Words matter: Responding to Pope Francis and other ecclesial doublespeak

December 20, 2023December 20, 2023 / MurrayCampbell

This week Christian ministers around the world are gearing up for annual Christmas services. Sermons are being written, with words chosen carefully to proclaim the wonders of the incarnation. Choirs and musicians are rehearsing, and local people are deciding whether to attend church or not.

As a preacher, I want the words I speak to convey the meaning of the biblical text as faithfully and clearly as possible. I don’t want anyone leaving afterwards with the wrong impression of Jesus, a wrong view of God, a misunderstanding of the gospel, or a skewed view of themselves. Clarity doesn’t ignore complexity or rough ride of paradox or explain away mystery but communicates truth in love. As the Apostle Paul writes,

“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2)

In the lead-up to Christmas this year, multiple Church leaders and groups are deciding on a very different approach. In their wisdom (or lack thereof) they are blasting rhetorical fog machines and passing around confusing messages.

Pope Francis for example, has just issued Fiducia Supplicans, a document which gives Papal reasoning for the blessing of same-sex couples.

While the blessing is not to be used in conjunction with a marriage or civil ceremony, and the blessing mustn’t reproduce language that is reserved for the ‘sacrament’ of marriage, it is nonetheless applied to those who “do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit…Ultimately, a blessing offers people a means to increase their trust in God”.

In other words, we’re not sanctifying same-sex marriage but we’re giving God’s blessing on same-sex relations.

Despite efforts from the Vatican to downplay the significance of this change, (only 2 years ago the Vatican insisted that Rome would not bless same-sex unions), media outlets across the world are interpreting Fiducia Supplican as a significant move toward from Rome to accepting gay and lesbian relationships.

James Martin, Jesuit priest and vocal advocate for progressive theology represents this sentiment,

“The Vatican’s new declaration “Fiducia supplicans” is major step forward in the church’s ministry to LGBTQ people and recognizes the deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God’s presence in their loving relationships. It is also a marked shift from the conclusion “God does not and cannot bless sin” from just two years ago. The declaration opens the door to non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, something that had been previously off limits for bishops, priests and deacons. Along with many priests, I will now be delighted to bless my friends in same-sex unions.”

The Pope isn’t alone in this use of doublespeak, the Church of England beat him to the slippery slide with their ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’.

“On 12 December, the House of Bishops commended the Prayers of Love and Faith and associated pastoral guidance for use in regular public worship services with effect from Sunday, 17 December 2023.

The Prayers of Love and Faith are offered as resources in praying with and for a same-sex couple who love one another and who wish to give thanks for and mark that love in faith before God. To celebrate in God’s presence the commitment two people have made to each other is an occasion for rejoicing. The texts are offered to express thanksgiving and hope, with prayer that those who are dedicating their life together to God may grow in faith, love and service as God’s blessing rests upon them.”

Baptists in Great Britain, assuming the posture of protest are considering joining the free fall with this announcement,

“‘Sexual Misconduct which brings the church and ministry into disrepute. NB This specifically includes sexual intercourse and other genital sexual activity outside of marriage (as defined exclusively as between a man and a woman).’

The request is that the last section in brackets is removed, which would mean that a minister who is in a same-sex marriage would no longer be committing gross misconduct and lose their accreditation. This request was received in a letter signed by 70 people who are part of Baptists Together, the majority of whom are ministers.””

The BUOGB website sites this letter from one pastor,,

“CLT are unanimous in our absolute commitment to our unity in Christ and to holding together with the pain in the presence of the Lord. We are also in agreement that we must not rush ahead as we seek a way forward.

‘We believe that any decision that is ultimately made must be prayerfully and carefully discerned, involving significant consultation. Much thought needs to be given to the implications of various possible options. We are acutely aware that the ‘stakes are high’.’

She asked that we ‘bear with one another in love’.

‘I am trusting that Christlike humility, gentleness, patience, love and faith will enable us to hold fast together. As a CLT we have a deep trust in the Lord; that as we keep Jesus at the centre, and keep our eyes fixed on him, we will be led forward even if we may not be able to imagine how that will happen.”

I’m reminded of this timely quote by Mark Dever, “It is not humble to be hesitant where God has been clear and plain.”

Brisbane’s new Anglican Archbishop Jeremy Greaves is playing similar word games. In The Australian over the weekend, Greaves was interviewed,

“If asked, he will allow Anglican priests in the sprawling Brisbane Diocese to perform same-sex marriage blessings and he’s in favour of ordaining gay priests. The teachings of the scriptures – including the virgin birth – are best read for their deeper meaning, not as a literal rendition of God’s word, he believes.”

“He’s adamant that he has never questioned the resurrection, as some critics claim. The cornerstone of Christian belief that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day after the crucifixion undoubtedly happened – but possibly not as described in the gospels.

“I would say it wasn’t resuscitation … so if it’s not resuscitation, what is it?” he asks. “It’s an event that is so far outside human experience that for 2000 years people have struggled to put language around it.

“And so what you find in the creeds and so many founding documents of the church is an attempt to give language to something that doesn’t have language.”

In other words, I believe in the resurrection but I don’t believe what Christians for 2000 years have believed about resurrection…or about the virgin birth…or human sexuality!

Would you trust a judge who doesn’t uphold the law? Would you entrust your children to a maths teacher who doesn’t understand basic algebra or a physics teacher who’s convinced the earth is flat? Would you visit a GP who doesn’t believe heart disease is a real illness and who suggests a warm glass of milk to cure your symptoms?

The Son of God was not born in a manger, became incarnate, suffered, and died on a cross to affirm our sins, but to save us from our sins. The cross doesn’t obscurate human proclivity to redefine sexuality (or anything for that matter), but names every sin and every sinner with the weight of a righteous God. That in itself is an act of Divine love, for God takes us seriously. When life is examined in light of the crucified Christ, we all fall short and no Papal (or Anglican or Baptist) confidence trick can undo that fact.

What we’re seeing are ecclesial leaders playing Russian roulette with people’s lives. It is a charade that has eternal implications for those who are drawn in by this misdirection by clergy who know better.

It’s all the more ironic and damnable because the Bible warns about teachers who compose words that deceive or mislead,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:14-18)

People need Gospel clarity, not religious camouflage. Subterfuge doesn’t help those wrestling with life and identity. Christian ministers are designated to bring God’s truths to bear on a confused world, not adding to the disorientation.

Jesus warns those who claim to be teachers,

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” (Matt 12:36)

And the Scriptures warn us about exposing ourselves to teachers who offer vague, contradictory, and unorthodox views of God, Christ and humanity,

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.”

17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” (2 Peter 2:17-19)

I hope and pray lots of Aussies will celebrate Christmas by attending church services. But think again before listening to men (or women) and their God speech that sounds strangely un-Bible-like. Jesus really is good news, not because he says we’re all okay and that every inclination and decision is okay, but because we are not okay and that is when God loved us and sent his only Son as the perfect sacrifice for us.

Going Bananas in Melbourne

December 3, 2023November 22, 2024 / MurrayCampbell

One of the world’s most (in)famous works of art has arrived in Melbourne, ripened just in time for Melbourne’s glamour event for art: Melbourne Gala 2023.

Without peeling away the bare naked observation that many of us have these curvatured pieces in bowls at home and an entire reel of duct tape in the cupboard, nothing communicates ‘wow’ like the real thing sticking to a wall in Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria.

As people study and gaze upon the yellow plantain, there is one further sticky observation to make: the original didn’t make it to Australia. Presumably, it became banana pulp; all $120,000US of it! Even then, the world’s second most famous banana (let’s not forget bananas in pyjamas), was substituted out when the original was eaten as an unofficial piece of performance art! Let’s not worry about details.

I first wrote about Maurizio Cattelan’s banana back in 2019 and never dreamed that one day we could view and goo and ga over (and maybe gobble) it here in Melbourne.

