When Our World Turns Upside Down

Key world events define our lives.  For earlier generations, they could tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of victory in Europe or that U.S. President John F. Kennedy had been shot.  For my generation, it was initially the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded.  Fifteen years later, the key moment became the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the U.S. Pentagon.  Today’s generation remembers Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Key personal moments also define our lives – the first day of school, graduation, university days, our wedding day, birth of children, a new job, a move, death of a loved ones.

All of these events could be ones that “turn our world upside down” – for good or for bad.  Turning the World Upside Down is the theme of this edition of Highlights.  We adopted that theme from the theme of our Ministry Leadership Conference which is also featured in this edition.  Ralph Cunnington, pastor of City Church in Manchester, England, taught through 10 chapters of Acts, looking at how first the Jerusalem church and then the Antioch church turned the first century world upside and had a far-reaching impact – affecting each of us today.

The picture above is one I took more than 20 years ago and hangs on our wall at home with this verse of Scripture: Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day (Lamentations 3:23, TLB).  No matter whether our world is upside down or right-side up, God is faithful.  Sunrises remind of us that.  His mercy, grace, love, and kindness are new for us each and every morning.

We hope you will be renewed and challenged by this edition of Highlights.

 Judith Lynn Maxwell, Highlights Editor