Lyle Shelton, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby wrote an op-ed in The Australian this week urging believers to spare a thought for Christians all around the world who suffer persecution at the hands of Islamic governments. “When we are sitting back watching the Pakistani cricket team strut its stuff in the World Cup, the least we can do is spare a thought for Asia Bibi. We should be asking why an Islamic government is killing her for a lesser crime than that supposedly committed by the journalists of Charlie Hebdo. For the deaths in Paris to have not been in vain, we must lose our fear of asking the tough questions of our Muslim friends.” Read the whole article here.

On the eve of the release of his new book, former church planter Peter W. Chin reflects on why disappointment plagues him, and why he thinks it’s one of the best things for him. “Disappointment is the absolute best thing for me. No one likes pain, whether physical or emotional. But we often forget that pain serves a necessary purpose: it points us to a deeper problem, or else a deeper need. We feel hunger because we need to eat, and experience thirst because our bodies need water. In this sense, pain is not negative because it makes us aware of a problem or a deficiency of some kind. Not feeling pain might seem like a superpower, but is actually a dangerous medical condition, and one of the main symptoms of leprosy.” Read his reflection here, and tell us about how you handle disappointment.