Editor’s Note from May 08, 1970

As I sit in a German hotel room waiting to board a plane for Paris (there to attend a two-day conference on evangelism in Europe in the next decade), I am very much aware of the great difficulty the language barrier has produced for missionaries across the centuries. Now the Bible has been translated, in whole or in part, into more than 1,300 tongues and dialects. Most of the people in the world who can read have the Word of God available to them, and in this we can all rejoice.

I’ve been reading the galleys of a forthcoming book by Stephen Neill, who has been closely associated with the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches, and I want to share with readers this word from him: “Experience has shown that the order of priority must always be first conversion and then social change; if the inner transformation has been brought about, the problem of social change and uplift can be tackled with far greater prospects of success. The old principle of the gospel, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,’ has proved itself to be not a remote and distant ideal but the most practical of advice” (Call to Mission, to be published soon by Fortress Press).

Despite the pleasures of travel, the prospect of returning home is inviting. I’m reminded of a stanza from a poem by Henry Van Dyke I learned years ago:

So, it’s home again, and home

again, America for me!

My heart is turning home again,

and there I long to be

In the land of youth and freedom

beyond the ocean bars

Where the air is full of sunlight,

and the flag is full of stars.

Our Latest

News

Amid Fragile Cease-Fire, Limited Aid Reaches Gazans

Locals see the price of flour rise and fall as truce is strained and some borders remain closed.

News

Federal Job Cuts Hit Home as Virginia Picks Its Next Governor

Meanwhile, the GOP candidate draws from Trump’s playbook to focus on transgender issues in schools. 

Religious OCD and Me

Scrupulosity latches onto the thing we hold most dear—our relationship with God.

Why ‘The Screwtape Letters’ Is Uncomfortable to Watch

The two-actor play uses C. S. Lewis’s classic work to warn people—especially Christians—about the dangers of lukewarm faith.

News

Fewer Hong Kong Youth Interested in Seminary

Many feel disillusioned about the church and its lack of engagement amid the turmoil of the past few years.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Tiffany Loftin: How Everyday People Win Big Change

A conversation about the challenges of sustaining joy while fighting injustice.

Public Theology Project

A Real Revival Is Not Controllable 

It implies a movement of the Spirit, not just a boost in numbers.

From Our Community

For Vince Bacote, the Black Evangelical Story Has Something for Everyone

The theologian behind a recent documentary on what compelled him to tell a challenging and beautiful story.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube