Signs of the Times

September 2002

Lance Armstrong: Winner Making the most of life

Armstrong has unmistakable drive and ambition— anyone who completes the gruelling race does—but his is unmatchable, a story worth the telling. Armstrong’s journey took him to the depths of physical and emotional despair and allowed him to understand what most people spend their lives searching for— that life is a journey and the journey is a gift.

Do You Know What You’re Eating?

You go into the milk bar, your mouth watering for a hot, straight-out-of-the-oven meat pie. But even dedicated carnivores might not be so keen if they knew what the pie actually contained.

Fighting the Demon of Sex Abuse

Both the Church of England and Catholic faiths, at their administrative levels, have come under severe criticism for their policies relating to sexual abuse by their clergy. While the policies were always flawed, they appeared adequate to the times, for some leaders at least. These out-of-date policies are now seen as unacceptable (and perhaps they always were) in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Faith in the ICU

I remember the night I brushed the hair from Vanessa’s* young face. Although chagrined at her situation—she was medically brain dead—I remained at peace. It was 2 am. I welcomed the quiet of night duty, free from relatives and daytime bustle. Is there any chance You could save this girl? I asked God.

Working Through the Blues

Let’s say you’ve just been having a bad day, and what you’re dealing with is clearly a case of the blues. What will help you pull yourself out of the doldrums? Following are some strategies—questions to ask yourself—the next time you’re blue.

Enjoy Your Retirement

In planning for retirement couples often overlook the changes that may occur in both themselves and their relationship with their spouse. Following are 10 ways to help couples enjoy their retirement more.

Hope for Our Fragile World

It seems as if the ecologists are the new prophets of doom, as they seek to warn us of dangers ahead. In fact, we’re getting a wake-up call—an ultimatum to clean up our act or suffer the consequences. Then there’s the threat to our planet of September 11–type of terrorism. Our politicians warn us we can expect more, including nuclear devices.

Liberty Is Their Monument

No cathedral stands as a monument to them, no city has a museum filled with their memorabilia and no leader has been honoured in a country’s history, yet all Christian faiths of today owe a debt to these believers for the concept of freedom of worship and of conscience that they pioneered and earned with their blood.

Same Difference

A poem of reflection on the September 11 attacks.

The Man Who Won’t Go Away

Charles Templeton was once a Christian minister, a close friend and associate of Billy Graham. But he began to doubt the reliability of the Bible and shared his arguments with the young Graham. Graham wrestled with the concerns, but decided the Bible was trustworthy. He went into a Los Angeles evangelistic campaign that catapulted him on a long and remarkable career as a preacher.

Landmine Horror

Khamsay is a 26- year-old Laotian farmer. He is married with three children, including an infant. “I was working to clear the land,” he said, “so I could plant more rice for my growing family. I was preparing the soil with my hoe when everything exploded.

Dad's Close Call

There’s nothing like a lifethreatening health scare to make a person realise what’s important in life. It happened to my parents when my father was diagnosed with cancer.

Fur and Feathers Flying

I got a shock last Father’s Day. I was awoken by whispering at the bedroom door, and my two-year-old daughter arrived bringing kisses and toast and wanting stories. My wife had cuddled in too with The Bump, our unborn son. It was blissful.