Dr Paul Allen

What does the author of The Gulag Archipelago have in common with the actor who played Dwight Schrute on The Office? They both recognize spiritual exhaustion in Western culture and call for spiritual renewal to shake off the materialist malaise that plagues society. In Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, Rainn Wilson lays the groundwork for a soul movement he believes is much needed. Given that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn sounded this note in his controversial 1978 commencement address at Harvard, some might say the proposed renewal is long overdue. Wilson is an actor, the author or co-author of three books, and hosts a streaming show on Peacock exploring places that tend to make people happy: Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss. Wilson also cohosts a podcast with Reza Aslan called Metaphysical Milkshake. Together with a range of public thinkers, they explore life's big questions. Soul Boom is an attempt to address the pervasive anxiety of the age. It’s easy to agree with...

War has been at the forefront of many minds in the past fifteen months. War has impacted us all, no matter how close or far we are from the front lines. Of course, Jesus said we can expect to hear of "wars and rumours of wars" and that "nation will rise against nation," which are "but the beginning of the birth pains" (Matthew 24:6–8). Jesus said this in the context of his return to earth and what we can expect before he comes again. Matthew 24:6–8 mentions that war makes many appearances, especially in the book's second half.  My question is for Christians -do you have a healthy expectation that the second coming might actually bring stability to a person's mind who is feeling psychologically fragile and vulnerable and off-balance — maybe because of personal circumstances, losses, tragedies, pain, or because of upheavals in society that disorient people and pull them this way and that and make them feel fragmented and shaky, maybe even agitated an...

What can we learn from Elijah’s struggles? 1 Kings 19:1-4 – Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” Despite seeing God bring fire down from Heaven, and then rain, oppression came over the man of God, Elijah, when the demonic queen Jezebel threatened his life and put a curse on him, and he was gripped with fear and anxiety, running for his life for several miles. Laying in the woods, he told God he just wanted to die. This is...

Western culture has been through what has been described as an Age of Faith, an Age of Enlightenment, an Age of Science, and so on. What label best describes our present age? Perhaps the Age of the Screen captures how, like no age prior, we live much of our conscious lives on glowing rectangles. Perhaps the Age of the Gavel to express how the ubiquitous judgmentalism, cancellations, and holier-than-thou attitudes have supplanted meaningful discourse, especially on social media. Perhaps the Age of Polarization to express just how incapable many have become of seeing any insight or moral value whatsoever in the opposing political party. There is truth in all of those. Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor prefers the moniker of “the Age of Authenticity” to express that being true to ourselves has become the highest goal in the West. Princeton’s Robert George has called it the “Age of Feeling.” Both philosophers are correct to point out that allegiance to our emotions, is the idea that real...

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6: 33-34).  These Bible verses from the New Testament are comforting — but how do we apply them to our modern lives, which can be full of stress and anxiety? Jesus Christ’s words in this Bible verse are "the very key" to addressing an issue that "troubles men’s hearts" most today: anxiety. Before Jesus stated this, he enumerated [in prior passages] the things of life that trouble us, from scarcely having enough to eat to possessing such an overabundance of things that it burdens us. Regardless of the situation, anxiety and fear are debilitating and terrible masters worldwide. Over the past several years, fear "has robbed people" of "reasonable thinking, hope, peace, love and vision. Think about it for a mo...

Not long ago, I received a moving letter from a friend who is working as a missionary in a Muslim portion of the Philippines. He wrote, We heard gunshots the other day and the sounds of running feet as people rushed by our ministry center. The coffee and rubber farms were on fire. We were in shock because we were told it was most likely intentionally done. Many tears were shed, but we prayed that what people intended for evil God would work for good. We don’t know how, but because God is good, it should work out so. So, we could sleep. The last words of his letter echo Psalm 127:2: “He gives to his beloved sleep.” If we’re awed by the fact that Almighty God loves us and that he’s working all things toward our best interests, then we really can be free from anxiety. Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” Isn’t that wonderful? If our minds are focused on the Lord Jehovah, then our hearts can be at peace. Realities of Li...

