Signs of the Times - May 2023

THE PEOPLE'S

POET

THE MOTHER-LOVE OF GOD

THE SURPRISING POWER OF SABBATH

A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY

ONLY A MOTHER’S LOVE

IN THIS ISSUE MAY 2023 SAY IT WITH A POEM Rojé’s journey from Uganda to Australia and how poetry helped him explore moments of loss, isolation and fear.

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46

32

CURRENT

CULTURE

WELLBEING

04 WHAT IN THE WORLD

26 THE ORIGINS OF

18 EMBRACING SUNLIGHT

MOTHERS OF THE DISAPPEARED Daring mothers throughout history and what they show us about God

12 YOU ARE A DIRT

MOTHER’S DAY One woman’s dedication to honouring mothers

46 MAKING SENSE OF THE

ID MOVEMENT Is design theory more scientific than evolution?

CREATURE

How stories affect

our identity

FAITH 24 ASK PASTOR JESSE 40 THE SURPRISING

POWER OF SABBATH How keeping it can save your life

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA 2

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The benefits of sunlight and how to enjoy it safely

30 HEALTH NEWS FOR

EVERY BODY

32 WHY IS EVERYONE SO

ANGRY? Is it true and what can we do about it?

60 RECIPE: VEGGIE

HASH BROWNS WITH AVOCADO ON TOAST

FUN 62 CROSSWORD & SUDOKU

SIMON-BERGER, YOGENDRA-SINGH, JENNA-NORMAN-—UNSPASH

06 LOS DESAPARECIDOS:

I’m grateful to my mother. She instilled in me a love of reading that has set me on my career path. I write and read all day thanks to that love she passed on to me.

But more than that, more than my livelihood, my career, my passion, I know she fights for me.

She fights for all three of her kids, all four of her grandkids, our partners and our dad. She fights in prayer. She wakes up early or stays up late because she’s worrying about us. And, I know she takes those worries to God. While I often tease her about worrying too much (and she probably does), it is a great comfort to know that she is always praying for us, even when we are far apart.

Our mothers are often strong (with more than physical strength) and resilient. As children, they hold our worlds together, literally sustaining and raising us. As we get older, they are still a point we can return to. When we doubt ourselves, they never do.

In this issue, we learn about the origins of Mother’s Day (page 26) and are reminded of the courage and love of these extraordinary women (page 6).

An old proverb gives us some good advice. “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck” (Proverbs 6:20,21).

My mother taught me to pray and the God who hears her prayers is the same who hears mine. He is always there and willing to listen, just like a mother. Try speaking to Him today, or, if you’d like someone to pray for you, visit <signsofthetimes.org.au/help> and select prayer request.

Jarrod

JARROD STACKELROTH Editor

VOL 138 NO 5 ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Jarrod Stackelroth ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jesse Herford ASSISTANT EDITOR Zanita Fletcher COPYEDITOR Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Theodora Pau'u Talia Valderrama PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsofthetimes.org.au WEBSITE signsofthetimes.org.au ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A28/$NZ30; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical.

Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs.

Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide.

COVER IMAGE:

Image Supplied by Rojé

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MEMORABLE MOTHERS

WHAT IN THE WORLD CARE FOR A SNAKE WITH THAT?

REVIVAL OF FILM CAMERAS

MALAYSIA

AUSTRALIA

Animal cafés have long been popular in Asia. Until now, they have focused on furry animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, racoons and meerkats.

Malaysian reptile enthusiast, Yap Ming Yang, opened Fangs, a reptile café on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. His hope is that it will help people appreciate reptiles as much as they do “cuter” creatures. He believes once people spend time with these scaly animals, their fear and disgust will be significantly abated.—Times Now

There is a worldwide shortage of film and analogue cameras due to the latest generation embracing old technology. Though they’ve grown up with smartphone cameras and instant image sharing, this generation loves the imperfect look of film photos and the anticipation that builds as they wait for pictures to develop. The resurgence of interest and short supply has made it an expensive hobby.—ABC News

IT’S TIME TO MOVE FIJI A national blueprint has been developed in Pacific Island countries to relocate villages at risk of being impacted by climate change. In Fiji, six villages have already relocated to escape the scourge and 42 have been earmarked for potential relocation in the next five to 10 years. Every new cyclone or disaster brings with it the risk of yet more villages added to the list.—The Guardian 4

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MAN SURVIVES ON TOMATO KETCHUP

COLOMBIAN NAVY PRESS OFFICE VIA AP , JSTOCKBYTE—GETTY IMAGES,

FIJI

FRANCE

Elvis Francois, a 47-year-old man from France, was repairing his boat when severe weather conditions pulled him out to sea. Unable to navigate back to shore, he spent 24 days adrift in the Caribbean Sea. He survived off a bottle of Heinz ketchup that was on the boat and water he collected with cotton when it rained.—CNN

Josephine Baker This singer and dancer was anything but conventional. Unable to conceive, she adopted 12 children from countries as diverse as Korea, France, Finland and Columbia. Baker called her family the “rainbow tribe” encouraging each child to maintain their country’s customs, language and religion. She raised them in a 15th-century château in southern France, which she turned into a pleasure park with a pool, farm and circus rides.

Sojourner Truth Though born into slavery, at 29, Truth escaped with her baby daughter in her arms.

Soon after, her five-year-old son was illegally sold to a man in Alabama. She raised money for a lawyer, filed complaints in court and eventually secured her son’s release. This was the first time a black woman successfully sued a white man in court. Truth went on to become a preacher, speaking about the Bible, abolition and the suffering of women.

Candy Lightner In 1981, a hit-and-run drunk driver killed Lightner’s 13-year-old daughter. Within a few months, Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) to pass stricter legislation and help the victims of drunk drivers.

As a result, MADD has helped save hundreds and thousands of lives.

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: S O D I C E R A P A S DE MOTHERS OF THE DISAPPEARED FG TRADE—GETTY IMAGES

Mothers throughout human history have fought hard to protect those they love. What can this “mother-love” teach us about God?

BY ASHLEY JANKIEWICZ 6

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of the past. For more than 40 years, these mothers have been fighting for their children, resulting in some success. As of 2017, 122 of those who’d disappeared had been recovered.

there can be miracles

Throughout the ages of human history, mothers have shown this same fierce loyalty and willingness to sacrifice their own needs for the sake of their children. Consider the story of Moses, recorded in the Bible and portrayed in the film The Prince of Egypt.

When we think of Moses, we might think of him in the bulrushes, the Ten Commandments or the parting of the Red Sea, but rarely do we give much thought to Jochebed, Moses’ mother.

The Egyptian pharoah, fearing the increasing number of Hebrews, ordered all newborn boys to be killed (Exodus 1). It was in this environment that Jochebed, a Hebrew slave, gave birth to Moses, a boy, and then

risked her life to hide her baby. After three months, when it became too difficult, Jochebed wove a basket out of reeds and hid Moses in the Nile (Exodus 2). Given her status as a female slave, Jochebed’s family would have been her whole world.

However, to save her son’s life, she was willing to give him up and place him into God’s hands.

In a haunting scene in The Prince of Egypt, Jochebed sings as she releases baby Moses. As the basket floats out into the river, crocodiles and hippos leap out of the water, attempting to capture the basket in their gaping maws.

The basket narrowly escapes being hauled into a fishing boat and is then roughly shoved along by the oars of several boats before finally floating into Pharoah’s palace. While this portrayal of baby Moses’ experience in the Nile may not be biblically accurate, it is safe to say that the Nile River was not a friendly place and

that Jochebed knew this. However, she knew her son would not survive if she held onto him so she was willing to let him go.

We may think the story ends well as Moses’ sister Miriam sees her baby brother being found by Pharoah’s daughter and offers her mother as a nursemaid (Exodus 2). However, we rarely think of the emotional cost of this arrangement for Jochebed.

Moses was not the name she had given him at birth and he was no longer considered Jochebed’s son.

Similarly to the Argentinian Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Jochebed not only risked her life but gave up her personal desires in the hope of saving her child. Mothers throughout the world can relate, as a mother’s love is a fierce, untameable thing.

The love of both Jochebed and the Argentinian mothers helps us understand the fierceness of God’s love for us. While the Bible uses the term “Father” and the pronoun “He” in referring to God, there is also imagery of God as “Mother” in both the Old and New Testaments.

