A heart for Europe

A few years ago, God began to stir my heart rather unexpectedly for the West in general. Looking back, I can see some of it came from working at CAP, which is championing the Church in Australia to live out its mandate as salt and light in the world. A question that has been laid on my heart is how Christianity come to shape much of Europe and culture I swim in? And in this post-Christian shift, what does that mean for now?

Amsterdam in particular

Amsterdam is a city that raises questions. It has a rich historical legacy in being a place of refuge, and in that safety a space to explore big ideas. If you think of Amsterdam as a place of liberal free-thinking, you’d be right. Ideas of all kinds are entertained and encouraged and played out. But if you think such free-thinking excludes Christianity, you’d be making a mistake, I have found the opposite to be true.

Take a look at some of my stories from the past 12 months and you’ll see a city filled with people seeking truth.

In a world where truth is subjective and unknowable, I have known the relief of faces who entertain the idea for the first time that a stable worldview is possible. That they can base their lives and their identity on something both solid in it’s truth and awe-inspiring in it’s mystery at the same time.

Where some people see a place devoid of the knowledge and love of Christ and are afraid, I see a place devoid of the knowledge and love of Christ and am compelled to action — what a privilege and opportunity to share my great Hope with those who have given up on the idea of it altogether, or never known it was possible.