced an article I had him read about how secular views of Christianity are starting to creep into African universities and that we need to get out in front of these godless ideologies. A man who majors on refuting Islam said, “There is no getting out in front. It is here now!” He went on to talk about how TikTok is now a place where anti-Christian sentiment is being spread. And he gave examples of Nigerians on TikTok challenging Christianity’s truth claims without even trying to cite Bible verses. And as he said, impressionable young minds will see and hear that stuff and take it in as truth. We all agreed that this is why we are doing what we are doing. The man telling these stories is in the group photo I put in the photo ablum.
AFTER LAGOS
On Sunday I take a long, west to east flight back to Kenya for one night then Monday I will be heading back to Rwanda to begin a one-and-a-half day seminar there. I will be speaking six times during that span. I will have more to say about that in a couple of days. Following that event, I will be heading for home.
WITHOUT GOD ALL THINGS ARE PERMISSIBLE
I subscribe to the “Stand to Reason” podcast and, therefore, get emails from them from time to time. This one came in recently promoting one of their upcoming conferences. I will leave the conference plug out.
This short piece highlights why it is so important to help our younger generation know that they were created by God and why we believe that. This is related to the answer to the question, “What or who gives our lives meaning?” Here is the piece.
The New York subway system is confusing. That’s because there are subway routes heading in every direction. While each train is different, they each have one thing in common: They all take you somewhere. In other words, the train you get on will determine where you end up.
Ideas take you somewhere too. For example, “If there is no God, everything is permissible.” This is often referred to as Dostoyevsky’s dictum. Here’s how it works. If there is no Maker and we’re just a cosmic accident, then there is no way we are supposed to be in this world. That means we can identify any way we choose. We create our own meaning and purpose. We determine how we live. No Supposer: no way we’re supposed to live. Everything is permissible.
However, if there is a Maker who has designed us to be a certain way, then he determines our identity, gives us meaning and purpose, and tells us how we ought to live.
So, it all starts with a question: How was I created? Am I the result of an intentional design or a cosmic accident? How you answer will determine where you end up. That’s because how we’re made determines what we are, which determines who we are, which determines how we should live. These are all inextricably linked.
People need to be challenged to think about the implications of finding meaning and purpose if God doesn’t exist. This is just one of the topics we challenge youth and young adults to think about.
Pray:
…for our seminar Saturday which runs from about 2am-5am PT Saturday. Pray that the three speakers will be clearly understood and the faith of believers will be bolstered and an interest in learning to answer the hard questions being asked by the youth and young adults will develop.
…for Nok’s family. I think the burial was today, Friday.
Thanks.
By His grace,
Steve
CLICK HERE and see the new pictures in the album including the beautiful, charming welcoming committee that greeted me at the door of the church where the meeting was held.