For example, in the Psalms, we are told: “Whoever dwells in the shadow of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty . . . [God] will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge” (91:1,4). Similarly, in the gospel of Matthew, as Jesus laments over Jerusalem He says, “How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (23:37)”. These

INVINCIBLE_BULLDOG—GETTY IMAGES

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rgentina’s “Dirty War”, a campaign between the late 1970s and early ’80s, lasted eight years. The perpetrators’ goal was to rid the country of those who opposed the military dictatorship of the time. During this period, an estimated 30,000 people were abducted, tortured or killed. Many babies and children were kidnapped, particularly for the purpose of rehoming them with families who supported the dictatorship. These people were called “los desaparecidos”, meaning “the disappeared”.

In 1977, 14 courageous mothers whose children had disappeared set out to protest against the government, marching peacefully in the Plaza de Mayo (a city square and main foundational site of Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires). They wore white scarves or nappies on their heads, all embroidered with the names of their missing children. Over time, this protest movement grew, despite the kidnappings and murders of many protesters. These mothers, known today as the “Mothers of Plaza de Mayo”, showed courage and strength, risking their lives in order to fight for their children. Despite the silence of the media, the refusal of friends and neighbours to support them as well as the threat of death, these mothers continued to march.

Today, these same mothers who lost their children years ago and are now elderly, continue to march for justice, refusing to let the current government gloss over the brutalities

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verses compare God to a mother hen—not a rooster, the king of the coop, but a mother hen!

a hen named Penny

Growing up I had chickens. They were not just egg-laying chickens but my beloved pets, which all had names. Whenever one died, I buried it under the apple tree with a homemade gravestone. One of our family favourites was a little bantam hen named Penny. My sister and I raised her from the time she was just days old by carrying her in our pockets and she was very gentle and attached to us. At night, if I was late locking up the chickens and they’d all gone to roost, she’d fly down for a cuddle.

Then the day came when she laid some eggs in the hayloft and hatched three chicks. I was positively elated! What could be better than baby chicks to play with? But Penny wouldn’t have any of it. She changed from a sweet, gentle bird into a ferocious, wild thing, refusing to let us near her babies, pecking and flapping, protecting her children with every squawk. This is common with mother hens. When faced with

danger, they gather their chicks beneath their feathers and fiercely protect their offspring, regardless of the danger to themselves.

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mother-love

For most of us, “mother” or “mother hen” are not the first metaphors that come to mind when we think of God, but in the person of Jesus, who laid down His life, we see the ferocious “mother-love” of God. For some of you, Mother’s Day can be challenging. Perhaps you have a complicated relationship with your mother or maybe you’ve lost her.

I’m sorry if this is your story—I can only imagine how hard it must be.

However, know that God’s love for you is fierce. He understands your pain and loss and wants to gather you in and hold you close.

If you do have a mother figure in your life, someone who loved you fiercely and sacrificially, thank her for her love and sacrifice over the years.

As you celebrate her this Mother’s Day, I also invite you to reflect on God’s “mother-love” for you.

FREE OFFER! New/additional subscribers will receive The Cross and the Millennium OR Sisters In Arms. would like a year’s YES Isubscription (11 issues) to Signs of the Times for the low price of $28, PLUS my free copy of The Cross and the Millennium / Sisters In Arms (circle your preference).

Ashley Jankiewicz is a secondary education student at Avondale University. She has a passion for sharing Jesus through her writing.

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YOU ARE A DIRT CREATURE BEKIRORMANCII—GETTY IMAGES

Humans have been telling stories ever since the dawn of civilisation. What stories do we tell about ourselves and how do they affect our identity?

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BY JESSE HERFORD SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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f I were to ask, “who are you?” what would you say? Perhaps you’d start with your name, your family of origin or your cultural identity.

If pushed, maybe you’d identify with your religion (if you have one) or social group. Answering such a question is also heavily influenced by your family of origin and the community you grew up in. But one of the most important factors I’ve found in self-identity are the stories we tell about ourselves.

Historian Yuval Harari has argued that our stories have significantly contributed to our success as a species. Concepts such as justice, equality and human rights are, as he put it in a 2015 TED Talk, “very good stories, very positive stories.

But they are still just fictional stories we’ve invented.” Whether you believe such an extreme position or not, you can’t deny the power of stories.

two-wheel tragedy

ALEX-BLAJAN—UNSPLASH

As an active kid growing up in the ’90s, my friends and I were seldom out of sight of our bikes. However, there was one day of the week we were prohibited from riding our bikes: Saturday. If you’re not aware, Seventh-day Adventists celebrate Saturday as their Sabbath. It’s a day for worship, socialising and food. It was not a day for riding bikes. Why? I don’t know! There certainly aren’t any commands against the riding of bicycles in the Bible. All we knew was that it wasn’t allowed. Luckily, my parents had a more laissez-faire

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approach to that particular rule, so told me that riding my bike wasn’t we mostly got away with it. allowed. They had also taught me It all came to a head one Saturday that God punishes people who broke afternoon. My friends and I were His rules. Therefore, the story I told playing a game of “cops and robbers” myself was simple: if I break God’s on our bikes. Heedless of the danger, rules, He’ll punish me. Thankfully, this I was in the middle of a high-speed was a story I un-learned later in life chase when disaster struck. As I tore but as a child I never questioned it. down my gravel driveway, my bike’s Stories can change more than just front tyre struck a pothole, throwing the perspective of individuals. The me forward. Before I knew it, I was Romans told the story of Romulus catapulted over the handlebars and and Remus—two sons fathered sailing through from an illicit the air headrendezvous first. For a brief between the moment, I god Mars and wondered if I’d an exiled prinfinally solved cess. The two the problem of were famously Regardless of where human flight, orphaned and you stood on the but like Icarus, mothered by a I immediately wolf, growing social ladder, you were found myself to become expected to obey the on a collision warriors. Evencourse with tually Romulus rules and not reach the gravel. I killed Remus too high above your crashed faceover a dispute first, my bike as to which station. landing on top hill to establish of me as a final a new town, punishment for after which the my hubris. former went on to found the city Thankfully I survived the ordeal, of Rome. The city’s mythological but if you ever meet me in person foundations were literally built on one day, you’ll be able to see the blood. Contrary to how moderns scar on my chin that I still wear as a like us might regard such a sordid souvenir from that day. tale, Romans were proud of their heritage, particularly if they were the tales we tell about ourselves a citizen. Roman citizens held the That experience became a story in right to marry and own property, my mind. My faith community had as well as the right to vote and hold

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CARLOS-FELIPE-RAMIREZ-MESA—UNSPASH 16

public office. There’s a story in Acts 22 in the New Testament where the apostle Paul is arrested in Jerusalem after preaching to a crowd turned mob. The Roman commander orders that Paul be flogged and interrogated to discover why he had caused such a row. As they prepare to flog him, Paul asks a nearby centurion, “is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

(Acts 22:25). The Romans are so flustered when they discover Paul’s citizenship that they release him immediately.

Contrast this with the Roman attitude toward slaves, women and non-Romans. According to French sociologist Marcel Mauss, “He has no personality. He does not own his body; he has no ancestors, no name, no cognomen, no goods of his own.”1 Women had a limited form of citizenship, as did non-Romans.

Compared to a Roman freeman though, they were not equal. Regardless of where you stood on the social ladder, you were expected to obey the rules and not reach too high above your station. It was a world of extreme poverty and incredible economic imbalance. Social barriers were in place to keep the wealthy and powerful wealthy and powerful. The story was simple: some people were just better than others.

a new story

It was this first-century context that Jesus of Nazareth stepped into.

Jesus seemed intent to break that SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

mould. He ministered across a wide range of demographics, engaging with Jews, foreigners, the terminally ill, the disabled, the ritually impure, women and more. His radical generosity and inclusiveness continually perplexed and offended both His disciples and enemies alike.

What Jesus’ first-century audience didn’t understand is that He was operating within a particular story. The author of Genesis tells us that the first human (Adam) was formed “out of the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word adam sounds like another Hebrew word adamah which means “ground”. So, the story goes, God makes the dirt creature out of the dirt. You’d think in the next movement, God would put these new beings to work to build Him some shrine or temple. But God does something unexpected. He creates humans “in his own image” (Genesis 1:27). Then, He “crowns them with glory and honour” and made them “rulers over the earth” (Psalm 8:4–9). God actually wants to share His glory and power with these dirt creatures, to rule the planet by His side. Note that there isn’t a distinction made between social classes: all the dirt creatures are invited to this position of high honour.