As our artistic geniuses examine and ponder the significance of a banana stuck to a wall, let me throw in my 2 cents worth. My opinion may not be worth the prized $120,000 or the $395 that bought you a ticket for opening night, but then again, neither was the bag of bananas I purchased from the supermarket.

Joking aside, I think there is something to this work by Maurizio Cattelan’s work, titled ‘Comedian’.

The Italian satirical artist has created art from real life and sometimes zany objects. His most famous piece was stolen and presumably melted down: a $10 million toilet! Comedia uses two common objects: an overripe banana stuck to a wall with a strip of duct tape. The work was originally exhibited at the Miami Gallery, Art Basel, before being sold for $120,000US.

Before the mockers mock and critics criticise, it is worth observing the success of this Cattelan original. Some might say that the work itself should be subject to ridicule. Add a $120,000 price tag, and the jeering and sneering is more than audible. But the story of this captivating banana isn’t yet finished. A performance artist by the name of David Datuna visited the Art Basel and while admiring ‘Comedian’ up close, he committed the great heresy of reaching out and touching the banana. He didn’t stop there. He ripped the banana and its duct tape from the wall and then proceeded to peel the banana and eat its flesh. Onlookers gasped while others laughed. A security guard appeared, horrified. Datuna exclaimed that his was a work of art and he gave it the name, ‘Hungry Artist’.

He was quickly taken away but later emerged as a free man; free to perform and eat again.

Posting on Instagram he said,

“Art performance by me. I love Maurizio Cattelan artwork and I really love this installation. It’s very delicious,”

The director of the gallery, Lucien Terras, told the Miami Herald,

“[Datuna] did not destroy the artwork. The banana is the idea”.

The $120,000 banana has since been replaced with a fresh banana.

I don’t recommend anyone trying the stunt here in Melbourne. But as thousands flock to admire…or scorn, let me ask this question, who is acting the fool? At the time of the infamous art meal, I recall friends rolling their eyes all over social media and decrying the waste of money. People were quick to point out the foolishness And now Melbourne has bought the banana…for $1.20 from Coles on Elizabeth Street!

Who is the fool? Maurizio Cattelan? After all, all he did was take a banana and stick it on a wall. Far from acting the fool, Cattelan is looking at us and laughing with a $120,000 wry grin, shaped like a banana. More significantly, Cattelan’s genius lies in successfully drawing us into conversation and debate about a slightly smelly piece of fruit. We are the suckers, falling into Maurizio Cattelan’s world of satire. The banana isn’t the subject, we are the subject. Even eating the art piece forms part of the ever evolving expression that has been set in motion by the artist.

So are we the fool? Well, we are certainly silly monkeys for eating into his artistic expression, and then, of course, there’s the fool who paid $120,000 for old fruit and a strip of duct tape!

In the world of commonsense, we are the fool as we offer up our half-digested opinions about a piece of fruit stuck to a wall. However, the world today isn’t ruled by reason. We have become eager participants in Cattelan’s pantomime. In this upside-down world where right is now wrong, and wrong is lauded, and where such divisions are even removed altogether, the only fool here is the security guard who dared assume that eating the banana was an act of vandalism. And yet, as Lucien Terras has declared, even the guard has become an aspect of the artist’s expression.

Art has merged into life. Or should that be, life has merged into art? Everything becomes art. We are the artist’s subject as much as that banana, and all the subsequent bananas that will replace the mould and smell.

As far as originality is concerned, Cattelan’s object is little more than a spin-off from Andy Warhol’s portrait of a banana. He is simply replacing a painting with the object itself. And yet, here we are, talking about a banana.

Now that we’ve established that all of us are fools and yet none of us is the fool, is there a right way to be looking at ‘Comedian’? Is there any single interpretation of ‘Comedian’ that is the right one? Indeed, should we even be talking in such categories?

The sculpture isn’t designed to elucidate a set response but to create an entire spectrum of reactions. It is a portrait of the absurd and the absurd is us. There is no fixed meaning, just meanings. There is no primal purpose, just a bunch of ripening and then slowly rotting contributions.

I’m not quite sure whether ‘Comedian’ is mocking today’s avant garde or is an example of its stupidity (apologies Melbourne). Either way, it is reveals something rather sad and disillusioning about our society. What if the real world is also without overarching meaning and design? What if all we have is 8 billion opinions and convocations and divisions? It would be a truly satirical place to live. In such a world, why shouldn’t we eat and destroy an expensive work of art? Why shouldn’t we deride or laugh or even destroy? Why not spend $120,000 on a banana instead of giving the money to charity?

A universe without God is such a world. In such a closed material construct the only fool is the one who stands up and says “no, you mustn’t do that”. Instead, let people be, to steal, to take, to laugh, to admire, and however else we choose to express ourselves.

If Cattelan’s ultimate objective was to communicate the irreverence and heresy of particular meaning, the joke rests finally on him, for it was after all necessary for Cattelan to image the idea in his mind and then to make it with his hands. There is no art without the artist. Even in the aleatoric movement of John Cage and company, the author could not fully remove himself.

The universe God created and the place in which we live are not such places. It is filled with careful design and purpose. Not all opinions and reviews are equal. Not every action is good. Not every investment is wise or useful. The scary thing is that this world’s creator takes an active interest and he expresses concern for how we treat his creation including one another. As Psalm 2 indicates, he is a God who laughs and scoffs at us for deluding ourselves into pretending that our speculations and philosophising can subvert and replace his revelation.

“The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

the Lord scoffs at them.

He rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

“I have installed my king

on Zion, my holy mountain.” (Psalm 2)

How much better is the portrait God has given us of his creation. How much more stunning and meaningful and satisfying is the Creator’s plan for the canvas on which you and I exist and have our being. Indeed, it involved the artist entering his own creation for the purpose of redeeming and reconciling us to His Divine purpose. This doesn’t end with the loss of creative freedom, but with finding greater freedom where we are no longer consumed for the value of an overripe banana.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

How we speak does matter

November 29, 2023December 1, 2023 / MurrayCampbell / 1 Comment

Kevin De Young has written an important critique of the Moscow crowd led by Doug Wilson. Kevin’s offering is both irenic and castigating.

Kevin’s stated purpose is less to address theological concerns coming from the Moscow of Idaho, but to explain the success of Moscow and why this ought to concern Christians.

A biting cold in Moscow

De Young explains,

“I’m convinced the appeal of Moscow is visceral more than intellectual…people come to those particular intellectual convictions because they were first attracted to the cultural aesthetic and the political posture that Wilson so skillfully embodies. In short, people are moving to Moscow—whether literally or spiritually—because of a mood.”

“My bigger concern is with the long-term spiritual effects of admiring and imitating the Moscow mood. For the mood that attracts people to Moscow is too often incompatible with Christian virtue, inconsiderate of other Christians, and ultimately inconsistent with the stated aims of Wilson’s Christendom project.”

“The Moscow mood provides a non-stop adversarial stance toward the world and toward other Christians who are deemed (or caricatured to be) too afraid to “tell it like it is.” Moscow cannot become the American Redoubt for conservative Christians if it is too similar to other places, with basically the same kinds of churches, schools, and institutions found in hundreds of other cities. Differentiation is key, and this can only be sustained by a mood of antagonism and sharp antithesis…

“I fear that much of the appeal of Moscow is an appeal to what is worldly in us. As we’ve seen, the mood is often irreverent, rebellious, and full of devil-may-care playground taunts. That doesn’t make us better Christians.”

It is worth reading Kevin De Young’s piece in its entirety. Behind this mood is a set of theological assumptions about the relationship between Church and State, Gospel and culture. These assumptions are often known as ‘Christian Nationalism’, a position that De Young thinks is problematic, as do I (as I’ve written earlier this year ).

