The Eudaimonia Blog

". . . if we follow the traces of our own actions to their source, they intimate some understanding of the good life." -Matthew B. Crawford, motorcycle mechanic and academic

  • Getting Our Christian House in Order

    So as I wrap up my blogging for a bit as I prepare to travel to Germany, the aim of sharing from Bishara’s book as well as starting some of my writings getting us to think on a proper Biblical-theological perspective on Israel, is to move us as Christians out of the space where we… Continue reading

  • Fighting Against Bitterness and For Hope and Peace

    As a reminder, all excerpts on Bishara Awad’s story are taken from his book Yet in the Dark Streets Shining. This book was recommended to me by Dr. James Houston former principal and founder of Regent College here in Vancouver. Despite the support of Hamas for the Palestinian Bible Society to open a Christian bookstore… Continue reading

  • We Will Avenge the Hebron Massacre Five Times

    As a reminder, all excerpts on Bishara Awad’s story are taken from his book Yet in the Dark Streets Shining. This book was recommended to me by Dr. James Houston former principal and founder of Regent College here in Vancouver. Leaving the Islamic Center in Hebron, in the taxi ride, Salim was the first to… Continue reading

  • Andrew Preaches, Bishara Translates, the Men of Hamas Listen

    As a reminder, all excerpts on Bishara Awad’s story are taken from his book Yet in the Dark Streets Shining. This book was recommended to me by Dr. James Houston former principal and founder of Regent College here in Vancouver. Because Hebron was on lockdown, there were military checkpoints which would make it very challenging… Continue reading

  • Those Who Sought to Share the Gospel with Hamas

    In the early 1990s, Bishara’s Dutch friend Andrew who had become a friend of Bethlehem Bible College, began doing ministry among a group of Palestinian Muslim leaders who had been forcibly exiled to a location called Marj al Zubour. Most of these leaders were part of a small fundamentalist Islamic political party that had just… Continue reading

  • The New Israel of God, “Holy Land” and the Realization of the Promise

    “‘Bishara, I’m going to ask you a question,’ she said, stirring her cream into her western-style coffee and staring me intensely from across the table. ‘I think you are a fine person and a real Christian. But I need to know plainly: do you believe that Israel’s possession of the land is the fulfillment of… Continue reading

  • Christian Weapons

    In reflecting more deeply on how we might think about the terrible events of war happening in Israel and Palestine currently, I thought I would start first with a reflection on “Christian weapons.” The Apostle Paul writes the following in 2 Corinthians 10 in vv. 3 through 5: “For though we live in the world,… Continue reading

  • Sabbatical Part B and Israel

    Well, it’s been at least a couple of months since I last blogged. The reason being that I returned to the church for two months before going on Sabbatical Part B in early Oct. Folks have asked why I broke up my sabbatical in two parts and the main reasons are that 1) I wanted… Continue reading

  • The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

    Last Sunday upon my return to Grace Van, I said in my sermon that I would post on my blog a list of Scripture references that make it clear that the Gospel is the “Good News Announcement of the Kingdom of God.” Here it is! You can listen the sermon here if you wish. The… Continue reading

  • Reunions, Home, Masters and a Return to Grace

    The last couple of weeks have been really tremendous. We were able to spend time in the mountains of Colorado with our foster son Darius, his fiancé and goddaughter. We met Darius’ family when he was a one-year-old in a diaper. He would come to live with us at age three and we would stay… Continue reading

About Mike

Mike is 52-years-old and has been married to his beloved wife Tanya since 1995. Together they have three terrific children, a much-loved foster son, an adored Bernedoodle Otis and cat Leo. Mike has been the lead pastor of Grace Vancouver Church in Canada since 2013. In 2017, Mike completed his Doctor of Ministry work on faith, vocation, belonging and place.

ABOUT EUDAIMONIA

“Eudaimonia” is a word from classical Greek that is generally attributed to Aristotle and means “human flourishing.” When Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came that we might have “life to the full,” that is eudaimonia. When Jeremiah tells the exiles to seek the peace and prosperity of the city (and pray for it), that is eudaimonia (Jer. 29:7). When the kings of the earth bring their glory to the heavenly city illumined by the glory of the Son, that is eudaimonia (Rev. 21:24). When the peoples of this earth know justice, goodness, forgiveness, reconciliation and the blessings of God that reach as far as the curse is found, we will all know eudaimonia. Eudaimonia is mostly about restored relationships and joyful reunions. The unbridled joy of my bride seeing our son for the first time in six weeks after seeing him off to university, captures a moment of eudaimonia.

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