That’s why, when the Jesus movement exploded in the Roman world, one of its most disruptive taboos was how it broke down

barriers between social classes. As Jesus Himself said: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43, 44). To a first-century person living in the Roman Empire, the thought of humbling oneself to the status of a slave (who was not even a real person) was akin to social suicide. And yet, this message took hold. The rich shared with the poor and people found a new identity: not in their accomplishments, wealth, failures or regrets, but in the life of Jesus.

What story have you told about yourself? Is it a story of failure or regret? Have you believed the lie people told you that you’re not smart enough, beautiful enough, athletic enough? Do you feel trapped in the box society has put

you in? Have your relationship blunders convinced you that you’re not worthy of love? Has your trauma told you that you’re broken and can’t be fixed? Well, I’ve got good news: you don’t have to be defined by that story. Jesus wants to write a new chapter in your life. It may not be perfect, but it’s one of restoration, joy and hope. Whatever your story has said that you are— misfit, failure, broken—you don’t need to call yourself that anymore.

Because you are a dirt creature.

Jesse Herford is a pastor and associate editor for the Australia/New Zealand edition of Signs of the Times. He lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife, Carina and their miniature schnauzer, Banjo.

1. Marcel Mauss, “A Category of the human mind: the notion of the person, the notion of ‘self’”.

In Sociology and psychology. Essays, 1979. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, pp 81.

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ELL B EING

N

EMBRA G CI

SUN

L

W

H T G I

FREEPIK

The many benefits of sunlight and how to enjoy it safely.

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BY SISI KONG SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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any people fear sunlight. I know someone who always avoided going outside during the day, and when she did, she covered every inch of skin with sunscreen, long clothing, sunglasses and a hat. One day she started noticing herself feeling more tired and run-down than usual. After being encouraged to get a health check, she was surprised to learn she had a vitamin D deficiency. She started supplementing vitamin D, but it didn’t significantly improve. Even with encouragement from her doctor to spend some time outside to boost her vitamin D levels, she was hesitant because she had been taught to fear the sun.

Sunlight is something that was created for us to enjoy. It has many benefits and is essential for life on earth. But as we all know, it comes with risks. Let’s explore the many benefits of sunlight, as well as how we can safely build sun tolerance and enjoy the light without putting ourselves in danger.

GARON-PICELI—PEXELS

natural light

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First and foremost, sunlight is crucial to produce vitamin D. When UVB rays from the sun penetrate the skin, they stimulate the production of vitamin D3. This is essential for bone health, immune function and the prevention of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and cancer.

According to the Vitamin D Council, “Getting enough vitamin D from sunlight can reduce the risk of dying SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

from cancer, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular disease.”1 Completely avoiding the sun, or even overuse of sunscreen can cause you to become deficient in vitamin D. The Australasian College of Dermatologists recommends, “if you are protecting yourself very well because of past history of skin cancer or melanoma, you should talk to your doctor about vitamin D deficiency”.2 Some studies have even suggested sun avoidance may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, such as breast, prostate and colon cancer.3 In addition to vitamin D production, sunlight has many other health benefits. For example, exposure to natural light has been shown to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.4 This is because sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and reduces the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy.

Sunlight exposure can also help regulate circadian rhythms—the 24-hour cycles that govern our sleep-wake cycle, hormone production and other physiological processes. Exposure to natural light at sunrise and sunset helps reset the internal clock that regulates circadian rhythms, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up at the appropriate times. God makes it easy for us to be outside at sunrise and sunset by painting a beautiful, unique skyscape every day.

benefits on the brain

The benefits of sunlight aren’t just limited to physical health. Sunlight is also essential for mental health and cognitive function. Research has shown that natural light can improve productivity, creativity and learning.5 This is because exposure to sunlight helps regulate the body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating stress and cognition.

Some studies have suggested that

un-learning bad impulses

So, why are people hesitant to embrace sunlight? Part of the reason is that we’ve become increasingly sedentary and indoor-focused as a society. Many of us spend most of our days indoors, whether at work or at home and we’ve become disconnected from the natural world. This can lead to various negative health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and obesity. But we can improve our physical and mental health by

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Sunlight is something that was created for us to enjoy.

sunlight exposure may be particularly beneficial for children’s learning and development. One study found that students in classrooms with more natural light had higher academic achievement than those with less natural light.6 Another study found that exposure to natural light in the morning improved the sleep quality and cognitive performance of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).7

embracing sunlight and spending more time outside.

Another reason people may demonise sunlight is that UV radiation can be harmful if we’re not careful and overexposure can lead to sunburn and other skin damage.

Building sun tolerance is a way to gradually increase our ability to tolerate sunlight, reducing the risk of sun damage while still enjoying the benefits of sun exposure.

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JORDAN-WOZNIAK—PEXELS

how to build sun tolerance

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Start slowly. If you have fair skin or are prone to sunburn, it’s important to start slowly when building sun tolerance. Begin by spending a short time in the sun each day, gradually increasing your exposure time over several weeks.

Choose the right time. Sun exposure is most intense during the middle of the day, so it’s best to avoid being outside during this time when you’re starting to build sun tolerance. Early morning or late afternoon is a good time to build sun tolerance initially, as the sun is less intense. The UV index can be a useful tool for you to adjust your activities accordingly.

Use the D-Minder app. This tool helps you optimise your vitamin D levels by tracking your sun exposure and recommending safe sun exposure times. Based on the app’s recommendations, you can gradually increase your sun exposure over several weeks.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

Eat a healthy diet. A diet rich in antioxidants can help protect the skin from sun damage. Foods high in vitamins C, E and beta-carotene can help boost the skin’s ability to withstand sunlight.

Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can help keep the skin hydrated, reducing the risk of sun damage. Drinking water before, during and after sun exposure is important to prevent dehydration.

Be aware of medication. Certain medications can increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, including some antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and birth control pills. If you’re taking medication, speak to your doctor about whether you need to take extra precautions when spending time in the sun.

Check your skin regularly. Even if you’re building sun tolerance, it’s important to check your skin regularly for any signs of damage. Look for

redness, changes in moles or other skin lesions and see a dermatologist if you notice any changes.

finding balance

In the Bible, the creation of the sun is described in the first chapter of Genesis. On the fourth day, God creates the sun, along with the moon and the stars: “God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness.

And God saw that it was good.”

(Genesis 1:17,18). It seems like we’ve forgotten that God said, “It was good.” It reminds us of God’s love and care for all creation and His power to sustain us.

I’m not saying too much sun exposure isn’t harmful or doesn’t create skin damage. What I’m saying is that maybe we’ve unfairly demonised it.

The sun isn’t our enemy. It can offer

us many life-giving benefits . . . if we let it. So, instead of avoiding the sun entirely, let’s mindfully embrace the light and the benefits it has to offer.

Sisi Kong is a Hawaiian-based health educator and speaker who promotes a plant-based life. She enjoys creating recipes, hiking mountains and going to the beach.

1. <vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-iget-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/> 2. <dermcoll.edu.au/atoz/sun-protection-sunscreens/> 3. <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4571149/>; <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23237739/>; <https://www.ejcancer.com/article/S09598049(13)00119-6/fulltext> 4. <sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S0165032721008612>; <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5947163/> 5. <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4877070/>; <https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/cansunshine-help-your-brain>; <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC3487856/>; <pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/3666056/>; <ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC2728098/> 6. <glass.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/HMG%20 Daylighting%20Initiative.pdf> 7. <mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/2899>

MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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Scan the QR Code As a pastor, there are questions I’ve encountered more than once, sometimes about the Bible but usually about everyday life. If you’ve never had the opportunity to ask a pastor tough questions this is the right place. I’ll do my best to respond authentically and biblically!

What gender is God?—Cameron, Brisbane Australia You may not know it but you’ve touched on one of the most perplexing debates in Christian discourse. God’s gender is a concept that has undoubtedly been influenced by many forces.

Culture, politics, advances in science and philosophy and much more have influenced our concept of who God is and what sort of being They are.

