The surprise defeat of the Hindu Nationalist BJP-ruled alliance has sent shock waves across the nation. One national newspaper headlined the election results as “Shock and Awesome”. This was a result no one expected. Most opinion polls predicted victory for the BJP alliance, while the exit polls predicted at the worst a hung parliament where the BJP would be able to gobble up an alliance once more.

At the bi-annual All India Christian Council conference in March 2004, in Hyderabad, we declared to the over 1,000 Christian leaders gathered from different parts of the nation that this election was going to be a make or break election. We urged the Christian leaders to pray and act. Around India much prayer went up for the nation. I was at a meeting in Chennai for 2,000 Christian leaders gathered for a day of prayer and fasting.

This is an excerpt from an article at Christianity Today. It will be interesting to see what happens from this point onwards.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

The official Friday Five is officially dead. With that in mind I thought I’d have a go at posting The Journey Five, especially for those of us who have only discovered the idea recently.

Feel free to answer the questions here or on your own blog, leave your link in the comments section and let others know that they can participate too.

Here is this week’s questions.

If you could change one thing about your . . .

1. . . . own appearance what would it be?

2. . . . past what would it be?

3. . . . country what would it be?

4. . . . current job/study what would it be?

5. . . . family what would it be?

My Answers:

1. I’d remove the spare tyre around my middle.

2. I’d meet my wife Pauline about 10 or so years earlier. We didn’t meet until we were 28.

3. When I read in the Bible about whole nations turning to God I reckon it’s pretty exciting. I’d love to see that in Australia.

4. I’d love it if the job was big enough for an extra person to be employed in my area. I really enjoy working together with another person. I’m not always as thorough as I’d like to be and another person would help keep me accountable and let me bounce ideas off them. In past jobs when I have worked closely with one other person I have found the job a lot more satisfying and we can produce more than twice as much.

5. Mum died in 1987 and dad died a couple of years ago. I wish they were both around to see my own family grow. I find it especially hard that mum never even met Pauline or our kids. I’m thankful that dad got to meet all his grandchildren though I don’t know how much our kids will remember of him in later years.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

Ruby has started a new blog called Living by the Spirit.

Why not check it out and say hello while you’re there?

Posted by Rodney Olsen