Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in, or you felt anxious, insecure or hurt? Back in 1995 Daniel Goleman popularised the idea of "Emotional Intelligence" (EQ), which is about being able to identify, manage and express one's emotions in the world around them. Jesus popularised the idea of loving God with your whole heart, well before books on EQ became common knowledge.
I've taken the time to pack into this article, "10 Big Issues" in the world today (in no particular order). They're not the only issues, that's granted. I wonder, what issues concern you the most?
1. Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Chinese foreign policy is to play the long game; a game of soft-power, wooing small island nations into partnering with Beijing. Take for instance China strengthening their security ties with the Solomon Islands. You also hear of the aggression from the Chinese military. Following the inauguration of the new pro-democracy Taiwanese President, Lai Ching-te, the Chinese have been flexing their muscles, intimidating Taiwan. Combined with the rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, that he may not defend Taiwan if the Chinese were to attack, you end up with a fragile region. Even Australia, who is a middle power, geopolitically, continually seeks to strengthen its ties with its allies (AUKUS for instance). While the Chinese friends I have seek peace, some of signs from the CCP in recent times are cause for concern.
2. The destabilisation of democracy in the United States. Historically, many would point to the lead up to the 2016 Presidential Election, when Hillary Clinton went up against Donald Trump, as a moment when the United States become further fractured and divided. There have been other moments, of course, including the death of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. One might consider the abortion debate as well, as the far right and the far left dug their heels in and fought for their respective positions in the Roe V Wade debate. Democracy is fragile in the U.S. The flow-on effect is big: a declining economy, declining influence globally, fractured militaristic ties, ever-growing migration issues, and the list goes on. When will the United States of America actually be united?
3. The increasing divide between right and left ideologies. I can't cite the research, but anecdotally it feels that the left and the right are becoming more militant in their views. There seems to be less unity than there used to be. While we disagreed over many issues in the past, at least we used to be able to sit around a table and disagree politely. Social media has a lot to answer for, in its hyped-up, fake environments, where we all consume news and entertainment based on algorithms that put us in an ideological box. What would our culture be like, if we just took a chill-pill and sought after unity and peace, rather than anger, judgmentalism and arrogant finger-pointing, and cheap jokes at other people's expense?
4. The prospect of war in the Middle East. Since October 7th, 2023 (and arguably well before that), there has been increasing tension in the Middle East. Israel vs Hamas. Israel vs Hezbollah. Iran's nuclear ambitions. The fight of Sunnis vs Shiites. Recently we've witnessed it escalate, and no matter how many United Nations Security Council Resolutions get passed down, and no matter what the International Court of Justice seeks to impose, the threat of war is real. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Australia has been calling Australians in Lebanon to come home while they can. God help us.
5. Growing income inequality around the world. The phrase is true: The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. I can't wait until trickle-down economics actually occurs; I wouldn't mind a little more in my pocket. Unfortunately, the "invisible hand", as Adam Smith would call it, doesn't always provide a free-market economy that helps every individual flourish. Governments enact economic policy so, to the best of their ability, there is "efficiency, fairness, and sustainability" embedded in the system (See Jeffrey Sachs' "The Price of Civilization"). I still can't stomach CEOs earning squillions of dollars, while their employees are just scrapping by on minimum wage.
6. The fight for gender equality amid a stubborn culture of patriarchy. The Andrew Tate's of the world seem to get a following, for some unknown reason that boggles my mind. I'm a believer that men and women should be getting paid the same for the same work they do. Women should have the same opportunities men have to work in differing industries, and the same opportunities to be appointed to leadership positions around the board room. Some cultures are behind the eight-ball in this area. Afghanistan has gone back to the dark ages, since the United States pulled their troops out of Kabul. Girls aren't even allowed to go to school! Goal 5 of 17 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals aims to, "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls."
7. The rise of Artificial Intelligence. This rapid rise of new technology could see the biggest shift in the job economy the world has ever seen, at least since the Industrial Revolution. I see a few big issues with AI. Firstly, there will be ever-increasing judicial issues related to regulating the use of AI. I heard stories recently in Australia of school boys using AI to change photos of women and girls to create explicitly pornographic content. Secondly, authenticating a piece of art/music/writing, etc and knowing whether something was actually created by someone (and whether they will be remunerated accordingly). Thirdly, the loss of many, many jobs, that once seemed to have ongoing job security (driverless cars, APPs that take minutes in meetings, automated shopping purchases, etc).