For most of human history, the idea of God has been equated with both a “sky father” and “storm god” figure. The “storm god” idea is shared between the ancient Caananites (Ba’al), Egyptians (Horus/Set) and Greco-Romans (Zeus/ Jupiter). In a similar way, the “sky father” god of the Proto-Indo-Europeans (Dyeus phter), Babylonians (Anu) and GrecoRomans (also Zeus/Jupiter) became a common trope. Thus, it makes sense that

24

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when ancient Jews set about describing what the true God of Creation is all about, that they would describe Him in such familiar terms.

In Genesis, we see the God of the Bible—the "sky father"—hovering above the dark waters of an uncreated planet earth (Genesis 1:1). He “moves” across the face of the waters, bringing life from nothingness. In this moment, He creates order from chaos, calming the dark waters of uncreation and bringing about creation.

The God of the Bible is also compared to a "storm god" in many other parts of the Bible. In Judges 5:4, 5 the earth is described as “quivering”, the heavens “dripping” and the mountains “gushing forth” before Yahweh. In Psalm 74:13–17, Yahweh is described as “splitting the sea” and “crushing the heads of Leviathan” (an act closely associated with many storm deities in the ancient near east).

All these descriptions portray God as hyper-masculine; a creator, avenger and patriarch: all fairly typical hallmarks of an ancient near-eastern deity. When telling stories about the God of the Bible, we should expect those stories to identify God as a male divine ruler. However, there’s a wrinkle in the biblical text that subverts this interpretation.

In Genesis, after God creates the heavens and earth and everything in them, He goes about finishing His work with the creation of a new species of creature. He calls these dirt creatures“humans” (ha-adam) and gives them a peculiar task: to rule and reign over Creation as His partners. Even

more peculiar is the way God creates these people: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness . . . male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26, 27). Did you catch that? God creates humans in His own image, plural. In this passage, two things are revealed about God. First, that He is not a singular being, but a community of beings. As the story of the Bible unfolds, we meet this community slowly: God’s Spirit and Jesus the Son. Both are present in the creation of both the world and the creation of the first humans.

Second, we discover that God creates humans in His image, not just one man or one woman. What this means in simple terms is that the fullness of God’s character is imprinted on both the male and female aspects of humanity.

Together, men and women reflect who God is. Our masculinity is just as holy a representation as our femininity.

God is also described in maternal terms, such as in Isaiah 49:15 or Matthew 23:37. Of course, this doesn't "prove" that God is a woman any more than male gender references "prove" that He is a man. To try and put God in a box, insisting that He is either “male” or “female” is to miss the point of what kind of Being we’re dealing with. It’s fine to use male pronouns if that’s what you’re used to, but know that the mystery and beauty of God is greater than any human categories we might use.

MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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CU

LT U R E

THE ORIGINS

GUSTAVO-FRING—PEXELS

y a D s ’ r e h t o of M

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Despite many tragedies in her life, Ann Jarvis was dedicated to looking out for mothers all around her.

BY DANELLE STOTHERS

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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PIXABAY—PEXELS

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ave you heard the story of the woman who inspired the creation of the celebration we now know as “Mother’s Day”?

Ann Jarvis was a Christian woman and social activist who worked tirelessly throughout her life to support her community in West Virginia (US). After her death, her daughter Anna was so inspired by the good work her mother accomplished that she fought for a nationally recognised day to celebrate mothers.

Born in 1832 to a Methodist minister, Ann married the son of a Baptist minister, Granville Jarvis.1 They began their lives together establishing a successful mercantile business in West Virginia, but soon experienced many hardships. Ann fell pregnant 12 times over the course of 17 years, losing all but four of her children to various diseases like measles, typhoid fever and diphtheria. It was this heartbreak that spurred Ann on in combatting childhood disease, trying to ensure that others in her community did not have to suffer these same losses. Her solution? “Mother’s Day Work Clubs.”

While pregnant with her sixth child, Ann started Mother’s Day Work Clubs with other mothers in her community. She believed women could be a powerful force to make a significant change. The aim of these clubs was to combat disease and unsanitary conditions by educating women in improving sanitation and health for their families. Members would raise money to buy medicine SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

for sick community members, as well as provide in-house assistance for mothers suffering from debilitating health conditions like tuberculosis.

In 1861, the United States started experiencing unrest over the abolition of slavery. The American Civil War broke out, dividing the country between the northern and southern states. In Virginia, where Ann lived, the state was divided in their beliefs on slavery (later causing the separation and establishment of “West Virginia” in 1863). The state became an early battleground in the war, as it was key to both sides—being the capital for “the South” as well as being home to valuable mining and food production industries. With families being divided and husbands and sons joining military efforts from both sides, Ann and her clubs decided to show compassion and care to all people—not just those who agreed with their point of view. They took a pledge “that friendship and goodwill would not be a victim of the conflict”, adapting the mission of their clubs to feed, clothe and nurse injured and sick soldiers from both sides.

After the civil war had ended and fighting had ceased, there was still a lot of division and sorrow in the community. Officials asked Ann and her clubs to organise a day to bring soldiers and their families from both sides together for an attempt at reconciliation. In 1868, club members held a “Mother’s Friendship Day” event which was highly successful,

even ending with all attendees singing “Auld Lang Syne” together in an emotional display of unity.

Ann faithfully taught Sunday school at her church for more than 25 years and would often preach at churches and organisations on topics such as “great mothers of the Bible” and “great value of hygiene for women and children”. She lived out her faith, with an unwavering dedication to celebrating and appreciating women and mothers.2 When she died in 1905, Ann’s daughter began a crusade to have “Mother’s Day” made into an official celebration. The first observances of Mother’s Day were services organised

by Anna to honour the memory of her mother. In 1914, US president Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as national Mother’s Day, asking Americans to mark the day by displaying the US national flag.

Mother’s Day is now celebrated in more than 50 countries around the world.

Danelle Stothers is an assistant editor for Adventist Record. She lives in Sydney with her husband and young daughter.

1. <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Jarvis> 2. Katherine Lane Antolini, Memorializing Motherhood: Anna Jarvis and the Struggle for Control of Mother’s Day (PhD diss., West Virginia University, 2009), 32-33, Howard H. Wolfe, Mother’s Day and the Mother’s Day Church (Kingsport, TN: Kingsport Press, 1962), 180-181.

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W

ELL B EING

HEALTH NEWS FOR

EVERYBODY REBUILDING THE SPINAL CORD

Cutting-edge therapies could expand the possibility of recovery for people with severe spinal cord injuries. Labs are making major strides in innovative techniques that can be applied long after the initial damage to the spinal cord, including using electrical currents to re-awaken key pathways in the nervous system and surgeries that could coax injuries to repair themselves.—Inverse

TOHID-HASHEMKHANI—PEXELS, CHRISTINA-VICTORIA-CRAFT, PABLO-MERCHAN-MONTES, OTTO-NORIN—UNSPLASH

PRESCRIPTION POOP

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VITAMIN P: PLEASURE

Many people consider eating one of the greatest pleasures in life. Though we must eat for survival, experiencing pleasure from food significantly benefits our health. When we enjoy our foods, we stimulate dopamine and digest and metabolise it more effectively. Finding pleasure in food has also been found to help people overcome disordered eating.—Healthline SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a faecal-based treatment in the form of a colonic enema. Over the past decade, research into the gut microbiome has suggested that this colony contributes to many conditions and diseases.

Infusing a healthy donor’s gut microbes into a recipient’s gut may help mitigate diseases influenced by the gut microbiome. For complex and traditionally hard-to-treat conditions, prescription poop may be a cutting-edge and lifesaving treatment.—Inverse

HEALTH HACK: BEST AND WORST TIMES TO USE FROZEN VEGETABLES

Frozen vegetables can be a lifesaver when saving money and getting vegetables in your diet. They can also be more nutrient-dense because the vitamins and nutrients in fresh vegetables degrade with time spent in refrigerated storage. Flash-freezing preserves produce at peak ripeness and keeps more of their nutritional properties intact. Chefs, food scientists and nutritionists agree that peas and edamame can go in just about anything, and are just as good, if not better, purchased frozen. Cauliflower and carrots are also very diverse. However, if you plan to roast something, you want to use fresh produce that is dry and oiled as the moisture prevents caramelisation.—Huffpost MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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ALEX-GREEN, ANDREA-PIACQUADIO, ANNA SHVETS, EKATERINA-BELINSKAYA, KERIA BURTON, KETUT SUBIYANTO, MONSTERA, PAVEL-DANILYUK, TIMA0MIRCOSHNICOHENKO—PEXELS, NSEY-BENAJAH, SANDER-SAMMY, YOGENDRA-SINGH—UNSPLASH

W

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ELL B EING

WHY IS EVERYONE

SO ANGRY ALL THE TIME?

