He and his co-author, Julie Green, offer several case studies that highlight ‘in-Christ’ solutions to these problems. Instead of problematic heirarchical attempts to resolve issues in cross-cultural contexts, they suggest a humble invitation to do mission with others rather than to others.

Elegant solutions to wicked problems are a siren song, instead we need to wrestle through clumsy shepherding and serving of one another.

Listen to the entire book here (my referral links):

Australia https://www.audible.com.au/pd/B0CFG9NNC9/?source_code=AUDORWS022318009C-BK-ACX0-362862&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_362862_rh_au

United States https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CFG8Y86R/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-362862&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_362862_rh_us

United Kingdom https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0CFG9H1TG/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-362862&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_362862_rh_uk

This insidious harm is often virtually invisible to many Europeans and residents of the largest and best run cities in the planet but I became very personal when my pregnant wife was diagnosed with Carbon Monoxide poisoning. The cause, discovered after some tests, was that she was being poisoned by the pollution coming from cars while walking to her prenatal medical appointments in a small city in the UK. It became more obvious to me when Covid lockdowns occurred and vehicular traffic was drastically reduced overnight that the everpresent smell of fumes disappeared from the air and the fine coating of brake and rubber dust stopped being deposited at the same intensity in our streets.

On top of this traffic-related fallout, I had become aware, in my childhood, that plastic, long said to take an effective eternity to decompose, would crumble to dust under the harsh African sun. What would happen in days on the edge of the desert, also happens, albeit more slowly, in cooler climates. More incredibly, it is now very difficult to find clothes that do not contain fibres that degrade over time into tiny but impactful These small pieces of plastic are clearly proven to be damaging to our health and the health of many other living organisms on this planet. These plastic molecules disrupt and affect many of our bodily functions in initially imperceptible ways, but evidence is mounting that they affect our sex hormones, intelligence and increase probability of cancer. It is highly likely that they affect our mood too. Pollution is a far more pressing issue than climate change, it is killing millions of people today, not to mention the negative impact on other forms of life and future generations.

I have a strong conviction regarding good stewardship of the world that we influence and inhabit. This is based on the ancient spiritual wisdom of the Bible, detailed in Genesis, but also in other parts of the Bible such as the Psalms. Our decisions today must take into account their impact on us and our neighbours today, but also into the future.

Our use of plastics and fuels that produce compounds that are harmful to us today and in our near-term future must be careful considering the impact they have. Recycled plastics generate more of these toxic particles than new plastics, suggesting that we should be avoiding their use altogether rather than claiming some redemption through recycling. We need to focus on use of recycling materials that are not harmful at any point in their extended life cycle and avoid introducing harmful ingredients into these. Glass, cotton and paper are three such materials. Each can be made harmful, but each can also be safely used and recycled.

Some practical ways we as a family address this issue without being rich: — we choose to buy natural fibre clothing such as cotton

we drive our diesel car slowly (honestly we would prefer not to have a diesel car, but we believe we can’t currently afford a less polluting alternative, I hope this will change soon)

we don’t buy water in plastic bottles

we try to avoid buying low quality plastic toys for our children

I want to reduce the harm that my family is experiencing from their exposure to harmful pollution. What can you do in your life that would reduce your pollution of your surroundings?

We are faced with a crisis of an extent that perhaps no one has yet fully understand as I write in March 2020. Many self-employed people and those who are dependent on a business to provide income will face a drop in income or at least the potential for a drop in income in the coming weeks and months as countries close as many activities that might spread COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus).

Many governments will be trying to predict the changes they might expect with a drop in employment and increased reliance on government support such as (UK examples): Jobseekers Allowance (for the unemployed) and Universal Credit. The widespread impact of COVID-19 may need unprecedented support to the population for an unknown duration. While targeted support for childcare and the elderly has been used in the past, the entire population faces a Black Swan event that will be ruinous to some.

Some businesses are fragile and will fail, but the individuals who are part of them need to benefit from a system that makes them more robust to the financial hits they will endure. While targeted government support effectively functions as insurance policies, there is significant friction associated with the payout of these policies in rapidly changing circumstances and short/medium term financial hardship.

Governments will intervene to support some businesses but it may be more effective to introduce a stable income to every person and therefore allow the most vulnerable populations to survive with minimum support. It is normal in a crisis to launch expenditure programmes to support the economy and population. Long term sustainability for such a programme could come from reductions in other programmes and the normal reduction of costs of administration that such a simple-to-administer programme of support has. Alternatively, the universal basic income programme could be removed when the crisis is over.

This short essay is a thought experiment rather than an expression of my personal views.

I moved to an African Sultanate a year ago. I was introduced to the Sultan who functions within a system that runs parallel to the national government. The President of our country is a grand patron, giving generously to a wide range of groups. He is a master of the patronage game. Within our smaller Sultanate, the president remains a patron, but our Sultan is a respected and honoured patron himself. Of course he is under our President, but many honour and respect the Sultan as their patron. Under him there are Kings and Chiefs and Patriarchs, each functioning as patrons of smaller groups. The community is sub-divided within this structure of patronage, giving honour to those who should be honoured. Religious leaders are also patrons of their own religious communities, which fit within the traditional and national patronage system.

Where do I fit? Of course I am part of a religious community, so we have our own patrons, and I can become a patron of a religious community without rejecting the patronage of a local religious leader. I can also become a client and beneficiary of a traditional and established patron such as the Sultan and a King. To what extent do I myself consciously or unconsciously establish a clientele? A beneficiary community being supported by me?

Within the church, Paul puts his very position at risk by critiquing the most senior members of the community (Acts: Peter & Barnabas). He teaches on structures that have the potential to bring about the ruin of his own work by putting in place local leadership (1 Timothy: Eldership)

Paul appeals to divine authority but stands to lose his life in the non-Church community who don’t recognise this authority that he claims. He stands by his ideas at the risk of being killed for them. Paul does benefit from some protection from his Roman citizenship, but this only comes into play after legal process is started against him.