–– Paul Schlehlein

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Not too long ago, the President of France criticised the leader of Burkina Faso for ingratitude. Captain Ibrahim Traoré felt insulted and retorted that it was Emmanuel Macron who lacked thankfulness.

Ingratitude is a serious offence against God that marks the last days (2Tm. 3:2) and is the source of many sins. A man steals because he’s not thankful for what he has, commits adultery because he’s not thankful for his wife, and gossips because he’s forgotten his friend’s virtues. So rare is gratitude that only one leper returned to thank Jesus (Lk. 17:12-19). 

Watch the news long enough, and one can easily slip into despair and victim mode. And yet, in the face of corruption, poverty, conflict, xenophobia, load-shedding, farm murders, unemployment, and deflation of currency, there are far more things for which to be thankful. 

Here are five reasons Christians should replace victimhood with gratitude.

–– Evan Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Africa’s population has boomed over the last few decades, and is on track to be the world’s most populous continent by the 2070s. 

The Pew Research Centre recently published an article highlighting five facts about Africa’s population growth:

1. Since 1950, Africa’s population has grown more than sixfold – an increase of approximately 1.3 billion people. Africa’s current population is 1.5 billion people, and is projected to reach between 2.7 billion and 5.2 billion by the end of the century. 
2. Africa also has a growing share of the world’s young people. Currently, 28% of all people under 25 live in Africa. By the end of the century, it is projected to reach 46%. 
3. By the end of the century, Africa is expected to have 12 of the world’s 25 most populated countries, compared to only 6 at present. Nigeria is expected to remain the highest at 4^th place, with South Africa falling from 24^th to 25^th worldwide. 
4. The fourth fact is frightening. Africa is the only world region where overall fertility remains above replacement levels. The overall fertility rate is approximately 3.9 births per woman, above the global replacement level of approximately 2.1 births per woman. That rate is down sharply from a peak of 6.7 births per woman in 1972, and is projected to decline to 2.8 by 2050, meaning that while Africa’s population will continue to grow, it will do so more slowly than it has thus far. 
5. The current median age in Africa is 19, but it is projected to rise to 35 by the end of the century, as fertility rates fall and life expectancies increase. 

What does the Bible say about childbirth and fertility? Here are three biblical reasons to be grateful for God’s good gift of children: 

–– Joe Shoko

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Someone once said, ‘The internet is the only place where someone who does not know you and has never seen you before, can speak into your life’s circumstances and have a profound impact on your life.’ This is proving to be true each passing day, and sadly, the consequences are quite devastating. 

How did we get here? Before the internet era, people used ‘brick phones’, and news was not as readily available. In that age, a friend or family member could pass away, and you wouldn’t hear of it for years; a colleague would enjoy a blissful wedding with no camera, lights, live recordings, or choreography.

There are no bible verses that directly address the matters of owning a phone, taking a picture, social media applications, or having a Hollywood-style wedding, but there are verses that address the state of the human heart and the actions of man. 

–– Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Postmodern ideologies—socialism, feminism, environmentalism, transgenderism, and post-colonialism—harbour a pernicious hostility toward beauty. Such ideologies have increasingly become a mainstay across the African continent.

This is the legacy of egalitarianism: in its attempt to neutralise, equalise, and androgynize all things, beauty is often the first casualty. Within an egalitarian framework, distinction and excellence are perceived as threats because both are hallmarks of beauty. Under this ideological dogma, standing out is treated as an offence, and excelling as an injustice.