Language really does matter

De Young is rightly concerned about the type of speech Wilson regularly employs to convey the mood. This includes,

“Wilson’s deliberate decision to use uncouth (at best) and sinful (at worst) language, especially language of a sexual nature.”

Angry speech and coarse speech. As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. As the article was shared on social media the very issues Kevin highlighted were being played out in real cyber time. Supporters of Wilson were soon defending his use of vulgar language, as though the times require such vocabulary to come from the lips of pastors. As others expressed thankfulness for Kevin’s article, Moscovites were eager to zoom in and add their own filthy language and derogatory words, presumably as an instrument to silence people.

Take, for example, the abuse Karen Prior was subjected to when she tweeted, ‘thank you for speaking up’,

I wonder if the people pause long enough to realise that they simply reinforcing the very issues Kevin has outlined in his critique of Doug Wilson and Moscow?

One Aussie Pastor, defending Doug Wilson, summed up well the ‘mood’ concern De Young is highlighting. He said on a friend’s Facebook page,

“We can lament the state of the church and culture all we want, and natter amongst ourselves about what the right tone to strike is. Maybe it’s just time for haymakers and door slamming.”

Over the last 5 years, I found that the ‘truth and freedom’ brigade is quick to fend off voices calling for considered speech and tone. They don’t see the times as one for making peace but waging war against the culture and against all those weak knee Christian groups who don’t buy into the angry mood. Failure to reach the same heated temperature is viewed upon with suspicions and probable complicity with all that is wrong with culture.

If Jesus overturned tables and made a whip that’s what we’re going to do. If Jesus can call Pharisees ‘vipers’, then let’s make sure we stick that in our rhetorical rifle and fire off a round every day. After all, if we do it often enough we will aim true at some point. Friend, not every word is meant to sound as though we’re Elijah or Ezekiel in their boldest moments.

There are many issues in our society that grieve Christians and that we understand are serious missteps that will lead to further harm to people in our suburbs and streets. There are occasions for godly anger. But surely this cannot be our only sustained note in public. We mustn’t gather around rage and all we find problematic, but around the Gospel of grace. If the moral and spiritual sitz im leben of our community is concerning, how much more therefore must we pay attention to the godliness within the church and how we speak with not only truth but also kindness and grace. Are we seeking to persuade people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ or whacking them with a rhetorical blitz?

Gruff doesn’t equal greater faithfulness to the gospel. Using strong language doesn’t equate to greater love or persuasive power? And coarse language contravenes God’s message of grace and righteousness.

Tone does matter. Tone is about godliness. Tone chooses words. Tone is about conveying truthfulness in love. Our models for public speech shouldn’t be Donald Trump or the anti-semitic sloganees who are marching through the streets at the moment. Loud and brash may grab attention and win the cheers of devotees, and also betray the very Gospel we are claiming to represent.

The Bible warns us about our tongues.

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell… (James 3:6)

“Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Eph 5:4)

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” (Matt 12:36)

The Bible urges us to speak not only truthfully but with a tone of grace and respect and kindness.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph 4:29)

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col 4:6)

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

“A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (Prob 15:1 & 4)

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (James 1:9)

The Bible identifies a correlation between speech and the heart.

“A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.” (Prob 16:27)

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly (2 Tim 3:16)

What is tone? It is the sound attuned to God’s melodic line. Paul wrote that one’s words amount to noise if not spoken in the right manner. When the music score says legato, do I play staccato instead? When the composer indicates pianissimo, do I bash triple forte? When the composer asks forte, should I play in a whisper?

Tone is more than a choice of which key to sing, it is a sound of godliness that we want to faithfully match God’s melodic line. Our tone is a heart issue, and only the Gospel of grace can cure it. Kevin De Young has sounded a warning, and it is one that has its roots in the pleas and corrections offered up by James the brother of Jesus. While I feel no gravitational pull toward Moscow, this is nonetheless an opportunity to consider the words I use and how. If that’s the takeaway, then I think Kevin has served us well.

Church with the sign

November 20, 2023 / MurrayCampbell

Mentone Baptist Church celebrated our 70th anniversary yesterday (November 19).

It was a great morning. Our auditorium is often fairly full, but yesterday it was very full and dozens of people spilling over into the foyer and hall to be part of this thanksgiving service. It was encouraging to have former pastors and former members visiting and local MPs giving their time to celebrate with us. Many thanks.

The theme for our celebration was giving thanks for the past and looking to the future. Our Bible text was Philippians 1:3-11 (there is a link to the sermon below).

As we live in the present to worship God, to proclaim Jesus Christ and to show our community the reality of Christ, we give thanks to God for the last 70 years and we are looking to the future.

In recent years aspects of Melbourne’s culture have made much hay out of churches and negative press toward Christianity. Let’s be honest, sometimes Christians deserve the bad press given the awful things committed by some religious figures. At the same time, we might be forgiven for believing that Christianity in Melbourne is on the way out. To be sure, ‘progressive’ forms of Christianity are declining, but the real picture on the ground and in many local churches suggests new growth and new hope.

I want to share a brief history of Mentone Baptist Church that was presented at the anniversary service (it’s impossible to capture every story from 70 years!). There is also the link to our anniversary sermon. I hope you’re encouraged.

Mentone Baptist Church: church for the future

Beginnings

Mentone Baptist Church is known as the church with the sign: ‘Jesus Saves’ and ‘Christ our Hope’.

The original sign was replaced in 2009, and the buildings, people, and times have changed, but our message remains the same.

Mentone Baptist Church was formally constituted as a Church on November 19th 1953, but the origins came earlier. As far back as 1945, there was a desire to start a Baptist church in the area. At that time there was no Baptist church in Melbourne south of Oakleigh.

It wasn’t until 1950 that a group of 10 people living in Mentone and Cheltenham began discussing the possibility of a church. They first met on 9 Nov 1950, in a home on Nepean Hwy. Rev. Hawley led the group which included Reg and Ruby Ward, Jim and Grace Sutherland.

9 months later this group of 10 men and women began praying and searching for a property. A site on the corner of Warrigal Rd and Harpley St was purchased in February 1952 by the Baptist Home Mission Society, although some of the land, including what is today the cark park, was purchased years later.

Horace Jeffs commenced as the first pastor in April 1953, on a part-time basis with a stipend of 1 pound and 12 shillings per week. While waiting for the build, which is what today is known as the church hall. Mentone made news in The Age newspaper, for the novel story about a church meeting in a house and with their own organ! Sunday attendance reached 30-40 people.

On 1 November 1953, the church building opened. But of course, church isn’t the building, it is the people, and so on November 19 with a membership of 23 people, Mentone Baptist Church was formally constituted and the first members meeting conducted. Baptist Churches highly value the priesthood of all believers and so congregational involvement and ownership matters to us. Hence, our (in)famous members meetings!

A manse was purchased in 1955. Today this house is known as the church office, where it is used as office space, meeting rooms and children’s ministry.

Over Mentone’s first 10 years, the church grew to 60 members and always with a strong emphasis on the ministries of prayer and word.

A season for growing

Mentone’s evangelical roots and desire to start new churches continued with a team planting Beaumaris in 1959. This has continued over our history and most recently, Mentone sent out a team under Stephen Tan to plant Regeneration Church, next to Monash University. Over the years we experienced a trickle of university students travelling to us from Monash, with many being baptised at Mentone. We however saw the need and benefit from us moving closer to the university. 6 years later, there are more than 170 students and young adults calling Regeneration Church home (and growing every year).