Few things can cripple people like fear. Fear makes people shrink back from doing the things they know they ought to do. Fear can also make us do things we know we ought not to do. Fear is not simply self-protective or self-preserving; fearful concern for the well-being and protection of those whom we love can cause us to worry, to lie awake at night, and even to do things that could be perceived as either very brave or very foolish. So what overcomes fear? The Bible offers a clear and potent solution—faith in the promises of God. “By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king” (Heb. 11:27). This verse stands in the middle of Hebrews 11 and in the middle of the author’s commentary on the life of Moses. It briefly reflects on the faith of Moses in the face of a very real and present danger (humanly speaking)—the king of Egypt. Moses was a man just like any other man; blood flowed in his veins just as it does in yours and mine. He was truly human and thus capable of k...

So, we are faced with a certain amount of fear and anxiety that is media-induced to one degree or another. There is also, however, fear and anxiety caused by actual frightening events. Strong cyclones or bushfires are frightening to experience. Other natural disasters such as floods and are frightening. Diseases are frightening, especially when they spread across the world—as the coronavirus has done so far. Wars and terrorist activity are also frightening. Complicating matters is the lack of trust that many have in the news media. We know that fear sells because it keeps people glued to their screens and that is profitable. We know bias exists in news reporters as it does in everyone.  Due to factors such as these, however, many people have lost all trust in the news media to accurately report events. Social media has intensified this problem because friends and family share stories without always checking the sources. This can cause problems when a truly dangerous event is unfold...

Sometimes, even if we know that something is wrong, it can take a bit to see the ugly side. Like anything else that Scripture warns us about, anxiety also has some very damaging effects.  The New Testament word for anxiety, 'merimna', is also translated as “care” or “worry.” Because anxiety is real and prevalent in our world, so is the impact. And while anxiety may come from imagined scenarios, real and present issues, or a sense of impending doom, a life of perpetual anxiety makes it impossible to love God and neighbor as we should. Regardless of the cause or source, anxiety disrupts life on multiple levels. PHYSICAL EFFECTS There is a reason that Jesus asked, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matt. 6:27). We all know that anxiety is not the key to healthy longevity. Feeling scared, feeling down, and losing sleep is just the beginning. While conditions such as chronic pain, disability, or long-term illness can spawn anxiety, things...

We live in a world in which we have so many technological advances—so many things at our disposal to make our lives easier—from microwaves and dishwashers to cell phones and Siri. Yet, in the midst of all these things that exist to make our lives easier and more simplified, it still seems that our lives are overwhelmingly complicated.  Many people are stressed out, confused, and full of anxiety. Counseling centers have become as prolific as coffee shops, and most pastors would acknowledge that there are more people in the church who need counseling than there are resources to adequately care for them. We live in a world that abounds with anxiety. But as Christians, we can turn to the Bible for God’s solution to anxiety: focusing on Christ and the hope we have in Him. And here, we read Romans 8:18–30 as the primary text for our encouragement. The trials and challenges we endure are in many ways not new. “There is nothing new under the sun”—including anxiety (Eccl. 1:9). The first-ce...

Anxiety is mystifying and elusive. Some people have experienced debilitating anxiety that has found them in the back of an ambulance, while others have the occasional anxious thought that passes briefly through their minds before they fall into a peaceful sleep. For some, anxiety can make it difficult to perform daily rudimentary tasks. For others, anxiety comes around only a few times every year and doesn’t significantly disrupt everyday life. Whatever form anxiety takes, Christians need to know how to meet it with biblical directives and wisdom for our unsettled hearts. When anxiety rears its ugly head, what are we to do? When anxiety is a constant companion for the Christian, how do we remain faithful? Before considering these questions, it’s worth noting that our God-given fight-or-flight instincts are good.   God created our brains to alert us to potential danger. But our brains are subject to the effects of the fall, so our danger-sensing systems can sometimes lead us astray...