Ron’s loyalty was to Scripture. He was no more radical than John Wesley or Charles Finney (and certainly far less radical than Saint Anthony and Saint Francis).

As I once pointed out to him, he was much more conciliatory than the biblical figures of Amos; Jeremiah; John the Baptist (Luke 3:11); and, most important of all, the Lord Jesus, who said we cannot be his disciples unless we surrender all our possessions (Luke 12:33; 14:33).

Although Ron was often associated with the evangelical Left, he remained consistently pro-life and insisted that the church should maintain biblical sexual ethics. I’m pretty sure that he and I didn’t always vote the same way, despite our agreement on ethics, but I never doubted that his vote was informed by his biblical conscience.

In conversation, I found him ready to embrace what he saw as the best solutions from either side of today’s (tragically polarized) political aisle, and he maintained contacts on both sides of that split. He always remained the consistent evangelical Anabaptist that he was—living simply and sacrificially and working on behalf of the needy. The 2013 book of essays dedicated in his honor is fittingly titled Following Jesus: Journeys in Radical Discipleship.

Read it all.

From CTmagazine: An advocate for the environment. An opponent of apartheid. Consistently pro-life. Concerned for the poor.

In memory of Ron Sider, who spoke to evangelicals about social justice & the mainline church about evangelism: https://t.co/oQ4JNJxjvs

— Carol Flohr Giles (@giles_carol) August 2, 2022

…there is no escaping the fact that Al Qaeda continues to fester under the Taliban. This means that the U.S.-Taliban engagement of the past several years has failed. That engagement was predicated on the belief that the Taliban — which hosted Bin Laden before Sept. 11 — would change their ways, seek better relations with the world and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist safe haven. Al-Zawahri’s sanctuary in Kabul makes clear that America can’t rely on the Taliban’s word.

Unsurprisingly, the Taliban see the targeting of al-Zawahri in Kabul as a blow to their honor and a violation of Afghan sovereignty and the U.S.-Taliban agreement of 2020, and they could respond by stepping up support to Al Qaeda and allied terrorist groups in Afghanistan. (The U.S. government says the Taliban have violated tenets of the agreement by hosting Al-Zawahri.)

Al-Zawahri’s successful targeting in Kabul doesn’t mean that the threat is now over. If anything, it demonstrates that Al Qaeda is resurfacing in Afghanistan and that despite sanctions, the Taliban are comfortable, secure and enabling threats against the region and the Western world.

Read it all.

“There is no escaping the fact that Al Qaeda continues to fester under the Taliban. This means that the U.S.-Taliban engagement of the past several years has failed,” writes @asfandyarmir. https://t.co/sRLpJwJhrl

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) August 2, 2022

Read it all.

The decision announced Friday that the Global South bishops will sit during Holy Communion during all of Lambeth’s Eucharistic services sent shock waves through the Anglican Twitterverse. It was bold. It was clear. It was divisive. But is division truly a bad thing? It is often assumed that it is, in all forms and at all times. To say it can actually be good is controversial. Archbishop Justin Welby stated at Lambeth that “division doesn’t matter,” that essentially, you can disagree and yet still be united. At other times he called division downright unacceptable and wrong. But the scriptures and reason point to the reality that often division, if not an end in and of itself, is good if it leads to a greater good: true unity.

This true unity is both created by and expressed through Holy Communion. It is a unity set in “one faith, one Lord, one baptism.” Certainly Abp. Welby would say all these things are true of the various churches together at Lambeth, that Communion should be taken by all because, despite our disagreements, we do share one faith, we do have one Lord. But can those bishops who worship with Muslims or engage in pagan ceremonies or deny the physical resurrection of Christ be said to worship the same Lord as those who hold to a biblically orthodox view of God? Or can those who deny the validity of the Scriptures or the Creed or who allow for sexual immorality in the Church be said to hold the same faith as those who continue in orthodox dogma and praxis? Reason would say no. At times one has to wonder how much reason is left in Canterbury.

If our faith can be expressed only by the most minimal of qualifications, what was the point of synods and councils in the Church’s past? Why all the effort? Would Sts. Peter and James have had to facilitate a disagreement between Jews and Gentiles at the Council of Jerusalem? Why wouldn’t St. Paul simply accept Judaizers along with orthodox Christians, saying that, though they believed different things, they were really all one? What was the point of the Ecumenical Councils? Should the Arians and the orthodox simply have communed together? After all, both parties called Jesus “Lord.” They both believed He was divine. They just disagreed on how divine he really was.

Read it all.

"Today in Canterbury, we may be ‘gathered together’, but we most certainly cannot ‘walk together’ until provinces which have gone against Scripture-and the will of the consensus of the bishops-repent and return to orthodoxy." Abp Badi: https://t.co/9qDXlJ2RPX#LambethConference pic.twitter.com/PbguW7OMDy

— Lambeth '22 Resource Group (@LCResourceGroup) July 30, 2022

From there:

GSFA to Offer Bishops at the Lambeth Conference An Opportunity To Re-Affirm Lambeth 1.10

– Text Available August 2, 2pm

In fulfilment of one of its four stated priorities for the Lambeth Conference, tomorrow (AUG 2), the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) shall offer bishops an opportunity to re-affirm Lambeth 1.10 as the Anglican Communion’s official teaching on marriage and sexuality.

From 2pm, the Text of the Call shall be made available from the EFAC Stand in the Resource Centre, at various entrances on the Campus, via email to over 250 orthodox bishops signed up to receive GSFA notifications, and on www.lambeth22resourcegroup.com. A covering note to the text shall explain how bishops can anonymously reaffirm, and in a secure manner.

As a matter of courtesy, a copy of the text shall be given to the Archbishop of Canterbury tonight.

A Press Release, with details of the text, and how bishops shall reaffirm, will be circulated tomorrow, at 2pm. A range of international media has been pre-selected for interview. Following electronic distribution of the press release by Paul Eddy, PR Consultant to the GSFA/EFAC Resource Group and my Official Spokesman for the Conference, other media wanting an interview should email Paul (details below).

● For copies of all GSFA press releases, visit www.lambeth22resourcegroup.com

Archbishop Justin Badi, Chairman, GSFA & Archbishop of South Sudan

Almighty God, who didst raise up thy servant Samuel Ferguson and inspire in him a missionary vision of thy Church in education and ministry: Stir up in us through his example a zeal for a Church, alive with thy Holy Word, reaching forth in love and service to all; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

O Lord, who seest the multitudes, and art moved with compassion because they are an-hungered: Inspire thy Church with thy love and pity to gather unto thee the famished souls of men, that they may be satisfied with the living Bread; and as thou carest for the bodies as well as for the souls of men, move us and all thy servants with like mercy; that the needy may be fed and clothed, and that none may be homeless or destitute; for the glory of thy holy name.

What's left.#killarney #landscapephotography #landscapes #photography #photooftheday #PictureOfTheDay #ThePhotoHour #bealpha pic.twitter.com/7uNYyp3us2

— Ben McCarthy photography (@bennmcc2016) August 2, 2022

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

–Acts 3:1-10

I’m chasing that fecking pot of gold it must be maaaahoosive. #biggestrainbowever😂#massivepotofgold @BBCScotWeather @ThePhotoHour @WindyWilson88 pic.twitter.com/6uvurKlzUh

— Mark Gardner💙🇺🇦 (@mjgardner73) August 2, 2022