A key turning point for Mentone took place in 1961 when Alcc White accepted the invitation to become pastor. Alec White was an effective preacher and communicator. He was rightly convinced the Bible is God’s word good and sufficient word, and that Jesus Christ is the way to know God. Under his leadership, and with many folks including the Foxes, the Lees, Betty Boase, the Platts, and the LePage family, the church grew in number and maturity. The Church invested in connecting with the local community, including ministering to the sick at the Kingston Centre and providing RE classes in local schools. Boys and Girls Brigades provided opportunity for local children to enjoy mid-week activities, gain life skills and learn about God. Dorcas commenced, a women’s group providing practical help to disadvantaged people around the world.

For 50 years Rex and Shirley Wills have been faithful members, serving in almost every part of church life. Betty Boase is our only member today who has been part of the church for 60 years.

A right emphasis on the good news of Jesus Christ raised up a generation of men and women who were trained and sent out to serve overseas on mission: Jim and Pam Sterrey, Daphne Smith, Fred Stoll, Chris and Carole Hebert, David and Sim Senator, Roger and Ruth Alder, and more. In the late 1960s, Marsali Ashley joined Mentone while studying at the Melbourne Bible Institute. Following a term in Papua New Guinea, she returned and married John Campbell at Mentone in 1972 (Murray’s parents).

Our current auditorium was built in 1968, with member Don Platt drawing the plans and his company constructing it. Originally, the seats faced north, with a stage in front of the northern window. The space was renovated in 2013 to accommodate more seating. Internal walls were knocked down and the old parent’s room was removed, thus increasing the space from 150 to 230 seats.

In 1981 Ross Prout was inducted as the new pastor and served here for 10 years. Under Ross’ leadership, the church experienced significant growth, especially among young adults. He continued the church’s emphasis on Bible teaching and a heart to see people coming to know Christ.

With Ross and Bronwen moving to Mitcham Baptist in 1991 after 9 years of fruitful ministry, Leigh Diprose commenced his ministry here, with Helen his wife and their 4 children joining. The Church continued to support ministry in the local community and worked alongside Youth Dimension to reach teenagers. Leigh concluded in 2000 and has since served at Altona Baptist and helping rural churches with preaching. Today Leigh serving at City on a Hill at their Melbourne West Campus.

Every church experiences difficult seasons and challenges, and Mentone is no exception. At the start of the new century, a significant number of the Church moved away as housing prices squeezed out young families and the Church lost a sense of direction and what it was about.

The congregation had shrunk to a Sunday attendance of 30 people by the end of 2004.

A new chapter

In 2005 Murray and Susan joined, following 4 years studying at Moore Theological College and gaining pastoral experience at Chatswood Baptist in Sydney. After several years away from Melbourne, the Campbells were excited to return and to make Mentone Baptist Church home for their young family.

The Church started to grow and saw growth of 10-20% each year for several years to come. In 2010, Murray suggested to the church that to help facilitate further growth, it would be advantageous to employ an associate pastor. To see whether the church could finance this, he asked if members would commit to increasing their giving. The Church was able to employ an associate pastor full-time from the first day! The Church called Phil Ninness and he commenced in 2011. Phil is an excellent preacher, and we also began an evening congregation, which attracted university students, and saw many becoming Christians and baptised and joining the church.

Phil and his wife Heather finished after 2 years to take on the Senior Pastoral role at a Baptist church in Tasmania. Mike Veith, who was serving as a student pastor while studying at Ridley College, became the new associate pastor. Mike has served in this role for 10 years, with his wife Camille and daughters part of the church family.

Over the past 18 years, the church has developed strong links with the Christian Union at Monash University. Stuart White and Dan King are both members at Mentone and they work on campus with AFES. We might assume that in our secular society, intelligent university students are disinterested in God; the campus ministry is experiencing quite the opposite.

The church continues to have a heart for mission both locally and overseas. In the past 6 years, several members have been sent out for church planting, pastoral ministry, and mission. We pray that God will add to those numbers in years to come.

The vision that began all those years ago in a Cheltenham house hasn’t been forgotten or lost but continues in 2023: ‘Christ our Hope’ and ‘Jesus Saves’.

70 years ago a tiny church moved from meeting in a house to this property on Warrigal Road. The year 2023 may look and sound very different from 1953. The streets and suburbs look very different today. 70 years ago this area was dominated by small farms and market gardens. There were a few schools and a train line. Southland didn’t exist. There was no McDonalds or KFC! The cars and cricket bats, the coffee and fashion and phones have changed, but the underlying issues and questions and longings of the human heart remain the same.

Our vision and prayer is to see the good news of Jesus Christ growing more and more and lives being transformed by God’s grace, love and truth. We thank God for the past and we look forward to the future and seeing how God continues his good work.

12 Bible Propositions about the Ethics of War

November 17, 2023 / MurrayCampbell

I grew up in Australia where war was either absent or seemed distant. It was too far away and had little to do with playing cricket and going to school and enjoying summer holidays in Queensland. And yet, for nearly half of my life, Australia has been involved in military missions and in war.

The world is never far from experiencing war and armed conflict. We are however witnessing the most significant assault on global peace perhaps since the Second World War. In many parts of the world there are hotspots and threats. There are aggressive and egregious regimes built on hatred and see destabilising societies as their Divine calling. It’s not that we are without our own sins and failures; there is more than we are likely to ever admit. But some of the commentary, protests and tiktoking that derides Australia and America, is problematic. Can you believe that today young adults are reading Osama Bin Laden’s letter to America and agreeing with this now dead terrorist?

The war in Ukraine dominated the news for a year. The noise of war continues in that land but it’s now mistakenly heard as a soft murmour as the world now fixes attention on Israel and Gaza. All this demands focus while geopolitical tensions in South East Asia is like waiting for the Australian fire season following months of heat and drought.

There are lots of conversations and opinions being expressed about the nature of warfare, and when and if it is ever a moral imperative. The global scrutiny being applied to Israel’s armed response to Hamas’ terrorist attack is staggering. The volume of antisemitism is frightful and the speed at which online preachers demand the cessation of fighting displays our sheer ignorance of human nature and what evil is. At the same time, as our eyes watch on from the safety of our homes 1000kms away, we are witnessing the tragedy of war and the immense complexities associated with fighting ‘a just war’.

In 2015, the Australian Government announced that they would be stepping up their bombing offensive against ISIS in Syria. I wrote a short piece to outline 12 BIble propositions about the Ethics of war. In light of the current and terrible events we are seeing, I thought I’d republish this list. Given that this list predates the current war in the Middle East by 8 years, it may help us to consider the morality of war without the heat of the current battle.

Great tomes have been written on the subject of war. Christian theologians have offered careful and complex views on war and whether it is ever just and justifiable. The question I am seeking to address here is somewhat narrower, and that is, can Christians ever support war? Can participating in war be consistent with Christian faith?

Answering these questions is no easy task, partly because the Scriptures do not give us a definitive position, and partly because the rationale and particulars of armed conflict differ from one to the next. In addition, in every conflict, there are multifarious motives, aims, and experiences that when combined deny us the possibility of simple and obtuse theorems about war.

Historically, Christians have come to different conclusions regarding the practice of war. We cannot ignore the fact that there have been times when ‘in the name of Christ’ many anti-Christ acts have been committed. Sins of commission have stained history blood red, and perhaps so have sins of omission. Christians must not build their theology of war from either Gandhi or Napoleon, but from the belief that God is the Lord of history and that he has given a book that speaks truth and wisdom, even in the 21st Century.

In attempting to construct a theology of war there are a series of theological propositions that we shouldn’t ignore or relegate:

Continuity

1. The God of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament. Christians are not Marcionites. God is not honoured by the fallacious suggestion that the God of the Old Testament is a different God to the New Testament, or that his character has changed, or that in the Old Testament God was wrong to make war. God’s character is eternal and unchanging.

2. God is holy and just. God’s acts of violence are described as God’s just judgements on sinners. He is a holy God who cannot tolerate sin. Should God tolerate rape? Should God tolerate people sacrificing babies to Molech? Should God tolerate the greedy stealing from the poor? God did not sanction all the violence and war that was exercised in the Old Testament, however, he did oversee and lead some war.

