Society & Politics

• Christian MSP openly shares her faith on BBC. In an interview with Nick Robinson for the BBC, Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes was remarkably candid about her Christian faith within her high-profile position. Appearing on Nick Robinson’s Political Thinking Podcast, Ms Forbes declared “I believe in the person of Jesus Christ. I believe that he died for me, he saved me and that my calling is to serve and to love him and to serve and love my neighbours with all my heart and soul and mind and strength”. She admitted to sometimes “tiptoeing around” her faith, but stressed she never tries to hide it. Read more in these two insightful articles, here and here.
• School picketed after headteacher says Palestinian flag makes some Jews feel ‘unsafe’. A school headteacher in Leeds urged discretion when pupils began displaying the Palestinian flag at school. Emphasising the importance of dialogue, and seeking to end a practice which was causing some pupils distress, the teacher warned that some may see the flag as a ‘call to arms’ or that it might be ‘seen as a message of support for anti-Semitism’. Immediately, the headteacher was accused of "wild Islamophobia" and seeking the "complete erasure of Palestine". A mob formed outside the school gates, and a petition called for his resignation and a police investigation into his 'extremist views'. Read also this additional story. 
• European churches ranked by their LGBTI inclusivity. A ‘Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe’ ranks Christian church groups by their “LGBTI inclusivity”. The Index uses 47 indicators of LGBTI “inclusivity,” the top two of which are: 1) The Bible is not used as a normative instrument for defining gender roles and is not interpreted as a condemnation of LGBTI people or of LGBTI lived desires, sexualities, and identities. 2) The church officiates ‘same-sex marriages’ and/or holds a blessing ceremony for same-sex couples. Unsurprisingly, evangelical churches are likely to appear at the bottom of the list.

Church News

• Poll finds only 6% of Americans hold to ‘biblical worldview’. A recent survey conducted by the respected Barna Group found that while 51% of American adults claim to have a “biblical worldview", only 6% actually hold this worldview. For example, of the 51%, 49% said that reincarnation was a possibility after they die, while only 33% said they believed that “human beings are born with a sinful nature and can only be saved from the consequences of sin by Jesus Christ.” The poll follows one conducted in 2020 which found that only 2% of millennials (born 1980-95) hold a biblical worldview even though 61% identify as Christian.

World Events

• Carnage kills dozens in three North African nations. A group of Islamic extremists are suspected to have ambushed, opened fire and killed 15 people during a baptism celebration in Burkina Faso last week. Many others were forced to flee the village, located in the mainly Christian north, near the border with Mali. Meanwhile at least 14 people were reportedly killed in recent violence in Sudan, following an attack by Misseriya tribesmen in the oil-rich Abyei region. And 8 Christians were killed and a church burnt to the ground during ongoing attacks in Nigeria. The attack in question was attributed to armed bandits, thought, as in almost all cases, to be radical Islamists. Read also ‘Media weep for Palestinians, ignore Genocide of Christians in Nigeria’.
• Muslim mob terrorise Christians in Pakistan. Meanwhile, at least eight Christians have been left with fractured bones after a small Christian village in the Okara region of Punjab, Pakistan, was terrorised by a Muslim mob of around 200 people.
• Andrea Bocelli praises mother’s choice not to abort him. 62 years ago, a young pregnant Italian, Edi Bocelli was advised by her doctors to abort the child because, they said, “the baby would be born with some disability.” A devout Catholic, Edi Bocelli refused. Her son was born with congenital glaucoma and was completely blind by age 12. But Andrea was born with other gifts. One, his singing voice, has been called “the most beautiful in the world.” In fact, Andrea Bocelli’s albums have sold over 90 million copies. Ahead of Italian Mothers Day on 8 May, Bocelli has shared a touching musical tribute to his mother in the form of ‘Mamma’, which beautiful song can be heard here.
• 80% increase in anti-semitic acts in America. A security organisation has reported an 80% increase in antisemitic incidents in the US during this month’s 11-day war between Israel and Hamas. The incidents included: “Acts of vandalism from Oregon to Virginia, synagogue desecrations from Illinois to Arizona, reports of people having bottles thrown at them, children’s playgrounds being daubed with swastikas in New York and Tennessee.” One reason for the spike in the number of incidents is believed to have been disinformation spread on both social and mainstream media. Read also.

Israel & The Middle East

• Death of pioneering biblical archaeologist. Leading Israeli biblical archaeologist Dr Eilat Mazar died this week, aged 64. Mazar, who comes from a family of well-known archaeologists, was a field archaologist and a lecturer at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is best known for her discovery of 'King David’s palace' in the City of David and many biblically-tied artifacts and constructions. Unusually, she was willing to partner with Christian allies and financial supporters. While greatly respected by her academic colleagues, they often clashed with her, owing to her deep respect for the Bible as history. “Pore over it again and again”, she would say, “for it contains within it descriptions of genuine historical reality”. Read more here.
• Israelis discover food that could help beat Covid. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in southern Israel have discovered that probiotic yogurt might be the new super-tool in the fight against inflammatory diseases like the coronavirus. Molecules from the yoghurt can treat various inflammatory conditions, including COVID-19 related cytokine storms and also inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). So promising is the discovery that the university’s technology transfer company has established a start-up company for the further development and commercialisation of the technology. Another study shows that taking vitamins may cut the risk of Covid infection by 13%.

Opportunities to serve with Issachar Ministries
Issachar Ministries is seeking volunteers with professional backgrounds and skills: in particular HR and IT/technical, but also legal, accounting, business, finance, charity governance, to serve the Lord with us at an exciting time of transition and new opportunity.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please respond by 31 May.