Trump, Meth and Tennis.
Good Morning and Welcome to this week’s Gospel and Culture update, by Alan Vink
Monday 10th February 2020
But first……..welcome to this new weekly blog. As I mentioned at the end of last year I have ‘test driven’ this new offering for 10 weeks late last year and the feedback has been very encouraging.
It has come about due to a growing interest by everyday Christians and leaders alike to understand the times in which we live in a relatively quick and easy read with an option to go deeper if desired.
Please feel absolutely free to unsubscribe in the normal manner if you wish.
Trump Should Be Removed From Office
In late December/early January the Christian blogosphere fired up big time (actually there was quite a bit of commentary in the main stream media as well) when Editor Mark Galli of Christianity Today (CT) made a case for the removal of Trump either through impeachment or at the next Elections. You can read it here. This is not something CT does often in fact hardly ever. The back lash was swift and strong prompting CT’s CEO to issue a statement here.
I have read a number of rebuttal’s to the Galli article but perhaps the best and most detailed is Dr Wayne Grudem’s. Dr Grudem is a biblical scholar of note with a speciality in Christian Ethics.
My Point of View (POV). I want to be very careful with any public comment I make. I am not a US citizen and I don’t live in America. From where I sit I am troubled by the way many in the religious right have cuddled up to the current Administration. That cannot be a good thing. In fact Billy Graham warned about this very thing back in 1981 when he said:-
And of course Jesus himself didn’t seem to exert direct influence on the politics of his day even though He threatened the existing political establishment all the time. I am also troubled at the deep divisions in US politics at present and though Trump has added to it I don’t believe he alone has caused it. It’s been brewing for a long time.
Fortunately in NZ we don’t have this situation currently. Christians support and vote across the political spectrum and if anything I would say there is far too little commentary by Christian leaders on policy issues particularly when the Bible has some clear words to say on the issue. E.g. Abortion, Euthanasia, Climate Change, Sexual Ethics, Marriage, Welfare Economics etc.
Meth Mountain
On January 8th, the NZ Herald ran an investigative article on the Meth problem in NZ. Though that article isn’t online for some reason a similar one is written by the same author in May last year.
I think we all know NZ has a BIG problem right here. In fact NZ is now one of the most lucrative markets in the world for both P and cocaine so much so that it has attracted drug cartels from Mexico and China. Last year 1777kg of Meth was seized up from 941kg in previous record year in 2016, a whooping 87% increase. The flooding of the market has led to a price drop from $700 per gram to $500 per gram….yes per gram. It costs NZ a million dollars everyday in social harm.
It is well known that Marijuana is a gateway drug to other more powerful drugs like P and cocaine. I would urge us all to get acquainted with the issues and please vote in this years referendum. I for one will vote NO on the legalisation of Marijuana.
It's hard to know what to do. Drugs of any kind harm people and usually the vulnerable and the poor are harmed the most. Maybe every church could consider having some budget available for people who come to our church and are addicted and want to get free. We could help them into rehabilitation etc. What about offering a support group for loved ones of addicts or even a recovery group for recovering addicts?
Figure It Out!
January every year is the month for Tennis in NZ and Australia.
Serena Williams. With the most Grand Slam titles of any player, Serena Williams dominates the sport. Throughout her career, she’s won 72 titles, winning 796 matches and only losing 133. Tennis players make a lot of money when they win a tournament title. Just for reference, in 2018, US Open winners were awarded $US3.8 million each. Serena’s career prize money alone totals $US88 million, which is $US50 million more than any other professional women’s tennis player. But she makes even more from sponsorship deals. Source: Business Insider Australia.
The Dominant Three – Djokovic, Federer and Nadel. These titans of tennis have earned $215m, $200m and $185m from tennis winnings respectively. Multiply by 3 to add in income from endorsements etc. Source: TV1 News.
I don’t begrudge these folks the money. In fact once upon a time I had dreams of being a tennis star……imagine that for a moment……anyone for a game of tennis? But the money in professional sport (not just tennis) is staggering these days all the while right across the street or around the corner or within 5 mins of drive time where these games are played are folks with insufficient food to feed their children. That’s troubling isn’t it?
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Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.