3. God has an understanding of justice that no person or group of people possess. He also has the ability to always do right, which no Christian can achieve.

Discontinuity

Christians cannot read the Old Testament without through the lens of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfilment of all the Scriptures – “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44).

4. The Old Testament has a geo-political centre that is removed by Jesus in the New Testament. Whereas God’s people in the Old Testament were a nation, God’s people are now from and in every nation. God’s Kingdom is of a different nature, As Jesus said to Pilate, ‘My kingdom is not of this world’.

5. God’s anger is demonstrated supremely in the cross of Jesus where Christ died to satisfy God’s righteous wrath. History has a cross dividing it, such that there is no longer any moral or theological support for Holy War this side of the cross. God’s righteousness is revealed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his propitious death brings peace to all who believe. This once-for-all all death has an efficacy for disarming hate, anger and greed:

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-15)

6. The Kingdom of God grows through the proclamation of the word of God, and not through political or military means. Christians believe in war, but it is a spiritual war, one that is engaged by putting on the armour of God (faith, righteousness, truth, etc) and by using the sword of the Spirit (the Bible) and undergirding it all with prayer. If the power of God for salvation is in the Gospel of Jesus, then it is erroneous to believe that Christianity will extend through war. Not only that, it suggests that coercion is an effective means to grow the Church, whereas the Bible speaks nothing of coercion but it does speak of persuasion through speaking truth and living out God’s love to all.

7. The Bible nowhere teaches that a Church can engage in war, and it gives us no room for supposing that armed conflict can aid Christian progress, however, it does leave room for the possibility for the State to engage in war.

The State is not the Church. In Romans ch.13 the Apostle teaches,

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”

i. Governments are not beyond the rule of God, even though they may reject his dominion.

ii. Governments have a value in and for this world, for the good of society, which includes collecting taxes to pay for civic needs and to judge and punish those who do wrong.

iii. At the very least verse 4 refers to law enforcers and the judicial system that exists within a nation, but it is likely that Paul also has in mind the exercise of military action. Even if Romans 13:4 does not speak of war and only of civic responsibilities, the point is nonetheless unavoidable, Paul affirms that there is a place for Governments to use the sword in punishing wrongdoing.

Further Principles

8. There is a difference between turning the cheek and loving our neighbour. If one saw their neighbour being attacked, it would be immoral to stand by and do nothing, and it would be right to come to their aid, to defend them and fend off the attacker. While Christians ought to pursue peace, even at great personal cost, loving our neighbour may necessitate military intervention.

9. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 13:18).

10. The Bible discounts many of the reasons that have been used in history and in contemporary global and sociopolitical scenarios for waging war: for conquest, for profit, for revenge, and for religious advantage.

11. When Christians engage in war it should not be under the banner of Church or Gospel, but as as expression of submitting to the Government and loving our neighbour.

12. People should not go against the conscience, except when their conscience violates Scripture.

Can war ever be just? Ultimately the answer to that question is no, because even on a good day people are prone to sinful desires. War is never fully just but it may be justifiable. Occasions of crisis may arise where more action is required than simply prayer and good wishes. It is a loving act to lay down one’s life for a friend, and even more so for a stranger who is being oppressed by a militaristic or terrorist regime.

Should Christians fight in war? Often the answer will be no. We ought to be reluctant. But there may be circumstances where the Government decides to go to war, and should the reasons be congruent with a Christian’s understanding of the Bible, participating in that war is permissible. Indeed, in some instances military action is the necessary response to an existential threat against the nation.

War, however, is not the ultimate solution to evil in the world; only the Gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful enough and pure enough and sufficient enough to do a penetrating work in the human heart. The world lives in the epoch of peace, where God is manifesting his patience and grace, calling men and women to repentance and reconciliation. While millions of people are coming to realise and experience God’s shalom, there remains much that is wrong in the world, such that even the most laudable acts of human kindness and justice can not overcome. Christians, though, believe that God remains holy and he promises a day when he will judge the living and the dead. Many injustices may escape our attention, but they will not allude God:

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of kings and lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11-16)

Merri-Bek Council ought to be ashamed

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 / MurrayCampbell

I am truly shocked. A local council in Melbourne yesterday adopted a motion about the conflict in Israel and Gaza. To describe it as an anti-Israel manifesto is probably a dilution of the actual words and intent.

The Merri-Bek City Council has passed a resolution with 11 separate points (which I’ve included below). In summary, Israel is to blame for all the events of the past month, including the slaughter of 1400 Israelis and the 200 hostages taken. And because Israel is responsible, the people of Melbourne (and they call on the Prime Minister) need to take sides with Palestine against Israel.

There is no word affirming Israel’s responsibility to defend its people against terrorism. If anything, the document would have us believe Israel is the evil perpetrator of genocide.

You may ask, but what about Hamas? The Council doesn’t attribute culpability to Hamas. Not once does the Council condemn Hamas; they don’t even mention the terrorist organisation. Why not? Is Hamas not responsible for the attack on Israel? Are they not responsible for the ongoing suffering of people in Gaza and are they not responsible for the continued fighting in Gaza today? It seems that admitting these facts doesn’t fit the narrative that the Merri-Bek Council wants to spin.

We are not obliged to agree with every policy and decision made by Israel over the decades. No nation is immune from legitimate criticism and concern. But these Councillors are either ignorant of what is taking place in the Middle East and ignorant of the religious and cultural history of the region or something far more sinister is going on. No wonder Jews in Melbourne are nervous and feeling a heightened sense of insecurity.

What is staggering about the Council’s resolve is that they are not even trying to hide the undertones. They are playing the discord openly and without hesitation.

The Merri-Bek Council wants to step further and introduce both symbolic and practical support of Gaza and against Israel. The motion includes a call to boycott businesses connected with Israel and the Council will be “raising the Palestinian flag on the fourth flag pole at Council’s Coburg Civic Centre for six months in recognition of the specific situation of a genocide being carried out against the Palestinians in Gaza.” Notice, that there will be no Israeli flag.

I’m not a supporter of flying flags of other nations (and causes) on our Government buildings. So don’t hear me saying that the Star of David should be flying in Coburg. But, flagrant distortion of what is happening and the gaslighting toward Jewish people beggars belief. And it gets worse, the Council then has the gall to insinuate that Israel is akin to Nazi Germany! Are they so ignorant of history?

The Herald Sun is reporting that one Councillor who voter against the motion has subsequently received death threats*. I guess those calls for peace don’t include those people who wish to stand up for Jews.

No one wants to see civilians in Gaza suffering and dying. It is a horrific state of affairs. It is however sheer ignorance and arrogance for this Council to lay all responsibility at Israel’s feet and none with the very people who perpetrated the evil on October 7, and who, by the way, have subsequently told the world that they will do it again and again until from the river to sea until Israel is no more.

We can weep and grieve for innocent Palestinians. We pray for peace. But will Merri-Bek Council not grieve for the countless Jews who have experienced the most horrific day since the Holocaust? Will Merri-Bek Council not offer one word of solace to Jews and word of assurance that they will stand by them?

Who will weep with Rachel and for her children?

We said never again, but today those words are sounding increasingly hollow.

May I propose a new motion and Merri-Bek Council takes a break from pontificating and instead read Jeremiah ch.31. If we are genuine about seeking peace, not only in the Middle East but here in Melbourne as schisms grow, then this is a word we need to take to heart.

———-

* I originally said that only one counsellor voted against the motion. Correction, there were four objections, with one of those for receiving death threats

—————————————–

That Council,

1. Mourns the tragic and horrific loss of civilian lives in the current conflict and condemns all attacks that target civilians.

