Thursday, December 21, 2006

A Long View of History

I found two interesting interactive maps this morning that track the world-wide growth of religion and the imperial history of the middle-east. These interactive maps from a website called "Maps of War (www.mapsofwar.com)" can be found at the following links:
Imperial History of the Middle East:

History of Religion:

I wonder how much of the "Christian conquests" in history actually served the message of the Gospel. What is the message of the Gospel? How do we go about ministering/preaching/teaching the message of Jesus with integrity in this divided world of ours? What kind of Christian Leadership will bring about authentic transformation?

It remains my conviction that a long view of history coupled with a clear understanding of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures hold the promise of a resurgence of the kind of Christian Leadership that will change the world.