8. The rise of populism and a move away from centre-led political parties. We've seen this move away from the centre in the French elections. When Emmanuel Macron, who is a centrist called a snap election, we saw the rise of the far-right National Rally party, that almost swept into power. We've seen it in American politics, with the rise of Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, but popular among many in the States. Populism is defined as a political ideology that, "positions the people as a morally just, good group in society, in contrast with other people who are elitist and out of touch with society." The concern with the rise of populism is the destabilising of democracy across the globe, causing divisiveness, anger and disunity. The populist leader uses powerful rhetoric to sow division and thus create a following. It's less about policy and more about personality.
9. Russia's fight for Eastern Europe. We don't hear enough about Russia's invasion on Ukraine anymore. It's like it's not as interesting as it used to be. The Russian government are probably happy about that. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced. Family units have been torn apart. The Ukrainians have been fighting to hold their land and live in peace. And we all know that the Russian government won't stop if they win in Ukraine. They'll keep coming. Vladamir Putin has a legacy he wants to create. He won't stop until he's got the whole USSR back together again. And for us, outside of Russia and Ukraine, we work to welcome refugees, and deal with inflationary pressures due to fragile supply chains. We hope for peace, but all we can see is war.
10. A rising fundamentalist brand of Christianity. Followers of Jesus are called to live out the values of God's kingdom. We might define them as the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Let's be honest, some of us are having trouble living out those fruits, as we look at the big issues in the world today. Some of us are becoming angry, impatient, frustrated and a little bit sharp and judgmental. I guess I can see why, but that's not the way of Christ. Even in the days of Jesus, you saw him living courageously within the Father's will, within a culture of the oppressive Roman Empire and an antagonistic Jewish religious cohort. I don't think the rising of a bitter, fundamentalist branch of Christianity is what the Holy Spirit of God is calling us to. We're called to be citizens of heaven, and pray for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.
And that my friends, is the key to these 10 big issues in the world today. We pray that God would be honoured, and that God's beautiful, life giving peace would envelop our world, and that people would know the joy, peace and comfort found through his son, Jesus Christ.
So what's your biggest concern? And what can we do about it?
[There's more to say. Take for instance, environmental degradation, deforestation, divided views on human sexuality and abortion, rigid (even racist) views on first nations' peoples, the rising cost of living, health outcomes in developing countries and more...] Feel free to add your passion to the comments. God bless.
A few years back I hit 150kgs (330 pounds) and I looked at myself in the mirror and said to myself, "I need to make a change." I felt embarrassed, disappointed and frustrated. Why did I not have the self-control or the will power to do something about this?
My parents visited from the other side of Australia, and we sat in a coffee shop sipping extra hot lattes. We spoke about leadership, and namely credibility and authenticity in leadership. It was a beautiful Godly moment where the question came up, "How can I possibly lead others, if I can't even lead myself?" Here I was, in my forties, with tears in my eyes (and not because the latte was weak), knowing I needed to change.
I made some immediate changes. And here's the key (I think), on how to lose weight. Make small changes. Substitute the toast for high fibre cereal. Walk to the shops instead of driving. Eat an apple instead of those incredibly addictive biscuits. Make a small change. Maybe once a week. I chose early on to start drinking sparkling water instead of soft drink. You don't make all these small changes at once, otherwise you can just fall in a heap when you don't succeed.
Another thought on how to lose weight: Get an accountability partner. This might sound crazy to you, but I text my Dad every Monday morning with my weight. Not out of judgment. Not because I have to. But because I need the accountability. I tell you, I get to Friday morning and if I've had a tough week (of eating too much), I feel a bit of fear in me, to get moving and scale back my eating, because Monday morning I'm weighing in. You might have a friend who is healthier than you... Ask them if they can touch base via messenger once a week.
How to lose weight: point number 3. Get back up again. I fail all the time. Every third day, I eat something I shouldn't. Or I sleep in rather than go for a run. If you want to lose weight, just choose to get back up again. Go again. God helping you: stop the slippery slope and start again. No shame. No judgment, just start again.