2. Recognises that the constant bombing and the total siege of Gaza is traumatising for many Merri-bek residents who have relatives in the region or have come from war-torn countries. We express our solidarity with these communities.

3. Notes that the current conflict did not begin on 7 October 2023 – it began with the Occupation of Palestine, and the forced displacement of millions of Palestinians from their homelands as a result.

4. Condemns the words of senior Israeli politicians and military officials that seek to dehumanise Palestinians in Gaza to justify their war crimes. For example,

On 8 October 2023, Nissim Vaturi, member of the Knesset for the far right and governing coalition party, Likud, called for “erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth. Those who are unable will be replaced.”
On 9 October 2023, Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, stated: “We are imposing a complete siege on [Gaza]. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel – everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly”.

5. Notes that many global organisations and institutions, including Amnesty International, United Nations Special Rapporteurs, and the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Occupied Palestinian Territory, have documented systematic evidence of war crimes committed by Israel and its army against Palestinians, including:

a) sustained bombing of residential neighbourhoods

b) the bombing of schools, health facilities, mosques and churches where civilians are sheltering

c) the use of white phosphorous (a chemical weapon which burns the skin)

d) the denial of food, water, fuel, electricity, internet, and medical supplies to the people of Gaza.

6. Notes that 800 scholars of international law, conflict studies, Holocaust and Genocide Studies declared in a public statement on 15 October:

“We are compelled to sound the alarm about the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

7. Writes to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister calling on the Australian government to:

a) Strongly condemn the war crimes being carried out by Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza.

b) Call for an immediate ceasefire and end to Israel’s indiscriminate bombing.

c) Call for the immediate lifting of the siege on Gaza to allow Palestinians in Gaza to have unlimited access to food, water, fuel, electricity, medical supplies and construction materials to repair damaged homes and civilian infrastructure.

d) Advocate for all Palestinian and Israeli hostages to be released.

e) Advocate for a political resolution to the decades-long conflict which includes an end to Israel’s illegal Occupation of Palestine in order for there to be a just and sustainable peace.

f) End all military, economic, political and diplomatic ties with the state of Israel until it complies with its obligations under international law.

8. Notes that boycotts, divestment and sanctions are legitimate, non-violent tactics used by individuals and organisations to pressure foreign governments over human rights abuses and war crimes, including Israel’s brutal and illegal colonisation of Palestine.

9. Receives a report to explore options for council to cancel contracts with companies that support Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine or profit from it, especially companies which supply equipment to the Israeli Defence Force.

10. Amends the Community Flag Schedule outlined in Council’s Flags Policy by raising the Palestinian flag on the fourth flag pole at Council’s Coburg Civic Centre for six months in recognition of the specific situation of a genocide being carried out against the Palestinians in Gaza. That this decision be communicated to the communities who were expecting their flags to be flown on other dates after six months the decision will be reviewed by Council.

11. As a diverse, multi-cultural, and multi-faith community, Merri-bek City Council deplores and actively stands against all forms of racism, including Islamophobia and Anti-semitism.

Letter from 6 former Australian Prime Ministers is historic and important

October 31, 2023October 31, 2023 / MurrayCampbell

We live in an odd society here in Australia. Part of us thinks that growing up means ridding ourselves of God and all those Bible verses that we find so constraining. And yet we haven’t found an alternative to provide the necessary robust foundations for moral living and a sharper and more stunning hope for ultimate peace and righteousness.

Yesterday afternoon (October 30), six former Prime Ministers of Australia released a statement. John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbot, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison. These former national leaders represent different sides of the political spectrum. Through the years, they have expressed strong and opposing words to undermine each other and their respective Government positions. However, today, they are standing with one voice.

I do not recall another occasion where this significant number of former national leaders of Australia signed a letter with such force, unity and concern. This is a rare and historic moment and ought to cause Australians to consider the very real and dangerous and ugly antisemitism that is spilling onto streets and social media around the world, including here in Australia. 75 years ago the world declared, ‘Never again’, and yet from university campuses to political representatives and crowds, we are hearing cries for Jewish people to be destroyed.

In the midst of an Australia that is becoming more divided and fractured, these former Prime Ministers have laid aside differences and produced a timely and vital declaration that I urge Australians to read and take with the seriousness they are conveying. They express deep concern at the antisemitism on display around the world and at home. They offer clear and unapologetic condemnation of Hamas and their evil, both upon Israel and their own people in Gaza. They also call on Israel to abide by international conventions as they exercise their right to destroy the terror network.

Returning to my opening reflection, as our former Prime Ministers seek to lead by example, they turn to the Bible for example and help. They quote Psalm 34, which forms part of the Scriptures for both Jewish people and Christians.

“Seek peace and pursue it”

I find it odd and somewhat shallow when inner suburbanites yell at Christians and tell them to keep their Bible out of public issues. They make an exemption when Christian words seem to support their progressive (or conservative) agendas, but as soon as dissonance returns, the demands for silence come back with pugnacious certainty. Of course, sometimes Christians say unhelpful things and misuse the very Scriptures that shape us. There are times when the Christian perspective is neither left or right, progressive or conservative; indeed, this is most often the case. There are times when Christian wisdom displays a properly diagonalised view, which avoids false binaries and compromises. This is why a Christian perspective is sometimes misunderstood and or unwanted. There are also occasions when not speaking is the right thing to do. I do not, however, see how we can remain silent as the noise of antisemitism grows in Melbourne, Sydney and elsewhere (the same is true when our Muslim neighbours are targeted and abused).

It is worth noting that in October 2023, as the world witnesses horrific evil and growing unrest, six former Prime Ministers lean upon the Bible for guidance and moral impulse. I am encouraged and would encourage others to also lean in.

As we do, the Scriptures push us even deeper, not letting us settle for a consolation built on myth or vapor-like hopefulness. Words are just words if they are not conveying concrete truthfulness and goodness. Like a Shakespearean Sonnet with sonorous beauty or a Hallmark Card, they form a heart without a pulse. As the Apostle Paul dares to insist, if Christ has not been raised, we are to be pitied by all men, and our faith is an exposé of ignorance.

The phrase borrowed by our former Prime Ministers, Psalm 34, has more to say that is worthy of consideration and which provides reason and guts to the search for peace. For example, the full sentence of verse 24 says this,

“Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.”

Immediately following this statement, the Psalmist provides a framework for substantiating peace,

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

There is evil in the world. There is also sin in each one of us. Modern Australia often tries to wipe away moral absolutes and considers categories like sin and evil as the language of oppressive Christians. Yet, time and time again we fall back into biblical language and concepts to articulate what we see and feel and know intuitively. Lean more attentively.

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6)

Never Again

October 24, 2023October 7, 2025 / MurrayCampbell

The world said, ‘Never again’. Following the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews were slaughtered, guilt, conviction and repentance led much of the world to exclaim, ‘Never again’. Most people believed the words, and yet today, in the year 2023, that promise is losing confidence and support.

Two weeks have passed since the terror attack on Israel killed 1400 people and left thousands injured, and more than 200 as hostages. It is not the condemnation of Hamas that surprises, but the support for Hamas that is rallying voices in cities worldwide, including Australian cities.

A friend of mine, as she tries to make sense of what is happening, made this remark,

“Over the last week or so it’s dawned on me how much I’ve domesticated Satan in my own thinking. Yes he is the subtle tempter. But he is also the blatant protagonist of violence, clamour, hatred, cruelty & death. And he’s currently having an absolute field day. God have mercy.”

Indeed, Lord have mercy.

What we are witnessing around the globe, from Melbourne to New York, Sydney to London, are scenes that harken back to the darkest moments in 1930s Germany. Of course, the geopolitical situation is not analogous, and yet a deep and vile hatred toward the Jews is manifesting. These are not quiet murmurs but public and vocal, and at times the anti-semistim is lauded by crowds and even by political and so called ‘erudite’ groups.