Everyone seems to be angrier than they used to. Is that actually true and is there anything we can do about it?

BY BRUCE MANNERS

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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JON-TYSON—UNSPLASH

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hy is everyone so angry about everything all of the time?” That was the title of a Sydney Morning Herald article by journalist and academic Waleed Aly. The title originally came from Sally, a viewer of the BBC’s Question Time, who tweeted, “Why is everyone, so angry about everything, all of the time?”

“Predictably,” wrote Aly, “that tweet invited its own anger, with respondents sneering at Sally’s excessive use of commas.”1 Meanwhile there has been an exponential rise in notices from brick-and-mortar businesses that staff must be treated with respect— anything else will “not be tolerated”.

Damien Venuto from the New Zealand Herald writes of signs in restaurants and hospitals “imploring visitors to be kind to staff—a request that would have seemed utterly unnecessary in New Zealand only a few years back”.2 It’s a worldwide problem. If you visit Yellowstone National Park in the United States and stay at the Old Faithful Inn, you’ll find signs in the lobby announcing: “Good nature. We’re all about it. And so are our loyal employees.” Then in bold letters: “Please be kind to them.”3 The fact that the abuse is real was brought home as my wife and I shopped in Melbourne during Boxing Day sales. We made a purchase but were surprised when the salesperson thanked us for “being nice”.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

We asked what made her say that.

“It’s been terrible. One woman came in with a return today and told me not only that she didn’t want it, but that I had ruined her family’s Christmas.”

Anger can make us irrational and say and do stupid things.

what’s making us so angry?

If we’re being honest, there’s a lot to be angry about. Let’s start with politics. The United States may be the front-runner in the angry politics stakes with Steven Webster, author of American Rage: How Anger Shapes Our Politics, warning that, “Inciting voter anger helps candidates win elections, [but research] shows that the effect of anger outlasts elections.

And that can have serious consequences for American democracy’s long-term health.”4 In Australia, our politics has become angrier. In Victoria, our premier Dan Andrews became “Dictator Dan” during Covid-19, with marches in the street decrying many of the decisions being made.

In New Zealand, Damien Venuto’s article has the title, “Guns, Rage and Racism— Has NZ Become an Angry Nation?”

We need to recognise that Covid-19 has been a worldwide factor in raising the level of anger, particularly when leaders mandated lockdowns and the wearing of masks.

Travel was limited, as was

“

Anger can make us irrational and say and do stupid things. contact with others. The tragedy of elderly patients dying without family present is a red-raw illustration of this.

Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth in their book Angrynomics suggest that in our era, “We simply take it for granted that we live in an angry world. This is now the most conventional of all conventional wisdoms, the explanation for events all over the world. ‘Oh, well people are very angry over in Germany, Austria,

France, the United States, the UK, Indonesia, Hong Kong . . . .’ Not only is seemingly everyone angry, but everyone assumes that we understand why.”

In economics, “the most powerful human emotion” becomes angrynomics when the “system crashes and exposes fault lines that have been covered for so long”. They suggest that our “political economy has given rise to anger: public anger, both moral outrage and tribal rage” particularly when our finances cause us distress.5

being positively angry

A simple study of National Basketball Association (NBA) players in the United States looked at the impact of a “clear path foul” on players. This foul is a deliberate contact or blocking by an opposition player just before they’re about to take a shot at a clear and unobstructed basket. That’s an easy shot.

Not being able to take the shot is

MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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MARKUS-SPISKE, UNSEEN-HISTORIES—UNSPLASH 36

frustrating. What the researchers found, though, is that the frustration—and anger—of being fouled in this way increased their accuracy. They were more likely to score after this kind of foul than for other free throws.

An analysis of 8467 shots made by hockey players in the National Hockey League found that players who were “incensed at foul play” were more likely to score after a penalty than during a shootout at the end of the game.

In his report, David Robson says, “In these circumstances at least, the sense of injustice sharpened the athlete’s resolve and boosted their performance.”6 He also tells of a “fiendish experiment” that began with participants being asked to work out words from a set of 21 five-letter anagrams. This was a test of verbal intelligence.

Here are a couple of the anagrams from the test for you to try: Oneci and Acelo.

These two were among the first seven anagrams, all of which were impossible to solve—you could not make any English word out of them.

The test was really about the effect of “failure” on mood and motivation with this and other tests.

“It was the angriest people SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

who were the most persistent throughout the task. Rather than causing them to give up, the annoyance seemed to energise them, so that they were more persistent on each subsequent puzzle.” Frustration and anger can be turned into a positive force. We can all be positively angry.

breaking down walls

Diane Dreher writes of the polarising politics during and after the 2016 election in the United States. “Too many Republicans and Democrats see each other as enemies, leading to suspicion, hostility, and even violence.”

University of Minnesota psychologist Bill Doherty noted that members of the two political parties are “like two parents in a family”. Republicans and Democrats “cannot simply walk away from each other”, he said.

“Neither side can ‘divorce’ and move to a different country.”

Then social media and what Doherty called “conflict entrepreneurs”—“people who make their living using various megaphones to tell us that the people on the other side are evil and not to be trusted”—emphasised the differences.

After the election, Doherty invited 10 Hillary Clinton and 10 Donald Trump voters for a weekend workshop to “talk

to each other, not just about each other”. The workshop proved so successful the group initiated plans to meet again.

At another workshop where participants were labelled “red” or “blue” depending on their political leanings, Doherty had one participant tell him of speaking with a red who had said something he disagreed with. “He had responded, ‘You know, I’m a blue. I disagree with what you said. But powerful people out there want us to hate each other.

Let’s not do it.’”7 You can disagree without being disagreeable.

the anger challenge

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg suggests, “When we scrutinise the sources of our anger, we should see clearly that our rage is often being stoked not for our benefit but for someone else’s.”

He suggests that when we find “the anger merchants’ self-serving motives, we can perhaps start to loosen their grip on us”.

Unfortunately, the “tenor of our anger has shifted” and become a “constant drumbeat in our lives”, aimed more at “distant groups that are easy to demonise” and who can’t defend themselves.

He calls for a better way and refers to a 1968 speech by Martin Luther King when he told a Carnegie Hall audience, “It is not enough for people to be angry.” He spoke of W E B Du Bois—considered one of the MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

37

most significant black intellectuals of his age—and, said King, “had been an angry radical his whole life”.

“He had furiously called for resistance. But he had also sought to make his enemies into allies.

He had overcome his anger in the hopes of finding peace.” However, King added, that he was not content to display this anger for his own personal release and then retire from the scene. “The supreme task is to

“

The supreme task is to organise and unite people so that their

thing, too. People have always gotten angry at their loved ones, but they remained loved.”

That seems to have gone. Love and respect within families, communities and society is currently in short supply. “They” need to bring it back.

You and I both know that “they” will not make it happen, but “we”—you and me—do have the power to make it happen in our own circles of influence. Who knows where it can go from there?

Are you up for the challenge?

Bruce Manners is an author, retired pastor and former editor of Signs of the Times based in Lilydale, Victoria.

1. <smh.com.au/national/why-is-everyone-so-angryabout-everything-all-of-the-time-20220902-p5betf. html> 2. <nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-front-page-guns-rage-andracism-has-nz-become-an-angry-nation/DGE5QSKOBBWHWUFQV3CWXBFGPM> 3. <theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/ yellowstone-national-park-tourist-visitor-complaints/672526>

anger becomes a

4. <theconversation.com/angry-americans-how-political-rage-helps-campaigns-but-hurts-democracy-145819>

transforming force.

5 Eric Lonergan and Mork Blyth, Angrynomics, Agenda Publishing Limited, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2020, e-book.

KEVIN-BUCKERT—UNSPLASH

6. <bbc.com/future/article/20200723-how-anger-canbe-put-to-good-use>

38

organise and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.”8 Now, there’s a challenge! To take our anger and direct it into something that is both uniting and transforming.

