Author: Geoff Robson

Don’t Waste Your Vote – Part 1

Geoff Robson Christian Ethics, Christian Thought , , , ,

Seven tips on how not to vote

Green TickAs I’ve listened to my Australian friends talk about the upcoming Federal Election, one thing has become clear: no election in living memory seems to have inspired so much apathy and disappointment towards the major parties. Without commenting on whether or not this sense of frustration is warranted (which it absolutely is), it’s obvious that many people are feeling disillusioned enough to even question the value of their vote. But is that a healthy way for anyone (let alone Christians) to approach the privilege of casting a ballot? How should Christians approach the God-given opportunity to vote? Continue reading →

The Gospel And Who To Vote For – Part 2

Geoff Robson Christian Ethics, Christian Thought , , , , , , ,

Martin Luther KingIn the first of these posts on Christians and government, I began to outline how the Bible describes and understands earthly governments. We saw that governments are God-given authorities, instituted for the good ordering of society and worthy of our respect. So in our second post, it’s time to think more about how Christians should (or can) interact with their governing authorities.

Being good citizens
For starters, Christians should be good citizens. That statement is too general to mean much on its own, so it needs a little unpacking. As we saw in the previous post looking at Romans 13, being a good citizen will mean paying your taxes willingly and honestly. We’ll abide by the law, not just because we don’t want to get punished, but because our conscience tells us that if God has placed an authority over us, we do well to obey that authority. Continue reading →

Why David Cameron owes Jesus £1 million

Geoff Robson Quick Hits , , , , ,

Britain Prime MinisterIn the past week, in preparation for an upcoming talk, I went looking for information on what people consider to be the world’s single biggest problem. During my research, I stumbled across this fascinating story: British Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to award £1 million to anyone who can discover the world’s biggest problem – and solve it. Continue reading →

The Gospel And Who To Vote For – Part 1

Geoff Robson Christian Ethics, Christian Thought , , , , ,

Part One of a five-part series on how to think biblically about our governments, and about our vote 

DenariusThey do say you’re not supposed to discuss politics or religion in polite company. In this series of posts, I’m going to boldly (or maybe foolishly) attempt to do both at once! And I can guarantee you I feel unqualified to talk about this – at least about the political side of things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in politics and I think it’s vitally important – even if much of what I’ve learnt about it comes from The West Wing. But it’s not my specialty. And who could ever do justice to two areas of thought that are so profound and so varied? Continue reading →

Depression and the Christian: A collection of resources

Geoff Robson Christian Living ,

Where to turn when you face this battle

DepressionAt some point in life, we will all deal with depression. Whether it’s a personal battle, or something that afflicts a spouse, a child, a pastor, a friend – if this issue is not real for you now, then it will be one day. For that reason, I’ve asked around for some help to compile a collection of resources that offer a biblical perspective on dealing with depression and mental illness. I haven’t read most of these myself, so I can’t recommend them all personally, but based on trusting those who’ve offered the recommendation, I have a high level of confidence that they’ll be of help to you, and others. Continue reading →

Electing a leader for challenging times

Geoff Robson Ministry , , , ,

The Anglican Diocese of Sydney meets next week to elect a new Archbishop. Not from Sydney? Not an Anglican? Here’s why you should still care.

Glenn Davies (left) and Rick Smith
Glenn Davies (left) and Rick Smith (Photo Courtesy: sydneyanglicans.net)

If the phrase ‘church politics’ makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone. I suppose there are some people out there for whom it gets the blood racing (though lots of them won’t admit it), but for many, church politics is seen, at best, as something to tolerate; at worst, it’s seen as something to be despised or rejected. Continue reading →

Persevering in Evangelism: Reflections on a godly stranger

Geoff Robson Christian Living, Ministry ,

Don’t give up sharing your faith in Jesus, even when it seems like a waste of time

Beautiful FeetOver the last couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking about Russell. Not Russell from Up! (probably my favourite Russell); not ‘evil Russell’ from Survivor (probably my least favourite Russell); and not the short, freckly kid who thought it would be funny to climb the tallest tree at school and tie my bag up there when I was in Year 9 (probably somewhere in between the other two Russells).

The Russell I’ve been thinking about is a man who changed my life. But I don’t even know his last name, and I met him just once, more than 15 years ago. Continue reading →

Archbishop-elect Peter Jensen’s first media conference (2001)

Geoff Robson Christian Thought , , , , ,

A ‘blast from the past’: In 2001, I was working for Anglican Media Sydney, and transcribed Peter Jensen’s first media conference as Archbishop-elect of Sydney. I’m re-posting it here partly because it’s once again become a topic of interest for many people in Sydney – but also because it will encourage, challenge and even inspire you as a model of thoughtful Christian interaction with the world. Enjoy!

Peter JensenOPENING STATEMENT

I want to make this brief statement to begin.

First, I want to stake my life on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That’s the agenda; that’s the news as far as I’m concerned. Continue reading →

Religious freedom and grace to the vulnerable

Geoff Robson Quick Hits ,

Closing doorsOver the weekend, The Sydney Morning Herald posted this article about a bid to overturn NSW laws “allowing private schools to expel students simply because they are gay”.

You can read the article for yourself, but one of the key points it raised was the threat to freedom of religion and ethos for the schools in question. It’s a real issue – one to which I’m extremely sympathetic, and one that requires serious, ongoing thought in countries like New Zealand and Australia.

However, that’s not the only thing that caught my attention. As I read the article, I wondered: Why would any Christian school turn away a student solely because of that student’s sexuality? Continue reading →

Carl Trueman: What Can Miserable Christians Sing?

Geoff Robson Quick Hits ,

Carl TruemanYesterday at the TSCF 2013 National Conference, I was reminded of this brilliant article by Carl Trueman (during an equally brilliant talk by Paul Windsor on the Psalms). I very highly recommend anything by Carl Trueman, but this article became something of an instant classic when he first penned it a few years back. It has the arresting title, ‘What Can Miserable Christians Sing?’

You can read the whole article here, but here’s a sample to whet your appetite:

“By excluding the cries of loneliness, dispossession, and desolation from its worship, the church has effectively silenced and excluded the voices of those who are themselves lonely, dispossessed, and desolate, both inside and outside the church. Continue reading →