We can try and explain away some anti-semitism by suggesting it’s just the fringe. When the forecourts of the Sydney Opera House witnessed a mob shouting, ‘Gas the Jews’, and when young Jewish men were threatened on the streets of Melbourne with ‘I’ll kill you’, our minds calculated that these are the words of the tiny few.

The world has seen footage of children in American schools chanting, ‘“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free”, a saying that means eradicating Jewish people from the land of Israel.

Bari Weiss’ office was defaced over the weekend with ‘F#ck the Jews’.

There is story after story.

Lest we think that the awful language is limited to a few thugs, there are politicians and academic institutions supporting Hamas against Israel. Many Universities and Colleges in the United States have produced statements in support of the Gaza ‘uprising’ and condemning Israel.

Harvard University, for instance, is considered one of the world’s leading institutions of education. Yesterday, the halls of Harvard were filled with students supporting Palestine against Israel. This followed a letter that was signed by 30 student groups at Harvard blaming Israel for the atrocities on October 7. They didn’t even wait for the dead to be counted before asserting,

We “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence”.

So, Hamas terrorists are not responsible for raping, kidnapping, and murdering innocent civilians but somehow they are justified or simply victims being swept up in a moral fight against their oppressors? Apparently, a few of these student groups have since rescinded their support of their letter, saying that they hadn’t read the letter carefully.

Sydney’s Town Hall plays to all manner of social causes and lights up to display solidarity, and yet the Mayor of Sydney has blocked the attempt to show the blue and white of Israel. These are not examples of antisemitism, but this is not a time to play the argument of moral equivalence and to sidestep what took place in Israel. But to make clear, ‘never again’.

It isn’t helpful to exaggerate how wide or deep the anti-Jewish sentiment runs through our cities, for large portions of our populations see how vile such dehumanising is. It is becoming clear, however, that antisemitism exists and it is perhaps more commonplace than we realised, and it is event present in our elitist institutions with noise and clanging. We didn’t believe it. Perhaps we still refused to accept it. But for all our sophistry and hubristic self-belief, we are not immune from profound ugliness and distaste.

Contrary to the wistless historical positivism about history’s arc turning toward justice, the 20th century blew that idea out of the water.* The early decades of the 21st century have further reinforced that the saying is vapour. History is more like a Wagnerian cycle; prolonged agony with an audience gasping for resolution amidst near-eternal dissonance. Yes, we see progress and good in many spheres and yet none removes that basic instinct to sin.

My friend is right to attribute the evil of recent weeks to Satan. Satan is a cunning foe, and he is also a powerful ally in the ambition of hatred and death. It is not as though people are helpless victims in his hands, but rather he exploits our pre-existing heart condition. Lurking in all our hearts is far more sin than we are prepared to admit. It was Jesus who made the diagnosis,

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

That is what we are seeing spillover around the world. Deep-seated views and convictions are sensing opportunity to come out and be expressed. Anti-semitism is but one example of many blots on the human heart, but it is a fearful one.

I still cannot fathom how a Melbourne Anglican Minister went on Twitter (X) in support of Hamas’ violent and bloody attack on Israelis. It is beyond belief.

Never again.

It is difficult to overstate the seriousness of the unfolding situation in Israel and Gaza. It is impossible to fathom the anxiety and fear overwhelming people in Israel and Gaza. National leaders and diplomats are pressing to control the situation and to find ways to release the pressure valve while at the same time acknowledging Israel’s right to destroy Hamas. For 3,000 years, Jerusalem has magnetised world history, and it remains so today. What happens in Israel doesn’t remain in Israel. We live in a global community, and when a stone is thrown in one part of the world, the ripples spread wide.

Surely we are gripped with sadness, grief and diminishing trust in man’s ability to overcome.

Never again.

Among the stories that gripped attention for more than a week is the speed to doubt and disbelieve. As reports were given to journalists and to the public of atrocities in Israeli homes, towns, and fields, many said, no. This isn’t true. We don’t believe you. Show us the bodies. Yesterday Israeli Defence Force representatives invited journalists into a room and played video footage of the dead. Films taken by Hamas show their members torturing, killing, burning and yes even beheading Israelis. The media are now reporting what ears refused to believe but eyes have now seen and witnessed now through flood of tears.

Andrew Neil retells,

“Journalists in tears as IDF shows them body cam footage of massacres by Hamas terrorists on Oct 7 with civilians and soldiers being shot, stabbed, tortured and burned merely because they were Jewish.

Their corpses were bound, gagged and riddled with bullet holes and knife wounds.

In one clip, a Hamas terrorist throws a grenade at a father and his son. The blast kills the father, while the young boy is covered in his blood. The child is dragged inside and forced to sit next to his brother, whose eye is a bloody mess after being subjected to horrific torture. One of the boys sobs: ‘Why am I alive?’

Other footage shows IDF soldiers beheaded with their headless corpses left splayed in the streets, while a contingent of female soldiers were injured by a grenade then shot at point blank range.

A Hamas gunman brags on the the phone to his parents about ‘killing 10 Jews’. He is using phone of a Jewish woman who has just been murdered and boasts that he ‘is a hero’ after killing Israelis with his ‘own hands’.”

Never again?

Unlike the waves of self-appointed Middle Eastern experts offering their opinions, I am not an expert. It does not, however, require a PhD in political science to understand that Hamas’ attack on Israel was evil and that Israel has the right to defend herself and her people and to agree that Hamas must never again have the ability to repeat these atrocities.

We can also and ought to affirm the protection of civilians across borders and people groups, regardless of their religion and ethnicity. How damnable are Hamas for preventing their own people from fleeing south. That Israel’s Defence Force gives prior warning and urge people to move away from targets, is demonstrably more than what a nation at war would normally do.

We pray and call for the protection of innocent Palestinians and Israelis. Speak up and stand against anti-semitism. We pray for justice. We pray for peace. Surely, we can give up our godless pretensions and take God at his word,

The Lord is angry with all nations;

his wrath is on all their armies.

He will totally destroy them,

he will give them over to slaughter.

Their slain will be thrown out,

their dead bodies will stink;

the mountains will be soaked with their blood.

All the stars in the sky will be dissolved

and the heavens rolled up like a scroll;

all the starry host will fall

like withered leaves from the vine,

like shriveled figs from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34)

Never again.

As it happens, I don’t believe that the modern state of Israel is the fulfilment of Biblical promise. I think that view misses the point about how the person of Jesus Christ fulfils all of God’s ancient promises. And yet one cannot ignore the Apostles’ teaching in the New Testament about how God loves Israel (the people); therefore we must also. This is a part of the Bible that Christians have sometimes ignored or abused. Sadly, the history of Christianity in Europe is marked by chapters of persecuting Jews. There are also positive moments, whether Oliver Cromwell welcoming Jews to return to England or the posture of preachers like Charles Spurgeon who insisted, ‘a Christian must be the last person who ought ever to speak disrespectfully or unkindly to the Jews’.

Never again.

Political and military courses have a place and imperative. However, the ultimate answer to justice and mercy, peace and reconciliation is the Christ whom we in the West are trying to remove from the story. Indeed, the world has tried that approach before. The world once famously rejected the Messiah. They arrested him under false pretences. They accused him of all manner of wrongdoing. The soldiers then had him tortured and forced him to carry the implement of his own execution. They crucified him, hands and feet until dead. And yet as Peter explained to the crowd in Jerusalem at Pentecost, it is through that very cross God was winning redemption for us. To confirm this ultimate victory, God raised Jesus from the dead.

Many of us remain sceptical today and others quietly go about thinking, maybe. In Gaza today and scattered around Israel too, are small groups of Christians, believing the world’s only hope is this Jesus.