Waleed Aly concedes that anger, rage or even outrage “are such common descriptions of our age because they capture something of the truth. And yet they miss someSIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

7. <psychologytoday.com/au/blog/your-personal-renaissance/202209/overcoming-political-hate-and-polarization> 8. <Charles Duhigg, “The Real Roots of American Rage,” The Atlantic, January/February, 2019, https:// www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/01/ charles-duhigg-american-anger/576424> 9. <humanrightscareers.com/issues/current-global-issues>

Some things should make us angry

SOME ISSUES SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. FOR INSTANCE: •

• • • •

About 5.2 million children aged under five years die from preventable or treatable causes each year—almost half of them before they’re 28 days old.

Almost 193 million people have acute food insecurity.

Some 6 million refugees have fled the war in Ukraine.

Half of the 1 billion people who live with a disability can’t afford health care.

About 85 per cent of the world’s population live in countries where, in the past five years, press freedom has been limited.9

WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO THE LIST? MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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FA IT H

THE

g n i s i r p r su POWER OF SABBATH

VLADYSLAV-TOBOLENKO—UNSPLASH

The Sabbath is an unfamiliar term for many of us. But did you know that observing it can actually change your life?

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BY SCOTT WEGENER

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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H

as your week been a stinker?

Maybe your work has been filled with relentless deadlines or perhaps your education has been overfilling your brain with seemingly useless facts. Maybe your body is tired from day-upon-day of manual labour or you’ve been chasing after your kids as they attempt to create abstract crayon art on your walls.

Evenings and weekends may not

it’s not what you think

You may have heard about the Sabbath but dismissed it as either outdated, pointless, too difficult or maybe just odd!

If you’re in the “Sabbath is pointless” camp, I’d encourage you to do some wider historical and biblical study regarding the Sabbath. There’s plenty of evidence to show Sabbath is not just for the Jews. It’s also not a

“

Sabbath is often a circuit breaker to a

DOGUKAN-SAHIN—UNSPLASH

busy life.

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be much calmer as chores build up faster than you can clear them and some of your day job weaves in. If you do manage to find a moment to relax, it usually involves staring mindlessly at a screen—be it on your living room wall or in your hand.

If any of this sounds like your life, then you definitely need to consider a Sabbath!

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

requirement to earn salvation from God nor was it ever “done away with” as a commandment. To this day, it remains unchanged as the seventh day of the week: Saturday.

If you’re a subscriber of this magazine no doubt you’ve already been presented with such evidence (check out <signsofthetimes.org.au> to learn more).

However, when one gets past all the traditional objections there’s another mental hurdle for many: Sabbath’s infamous “restrictions”.

what about the restrictions?

The most prominent instruction on how to do Sabbath can be found in the fourth of the Ten Commandments, which reads: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy” (Exodus 20:8–11, New Living Translation).

This “do no work” and “keep it holy” bit is a deal breaker for many—even if they can see the validity of Sabbath. However, Sabbath is often a circuit breaker to a busy life. It’s a period of time where we can cease the daily treadmill of effort and change focus for a moment to reset. It’s a day when the hustle of the weekly routine of work and chores is put aside.

It is true that to get the full benefits from Sabbath, we must

sacrifice. This means no involvement in work or study, no serious chores, no shopping, no intense sport or distracting entertainment—it’s time away from routine and self-pleasure and a switch to some family time with a loving God. The restrictions are simply guidelines to enable a closer relationship, not rules to please some trigger-happy deity. But how can millions around the world insist these mandated activity restrictions are a blessing?

restrictions for good

It should be noted that restrictions promising a greater good are not unique to just the Sabbath. For example, we restrict ourselves from eating French fries in every meal to help achieve the longer-term joy of better health. We don’t spend all our money on monthly flights to Disneyland so we have enough money for life’s essentials. We restrict what side of the road we drive on—a good idea that promotes long-term health. We restrict how many trees we cut down or what substances we dump in rivers, for better environmental health. And there’s even restrictions in your favourite sport that are designed to keep players safe as well as make the game more enjoyable to play and watch. Imagine how your sport would play without any restrictions!

Another good analogy that demonstrates the Sabbath’s blessing of restraint is a date night. How’s your date night going to succeed if MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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guilt free!

How can you be at peace while you watch a whole day (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) slip by without “progress” of work, study or chores?

Wouldn’t that fill the Sabbath hours with guilt from neglecting your duties in a hectic life?

We all love public holidays, right?

Do you feel guilty not going in to work or school when your boss/principal/government has given you the day off? Not likely. Work and school might be busy but you’ve been given a free pass to forget about that for

take the sabbath challenge AND EXPERIENCE THIS GIFT THAT TRANSFORMS LIVES

the day—guilt free. Because God has asked us to separate the Sabbath from our daily work, we essentially have an excuse, signed by the Creator of the universe, the highest authority in existence, to not get distracted by work in the 24 Sabbath hours.

God made Sabbath a whole-day experience, not a few hours of focus coupled with running off from Him. It would be like turning up for a family lunch and leaving before dessert is served—let alone hanging around to chat afterwards. While the host would appreciate the short time you were present, you’re not getting the best value from the gathering.

So, if God says He wants us to set aside a whole day, without distractions, to spend with us, what an awesome offer—and who are we to argue with the “Manufacturer’s recommendation”?

A genuine Sabbath experience is very hard to explain without experiencing it. So I recommend you give Sabbath a go for a month. Try it with some others if you can.

It may be a challenge at first to learn how to switch off from life’s ‘chores’, but given a bit of time you’ll find the benefits of a Sabbath’s rhythm and rest is out of this world!

why I love Sabbath

For me, my Sabbath rest experience can ironically be one of the busiest days of the week. Everyone in my family is involved in our local Seventh-day Adventist church.

From being a musician, leading a Bible study class, performing in dramas, welcoming people into the church, preparing food or washing up for the communal lunch, and more. Church life on a Sabbath can be quite full on some weeks—and yet it is still rest. I value the time I spend with my family and the broader church family, as well as learning and marvelling at new discoveries of how much we are loved by God and hearing how He’s been spotted working in people’s lives. I also love the chance to either sit and chill with friends or go out and explore the landscape—and I can spend hours doing either without feeling any guilt for not tending to the many chores I face each week. I love Sabbath. It’s sometimes busy, but it is rest.

Give the Sabbath a go for yourself!

Here are some basic tips to get you started.

7 Sabbath Don’ts

1. Don’t keep Sabbath to earn God’s favour—you’re already loved and accepted!

2. Don’t do anything that is connected to your day job, nor pay others to work.

3. Don’t think about money and avoid the world of consumerism.

4. Don’t clean your shower, oven, gutters or any other household chore.

5. Don’t feel guilty for not attending to those aforementioned chores!

6. Don’t get caught up in entertainment like movies, TV, sports, which all divert your focus.

7. Don’t do Sabbaths alone. Find a Sabbath-keeping church and worship with a community that loves God.

the guidelines

you turn up late, then respond to work emails in-between watching the football on TV? Restricting yourself from the things that distract you from focusing on your love, who’s across the table from you, makes sense, right? The Sabbath commandment is a guideline of how to observe a single day each week where we can rest and reset from our worldly chores and distractions, refocusing on God, family and nature.

7 Sabbath Do’s

1. Get out into nature. Look closer.

Look wider. Marvel at God’s creation, its beauty and its intricate design.

2. Spend time with loved ones, focused on them.

3. Spend time helping others who can’t help themselves.

4. Spend time learning about God, reading the Bible and meditating on what it’s saying.

5. Enjoy good food.

6. Relax—guilt free.

7. Make a whole day of it—sunset to sunset.

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FIND OUT HOW AT sabbathgift.info

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MAKING SENSE OF THE

NICOLETAIONESCU—GETTY IMAGES

ID MOVEMENT

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Experimentation, investigation and testability are the hallmarks of science.

Careful intelligent design research displays these attributes.

BY LYNDEN ROGERS AND EWAN WARD SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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GRATISOGRAPHY—PEXELS

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he generally accepted scientific theory of origins may be usefully regarded as having two components—one concerning life’s beginning and the second concerning subsequent development. Processes of chemical evolution are thought to have produced the primordial cell and hence the first life-forms. This theory suggests that organic molecules formed from simple chemicals present in primordial oceans or water pools, which in turn aggregated to form larger, more complex molecules. These, in turn, spontaneously organised into very large complexes, known as macromolecules, such as protein, DNA and carbohydrates, eventually self-assembling into the first living cells.

