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To speak evil of others is the sport practised by 99% of cowards, those who are afraid to solve their own problems face to face.
Luis Ocaña.
He was one of the best cyclists in history, but he never seemed to find trust or hope for his life. Winner of the most important prizes, he once stated, "In our job, to be a human is hard. Either you bite or you are bitten. Cycling is a sport without a soul."
During the year 1994 he lost his life, and they said that he committed suicide, although it seems difficult to know for certain what really happened. He was LUIS OCAÑA, the 1973 winner of the Tour de France.
Unfortunately, to speak evil of others is a most popular sport. Either you bite or you are bitten. You do not need training, special studies, discipline or equipment - you only need a crowd! A crowd that is willing to listen and to bring ruin to others!
It is the sport practised by 99% of cowards, those who are afraid to solve their own problems face to face. In this sport those who practise it are the ones who lose; they may harm the person they criticise, but that is nothing in comparison to the harm they bring on themselves. Every word spoken against another person is a poison that remains inside of us.
Slander is like a mallet, because when you speak evil of others, it is just as if you hit them. Ask your friends, what do you prefer? For me to talk badly about you or for me to hit you? Well, we are not masochistic, so we will not answer this question, but you will understand that you would have preferred almost anything just as long as someone does not speak badly about you.
Slander is also like a sword, because you damage someone else's life. You hurt someone, their circumstances, the way they are. The bad words spread to those around who stop expecting good things of that person, and instead believe the things you have said.
Slander is like a pointed arrow, because it literally "drives into" the other person, with regard to the way they behave. Although they may be your friend, they stop trusting in you when they find out what you have said. They feel betrayed, and they are right.
A mallet, a sword, an arrow are weapons that do not belong to a child of God. God never gossips about anyone, therefore we do not have the right to do it either. The Bible says that to gossip is sin... Do you go around breaking, piercing, and thrusting people?
In an era of polarized politics and dysfunctional governments, it is heartening to witness politicians act with courage, promptness, and moral clarity.
A summary of the sermon Lindsay Brown preached at Michael Green’s funeral on 2nd March, 2019.
Julia Doxat-Purser: 25 years of EEA office in Brussels
An interview with the socio-political representative of the European Evangelical Alliance about how evangelical Christians work at the heart of the European Union.
Lars Dahle: Nominal Christianity, a mission field for the church
An interview with Lars Dahle, of the Steering Committee of the Lausanne Movement Global Consultation on Nominal Christianity held in Rome.
Testimony: Wildfires near Athens
Nico Spies, a Christian worker in Athens, gives details about the wildfires in Greece.
Arie de Pater: Refugees deserve a fair and efficient process
The Brussels representative of the European Evangelical Alliance offers a Christian perspective on the crisis: “We can’t reduce people to just a number that needs to be controlled”.
Michael Ramsden: Communicating the Gospel in today’s societies
RZIM International Director Michael Ramsden responds to questions about the secularisation of Europe, the role of Christians in public leadership and the new ‘culture of victimism’.
Ruth Valerio: A lifestyle that cares about creation
Are Christians called to make a difference in environmental care? What has creation care to do with "loving our neighbours"? An interview with the Global Advocacy and Influencing Director of Tearfund.
‘Small churches, big potential for transformation’
Photos of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance’s annual gathering “Idea 2019”, in Murcia. Politicians and church leaders discussed about the role of minorities in society.
Bulgaria: Evangelicals ask government to protect religious minorities
Christians rallied in Sofia on November 18 to defend their rights. It is the second Sunday of peaceful demonstrations against a new religion draft law that could severely restrict religious freedom and rights of minority faith confessions.
Rallies in Bulgaria: “New bill on religion brings us back to Communism!”
Bulgarian evangelicals protested peacefully on November 11 against a draft law which could severely restrict religious freedom of faith minorities. Churches rallied in Sofia and other cities after the Sunday worship services.
Photos: #WalkForFreedom
Abolitionists marched through 400 cities in 51 countries. Pictures from Valencia (Spain), October 20.
Photos: Reaching people with disabilities
Seminars, an arts exhibition, discussion and testimonies. The European Disability Network met in Tallinn.
Photos: Hope for Europe
Unity in Diversity is the theme of the conference. Representatives of Evangelical Alliances and many other church leaders gathered in Tallinn (Estonia).
Romania: God’s Word among Roma people
Gypsies are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in Romania. According to 2013 estimates, the Roma groups make up 10% of the country's population, accounting for about 1.5 million people.
Latin American leaders unite to fight against imposition of gender ideology
Christian leaders from all over Latin America are concerned about the progress of gender ideology agendas in the region. Many are joining together in public demonstrations and training events.
How do fake news spread?
Tony Watkins, Coordinator of the Lausanne Media Engagement Network.
Lindsay Brown: The encouraging advance of the gospel in Spain
Church planting, the amount of books authored by Spanish evangelicals and the growth of the Christian student movement in the last decades, are some of the marks underlined by Lindsay Brown.
What do Christian communication and science communication have in common?
“As Christians, we also try to communicate a detailed and often slightly technical message”, says Kay Carter, Director of Communications of Tyndale House (UK).
Church planting in Strasbourg
A video on how evangelicals are planting churches in Strasbourg (France).
Christians, resilience and a post-Christian culture
Lindsay Brown: “The biblical pattern is not one of speed, but of steady sowing and gradual reaping in due course”.
Opinions expressed are those of their respective contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Evangelical Focus.
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