In my previous and initial reflections on what happened on October 7th, I quoted an Old Testament Bible passage, and I do so again, because of how fitting it is. These words were written by a Jewish man who rested his hope on the promise of God. As he spoke of looming disaster and chaos and suffering, because of sin, Isaiah also gave words of comfort and hope. How the world today needs this kind of concrete hope.

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation
    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

A friend pointed out the origins of the ‘arc of history’ quote, which is from Martin Luther King and posits a faith in God who will make all things news. This differs from how the phrase is commonly used today, unfortunately

Responding to the situation in Israel: thoughts from a Christian

October 9, 2023October 10, 2023 / MurrayCampbell

“Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.” (Esther 8:3)

Shock. Horrified. Anger. Weeping.

The world is reeling at the sights and stories flooding our screens and phones from Israel.

The attacks on Israel over the weekend by Hamas is the most serious threat to the security of that nation in 50 years. It is no coincidence that the attacks were orchestrated while Israelis enjoyed a public day to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. As families gathered and IDF members relaxed at home, thousands of rockets were fired into Israel and 100s of armed militants crashed through border fences and began killing and kidnapping.

It was 50 years to the day since the Yom Kippur War when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise invasion of Israel. As though like a blood-filled reminder and yet ironically oblivious to the outcome of that war, Hamas struck with terrifying assault on civilians and soldiers alike.

More than 1000 people are known to be dead and 1000s injured, and the situation is far from over.

“For three sins of Gaza,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because she took captive whole communities

and sold them to Edom,

I will send fire on the walls of Gaza

that will consume her fortresses. (Amos 1:6-7)

What is happening in Israel right now is of Biblical proportions. The last 2-3 days have witnessed the greatest number of Jewish deaths since the Holocaust. That is a terrible statistic to hear.

Across the globe and around Australia, there is widespread support for Israel. The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among international leaders affirming Israel’s right to defend herself and condemn the insidious violence and brutality being carried out by Hamas. As the Scriptures remind us, the State has the power and responsibility to wield the sword. It is a heavy burden and duty and requires great wisdom, patience and righteousness, and yet a State has that right to protect herself against armed aggression.

While cities across the world light the night sky in the blue and white of Israel, as will my own city of Melbourne tonight, there are however some groups lifting their voices in support of Hamas. News outlets are now saying that Iran was involved behind the attack. A notable Imam in Sydney was on the streets last night, proclaiming to a crowd that this was a day of victory and celebration.

Hours earlier, The Victorian Socialists tweeted support for the terrorists,

‘Solidarity to the Palestinian resistance’.

Such a posture is disgusting and shameful.

I even saw a message from a Melbourne Anglican Minister supporting Palestine against Israel, as though the violence is somehow justified. It beggars belief.

In Sydney tonight, police have warned Jewish people to stay away from public spaces such as the famed Opera House because they are concerned for their safety. It is no wonder that Jewish people are fearful and many people are tonight wondering what on earth is going on?

I suspect (I pray), that those voices are like a scattering of drunken individuals at the MCG on non-game day. Their opinions are loud and carry across the G with force, but they are relatively few in number.

What is more common, although still a minority from what I have gauged, are journalists and political leaders trying to dance around the issues and employ whataboutism. As though, yes Hamas is bad, and so is Israel, and there goes the merry round. When tragedy or evil strikes, whataboutism is about as kind to victims as Job’s friends.

We don’t have to agree with all Israeli policy and affirm every past action of the Israeli Government. That’s not the point Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar! There is no justification for hating on Jews and for murdering and raping and kidnapping women and children. There is no moral equivalence here.

As much as the world moves on its axis and highlights different conflicts, movements, and moments, we rarely shift far from Jerusalem. That ancient city continues to perplex, amaze, and tilt global events, even today as the world watches on.

It’s not that we (Christians) equate the modern State of Israel with Israel of the Bible. Such equivalences fail to take into account Biblical theology and how Christ is the telos of God’s ancient promises. As the Apostle Paul describes,

“remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:12-16)

As Christians, we understand the foundational role Jewish people have played in God’s unfolding plan of redemption. Abraham, Moses, and David are vital characters of both history and key to the shaping of what will become Christianity. Of course, the earliest disciples were all Jewish and Jesus was a Jew.

Gentile believers like myself appreciate our place in God’s gracious redemptive purposes. It is to be grafted by grace, as new branches into a very ancient tree, ‘You do not support the root, but the root supports you.’

How Christians can respond

How might Christians respond to the events in Israel of the past 48 hours? Here are 3 suggestions: pray, mourn, and press close to Christ.

There is something every Christian can do today. We can pray. We should pray. There is, after all, Biblical warrant for praying.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls

and security within your citadels.”

For the sake of my family and friends,

I will say, “Peace be within you.”

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will seek your prosperity. (Psalm 122:7-9)

We pray for peace. We pray for justice. And we pray for mercy.

We both pray as members who have been grafted into that tree and we pray for Israel as we would another nation who have been terrifyingly attacked by men who doing evil.

Our prayers begin with Israel but they do not end with Israel, but extend to the Palestinian people as well. Hamas may control Gaza, but they do not represent all Palestinians. Indeed, thousands of Palestinians are Christian and no doubt many Muslim Palestinians are vehemently opposed to Hamas.

Second, the Scriptures teach us to ‘mourn with those who mourn.’

This is why the ‘wisdom’ of Job’s friends is so unkind. For a few days, maybe avoid whataboutism and instead sit with someone or at least show empathy to someone who is in profound grief and trauma. This includes thousands of grieving Israeli families and countless Palestinian families who are caught up by Hamas’s vile political and religious games.

When expressing anger at Hamas and showing support for Israel, let us be careful and not conflate all of Gaza with Hamas. I think of a Palestinian family whom I know. They have family living in the Gaza Strip and over the years members have died and others faced terrible conditions. In 2017 he shared on my blog what life is like for many people in Gaza including Palestinian Christians of which there are many.

“In Australia and much of the west it is very easy to take essential provisions for granted. Food, water, warmth, basic amenities, and the freedom to worship as a Church or body of Christian believers. Such rights as voting, police protection, medical and health cover, or a simple roof over your head do not exist to many in Palestine. Freedom to move around from suburb to suburb within the nation do not exist. There is no right to external travel, and no right of return. …Uncertainty and persecution is everywhere. Many fall in despair and suggest God is only a God of the Jews, and hater of the Palestinians. They consider God hated Ishmael – whereas instead God saved him in the wilderness, and blessed him bringing into his line 12 princes. The pain distorts their view on God’s true love and equitable justice. God is not the racist they often time feel He is portrayed as.”

Jerusalem was built on an ancient promise. Through millennia of blood and life, grief and joy, the very stones waited. The world is crying for ultimate justice and for ultimate hope. I am reminded of the One who warned us of wars and rumours of war, for he is the one who was crucified. He wept over Jerusalem and then entered the city as a King and then he gave his life as a ransom for many.

Today is a day where action and justice is required, to punish evildoers and to save life. It is also a day for mourning. A time will come and we pray soon, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. Pray that God will awaken the conscience and spirit, to see that the tomb outside Jerusalem is today empty and that Jerusalem’s hope, the world’s only hope, is Yeshua.

Since writing yesterday afternoon, there have been so many additional reports and comments online that I fear that the anti-Semitic voice is larger than I suggested. And I say that with a heavy heart and one that makes me long even more for the Prince of Peace.

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Responding to the situation in Israel: thoughts from a Christian

How Christians can respond

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6. Christians chasing lesser things that distract from ultimate things.

5. Grief over churches abandoning the Gospel and Christians deconstructing the faith

4. Growing holiness in the face of suffering

3. Thousands of churches are planted

2. The salvation of millions of people

1. Welcoming home all who finish the race

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Mentone Baptist Church: church for the future

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Continuity

Discontinuity

Further Principles

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How Christians can respond

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