If these processes were extraterrestrial, some transport mechanism must then have brought these cells to earth. The subsequent and random processes of mutation and natural selection, that is, Darwinian evolution, operating successively on these cells are then thought to explain the many and varied life forms that inhabit this planet today. Spontaneity and chance are key elements of this widely accepted view.

The problem is that when Charles Darwin attempted to explain the connections between the myriad forms of life he had observed during his voyage on the Beagle, he knew nothing about the complex biochemical universe within these organisms.

He didn’t even know about cells; SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

science had yet to develop the tools to investigate life at that level.

Indeed, only within the past 50 years or so have the sophisticated equipment and methodologies of high-tech labs revealed a working knowledge of cellular biochemistry.

Interestingly, for a number of scientists, these revelations have significantly compromised the feasibility of the naturalistic explanation of life’s origin and the Darwinian explanation for life’s diversity described earlier.

The cell, aka the microscopic, basic unit of life—self-repairing and replicating—is a molecule-packed, membrane-bound sac of watery protoplasm. It is a fantastic miniature factory full of molecular micromachines whose existence, structure and function depend upon the genetic information coded along the DNA molecule carefully coiled and packaged in the nucleus located near the centre (although some cells, such as bacteria, do not have a nucleus as such). Indeed, these molecular micromachines, known as enzymes and proteins, decode the genetic information contained in DNA as you read the sentences in this article.

These instructions are then used to manufacture more enzymes and proteins from small molecules called amino acids, which are found in the cell. The DNA molecule itself is replicated in its entirety prior to cell division by another set of specialised enzymes, for which it also codes,

aiming to ensure that the chemical language of the newly replicated DNA isn’t altered. Any mistakes made during the replication of DNA (or chemical damage to DNA sustained at any other time, for that matter) are corrected by complicated enzymatic machinery. The fidelity of the genetic code is then preserved.

Thus, in the case of non-gamete cells (sperm and ova), each newly replicated cell is genetically an exact copy of its predecessor.

Since mutations in DNA are thought to be a major driving process within Darwinian evolution, it is difficult to suggest that evolutionary mechanisms account for the naturalistic development of an elaborate DNA repair system that minimises the effect of such mutations! Further, all these processes represent interlocking complexity on such a grand scale that it almost defies comprehension as a self-developing system.

As the cell has slowly yielded its mysteries, many scientists have become increasingly uneasy with both chemical evolution as an explanation for the origin of life and Darwinian evolution as an explanation for its rich diversity. Not all of these scientists have been Christians.

For example, Michael Denton, the author of the widely read Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, Nature’s Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe, and more recently, Evolution: Still A Theory in Crisis and The Miracle of the Cell, isn’t a Christian.

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Not surprisingly, recent years have seen a significant revival of the idea that the origin of life and its observed complexity may be better explained by a schema of design. We recognise design every day in the things about us through organised patterns, for example, in such things as language, shape and symbol—designed objects have function and purpose that can often be unique and highly specific.

However, the complex functionality observed in the biochemistry of

“

ANIRUDH—UNSPLASH

The origin of life and its observed complexity may be better explained by a schema of design.

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the cell makes these things seem like clumsy toys—and whoever heard of a self-repairing, self-replicating car engine, computer or phone? The hallmarks of design concern the recognition and study of information systems that organise and direct the complexity, purpose and function of designed objects.

One of the difficulties, however, is that just as there are many variants among naturalistic evolutionists, SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

there are many versions of the design argument as well. In its purest form, no attempt is made to identify the designer, although obviously, most Christian practitioners would have the God of Scripture clearly in mind.

Further, while some Christians are keen to explicitly ascribe current features of natural history to God’s closely guiding hand, others see the Designer acting through the provision of carefully crafted laws and processes. While some believe in a very recent Creation, others prefer to think in terms of longer time intervals.

the design movement

It is important to recognise that diverse groups march under the “design” banner. There is no single ownership of this turf, which can make it a little bewildering to those seeking to understand the basic issues. The intelligent design (ID) movement is currently the most prominent and articulate of these groups. While adherents don’t typically specify a time scale, most see design at the organism level rather than in the setting up of natural law.

Most of those who oppose teaching ID in science classes are secularists and object to any design schema, claiming they’re not really science at all but rather religion in disguised form because they recognise a causal agent outside the “natural” sphere. It is hardly surprising that those who define science in narrow naturalistic terms should

make this objection. Ironically, some objectors who dismiss what they see as narrow, fundamentalist Christian viewpoints can be just as narrow and fundamentalist in their definition of science.

However, there are also a number of serious-minded Christians who are uncomfortable with the outcomes of the ID movement but subscribe to the general idea of design and would prefer to see a broader view of design presented in schools.

Those who support the presentation of ID in schools are usually unaware of these technicalities and, in effect, are endorsing just this very thing—that is, the presentation of design in its broadest sense. Although they may have different views on some aspects of the discussion, they are united in their more encompassing view of scientific endeavour.

They urge that it is invalid to define science in purely naturalistic terms.

They remind us that ever since the time of Copernicus and Galileo, authentic science has been done by those with a vibrant Christian faith.

In fact, science developed within a Christian milieu and there are well-recognised reasons why this was so.

Further, ever since Galileo, science has relied on hypothetico-deductive methods when deciding between competing viewpoints. The operative terms are cohesion, consistency and coherence. As science has uncovered the bewildering complexity of the tiny world within the cell and the in-

credibly fine balance of cosmic laws, many have seen the coherence of the design viewpoint to have greatly strengthened. There is nothing unscientific about this.

Experimentation, investigation and testability are the hallmarks of science. Careful ID research certainly displays these attributes, as can careful evolutionary research.

Further, it is possible to formulate stringent criteria that can be used to infer design, which is one of the main contributions of the ID

movement. It can certainly be argued that some aspects of design are at least as testable as some of the long-term processes posited by naturalistic evolution. But design allows explanations for phenomena that contemporary science disallows a priori. In one sense, that makes design theory, if done well, more scientific than “science.”

Lynden Rogers and Ewan Ward serve as faculty in the science and mathematics department at Avondale University, Australia.

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SAY IT WITH A POEM 52

Rojé escaped with his family from a war-torn Congo to a refugee camp in Uganda, to finally the shores of Australia. This is the story of his journey and how poetry has helped him explore loss, isolation and fear.

BY ZANITA FLETCHER SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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H

ave you ever felt like there was nothing to your story? Like your life wasn’t anything worth sharing? Or like it would set you further apart from others?

Meet Rojé Ndayambaje. He didn’t enjoy sharing his life for a long time and he’d often divert the conversation when asked about his past. “It just felt weird,” he said.

Since moving from a refugee camp in Africa to Australia as a young child, not knowing English and looking different to everyone around him, he always felt like an outcast. “When you grow up there, you know nothing else. Now I’m here and I realise it was full-on. But growing up, that was life. Things were difficult, but things had always been difficult for everyone.”

As he grew older, he became interested in poetry. Language helped shape the difficult and painful things in his past and became a place he felt comfortable sharing his story. “God has put me in a position to speak what my eyes have seen. Now I love writing and I hope my story can give hope to others.”

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growing up in Africa

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Right after the Rwandan Genocide, a war broke out in Rojé’s village in Congo. His mother and father fled with Rojé, a baby at the time, strapped to their back. They found safety at a refugee camp in Uganda, where they lived for the next 10 years and where his sister and two brothers were born.

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

They were allocated a small area to grow food and every now and then, the Red Cross would bring in basics like flour and oil. But people lived at the mercy of the season. If it didn’t rain one season, crops didn’t grow. If you didn’t save your grains or beans, you’d likely go hungry or get sick. The hospital in the camp couldn’t do much and medications and supplies were sparse. If you were ill or injured, you had to wake up before sunrise and walk for hours to the nearest hospital. Even if you made it, it wasn’t guaranteed you’d be able to see someone.

As a result, Rojé’s father and sister passed away, leaving his mother to look after three young boys. “It’s a lot harder when you’re in a refugee camp and there are no men in the house because it’s harder for women to find jobs,” Rojé said. “But my mum did all she could and was very good at growing food and providing for us.”

Each day, they ate the same thing.

