We should not only see the tares or weeds, the negative, but also remind ourselves of the positive things God is doing, the wheat.

Notice how many buddha statues or wall hangings are for sale in local garden centres, or in home improvement centres, or cosmetic shops.

Sadly ‘integrity’, ‘incorruptibility’ and ‘honesty’ are not words often used to describe today’s politicians. That’s why we cannot leave our future just to the politicians.

When the devil lies, Jesus said, he speaks his native language. As fallen human beings, it is our native language too. Lying is universal.

Granted, the European Union is a very imperfect human project, not to be confused with God’s kingdom. Yet we are told to pray for God’s kingdom to come, that is, for his will to be done in Europe as it is in heaven.

Whether the election results swing left or right, the church will always steer its own course. And she will not be afraid to be critical of the government where the gospel would require. A manifesto by theologians Janneke Stegeman and Alain Verheij.

Citizens from all over Europe are driving to Brussels to offer themselves as ‘Official European Chauffeurs’, willing to bring refugees to their respective countries.

Valentine was right. Marriage is worth paying a price for.

When confronted with the dichotomy of ‘people’ or ‘elite’, Jesus refused to be cornered. His answers to trick questions introduced a new dimension.

Paul instructed his readers to pray for the authoritarian leaders of his day, so that the ‘soft powers’ of the gospel–love, truth and justice–could prevail.

While his powerful use of the new technology of printing, his appeal to the masses and opposition to the ‘corrupt elites’ certainly resonate with the populist image, his goal was to reform, not overthrow, the established order.

Globally, some 65 million people have been displaced this year, roughly equivalent to Britain’s whole population.

Slovakian MEP Branislav Škripek, Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, and former prime minister of Ethiopia Tamrat Layne, spoke about how faith in God has shaped their lives.

A healthy, informed debate on the role of migration is sadly lacking in Europe. Europeans talk about migration, Africans talk about the diaspora.

A man who thinks the whole world revolves around him has been helped into the White House by millions of evangelical Christians.

As Americans go to the voting booths to choose the candidate they hate the least, we in Europe need to brace ourselves for the outcomes.

509,980 is the number of people forced into labour in the EU. That’s more people than those living in Toulouse. Or Liverpool. Or Gdansk. Or Antwerp.

There is a place for patriotism and healthy national pride. But surely we should get nervous when British exceptionalism and nationalistic fervour get wrapped up in religious language.

In response to television programmes romanticising adultery, one parliamentarian in Netherlands raised sponsorship for roadside adverts stating: ‘Adultery–the family game where everyone loses’.

Sir Fred Catherwood: “Patriotism gives to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. But in the end nationalism wants total allegiance, because it is more than politics. It is religion.”

“Christians should be prepared to argue for positions which advance the international common good even at the apparent expense of their national interests”, Dr Jonathan Chaplin said in Amsterdam (May 8-9).

Kajsa Wahlberg: ‘Criminals are businessmen; they calculate profits, marketing factors and risks of getting caught before investing time and money into selling women in a particular place.’

Freedom needs spiritual values, internalised discipline and self-government. The truth will set us free, Jesus promised.

Healthy debate about the future of the European project is stirring in Britain. And that really needs to happen in all member nations.

Journalism? What’s that got to do with the Great Commission, some would wonder. Shouldn’t he be translating the Bible, preaching, or maybe caring for the sick?