They never had breakfast. Around midday, they would have a small drink-like porridge made from sorghum or maize. For dinner, it was ugali and stew made from vegetables and beans. A lot changed when his family moved to Australia, but one thing that never changed was the food they ate. Step into their home today and you’ll still find them eating the same. “Now, we have the luxury of having a lot more. But we never skipped a meal in Africa because of our own choosing.”

trusting God

Rojé had seen that people in Africa trusted God and could endure things because of their faith. He remembers his parents praying when they didn’t have money or food. Their prayers weren’t always answered instantly, but something always happened, and God always sustained them.

When Rojé was 12 years old, his family was one of the first to get chosen to go to Australia. For most people, relocating to a new country is a big deal, even when they know where they’re going. But Rojé didn’t even realise there was a world outside Africa. He couldn’t have told you what Australia was, let alone where it was. He always thought the white people who came into the camps were people from another part of Africa who, for some reason, looked different.

“I was so scared to go,” Rojé said.

“People were saying all these things that weren’t true.”

Some said they would be looking after animals when they arrived.

Others said white people had a lot of guns and warned them they would be stepping into a war zone. He panicked when he heard they’d be getting on a plane and travelling in the sky, not fathoming how something so big would hold him and his family in thin air. But Rojé’s mother, strong in her faith, said, “If this is what God wants, then we need to go.”

navigating a new way of life

The first few months in Australia were particularly challenging as they blindly navigated a new way of life.

They lived between the tension of excitement and uncertainty, gratitude and longing. Upon arriving, they were placed in the city of Newcastle on the tenth floor of a building that they didn’t know how to use the elevator for. They couldn’t believe their home had a stove and a tap and that they would no longer have to walk kilometres for firewood and water. The first time they cooked in their kitchen, they almost burnt it down after taking a pot from the MAY 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU

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stove and placing it on the ground.

Shortly after, they heard fireworks going off, thought the country was being attacked and dialled triple zero, which they were told to do if they were ever in danger. They had to learn how to buy groceries, pay bills, use public transport and much more.

In the transition, they craved a sense of normalcy and missed everyone in Uganda more and more as they longed for people to talk to.

They attended church every Saturday in Australia, even though they couldn’t understand the service, because they were thankful to God for how He had provided. The hymns reminded Rojé of home.

But he missed the African music and the energy they had when they worshipped.

“People were happier even though they had less,” he said. “I remember they sang the most transcendent melodies. Sometimes it made me feel like Jesus was coming.”

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finding the words

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When Rojé went to school, he was placed straight into Grade 7, despite never learning to read or write and not knowing English. This wasn’t just his first day of school in Australia . . . it was his first day of school, period.

Growing up, he was sent to herd goats or stayed home to look after his siblings while his mother worked to provide food for the family.

Though he always appreciated good music and lyrics, he didn’t get into poetry until high school when SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

his English teacher had everyone write a poem. Lacking confidence in his ability to write and hoping he could get out of it, Rojé went to his teacher, who responded, “Just write something close to your heart.”

When it came time, he got up and shared a poem about his dad.

His teacher liked it so much that he asked if Rojé would share it with the whole school in assembly.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Rojé said.

“People were crying. They really liked it. I never thought of myself as a good writer.”

After that, he and his teacher started hosting poetry events at lunchtime, where students would come and share what they had written. Rojé began to hunt out and participate in other open-mic events.

Poetry quickly became a way in which he could share his story and his faith. To this day, he performs in various locations, from schools to stages to pubs. “When you share from the heart, you’re not arguing with or preaching to anybody. You’re just sharing your experience, which seems to resonate with people,” he said.

Poetry is an art form and mode of therapy that has been around for centuries. For Rojé, poetry has helped him use the nuance of language to express some of his most difficult feelings and experiences. But it has also helped him understand other people’s stories, pay attention and ask more questions. Before getting into it, Rojé didn’t know much

“I write to remind myself. I write to flex my brain muscle. I write because I’ve got questions. I write for my brothers and sisters in Africa who have never held a pen.”

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about what his mum went through to keep him alive when fleeing Congo.

Through writing, he had to step inside her shoes and he learnt what she went through to protect him.

a new future

For much of his life, Rojé avoided sharing his story due to feeling like an outcast because, as he said, “I was different. I am different.”

Though now he feels as Australian as can be, he knows his upbringing was different and that when he steps into his mum’s house for a meal of the same simple ugali and stew he ate as a boy, it’s still different. As he looks back over his life, he can see he didn’t do anything special to deserve the life he has. It doesn’t make sense to him why God chose his family and not another.

Yet He has been able to see God’s generous, guiding hand over his life.

In a poem called I Write, he said, “I’ve got a home and so many other things I never thought I’d ever have.

And sometimes it feels like an illusion.

I write to remind myself. I write to flex my brain muscle. I write because I’ve got questions. I write for my brothers and sisters in Africa who have never held a pen. I write for Nyirakamanzi Dativa Mukandekezi, my mother. My father. I write for Rwanda, Uganda and Congo, who’s marked by my own footsteps. This pen right here in my blistered hands is my shovel. So I plant words for my people around the globe in the struggle.”

Living the life you want to live

Zanita Fletcher is a life coach, story scout and editor for Signs of the Times magazine. She writes from the Gold Coast, Australia.

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ELL B EING

Veggie hash browns with avocado on toast Nutritional Information (per serving)

Serves 8 Prep 10 Cook 15

Using a variety of veggies to help you reach five serves a day, these veggie hash browns by Karen Stafford are packed with a range of nutrients, plus it’s a great recipe to get the kids involved.

Article courtesy of Sanitarium Health Food Company. Visit <sanitarium. com.au> or <sanitarium.co.nz> and subscribe to Recipe of the Week for weekly recipe inspiration in your email inbox.

60

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

ENERGY

CALORIES

PROTEIN

FAT

SATURATES

CARBOHYDRATE

898kJ

214

6g

10g

1g

26g

SUGARS

FIBRE

CALCIUM

SODIUM

IRON

POTASSIUM

14g

3.2g

54mg

120mg

2mg

320mg

Method 1.

2.

Ingredients

3.

1 cup self-raising flour ​3 eggs, lightly whisked ½ cup milk ¾ cup grated cheese ¼ onion, finely diced 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped Salt and pepper, to taste Extra virgin olive oil, for frying Wholegrain toast, to serve Sliced avocado, to serve 2 cups of vegetables of your choice, such as: ½ cup red capsicum, de-seeded and diced ½ cup corn kernels, parboiled ½ cup carrot, grated ½ cup baby spinach, shredded Or any other combination of coloured vegetables

4.

5.

To make the fritter base, combine the flour, eggs, milk, cheese, onion, parsley and salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of different coloured vegetables to the base mixture and stir to combine.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick fry pan. Add ¼ cup of fritter mixture to the pan at a time, allowing room for the fritters to spread.

Cook for 2–3 minutes on a medium heat. Flip and cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until fritters are lightly browned and cooked through Serve with wholegrain toast and sliced avocado.

Tips Use up leftover veggies so they don’t go to waste.

Fritters can be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed all week. They can also be frozen.

Combining the fritters with wholegrain toast and avocado gives you a well-balanced brekkie with protein, good quality carbohydrates and healthy fats for a nutritious kick start to the day.

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Crossword Puzzle CROSSWORD

How closely have you been reading? Each keyword in this puzzle is also contained within this edition of Signs of the Times.

Happy digging!

Hint: 5 Across 1

2

3

4 5

6

7

8

9 10

12

11

Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash

FUN CROSSWORD CLUES

DOWN 1 A city square in Buenos Aires 2 The economics of anger 3 A hormone that makes us sleepy 4 A new reptile café 6 The Hebrew word for “ground” 7 Murdered Remus 9 Played the role of both God and Moses 11 Ann Jarvis’ first husband was the son of a minister from this denomination ACROSS 5 A big fan of the Galapagos Islands 8 Officially declared the second Sunday of May an American national Mother’s Day 10 The seventh day of the week 12 Elvis Francois survived on this for 24 days straight

SUDOKU EASY

3

8

6

1

4

3

7

6

4

9 5

2

1

6

2 7

3

6

7

8

5

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9 2

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1

2

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HARD

9

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1

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5

6 1

9

3

2 3

2 6

2 6

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1 8

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1 5

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SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU 62

SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MAY 2023

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