This past month our family has experienced both sorrow and joy. On 22 May we took leave of my 91-year-old mother Jane, a remarkable woman who grew up in difficult circumstances but lived a life of godliness and dedication to her family. We will miss her but believe we will see her again at the general resurrection of the righteous. Days later we gained a prospective son-in-law, as our daughter Theresa became engaged to marry Paul Naphtali of Ancaster, Ontario. We thank God for this happy news and wish them the best as they plan their life together.
This year the state of Israel observes its 75th anniversary. Since its establishment, Israel has been mired in almost constant domestic and international conflict, making for one of the more intractable crises in the world. This month I posted a four-part series on my blog under the general title, Israel's precarious democracy. In writing this I have deliberately refrained from taking sides, attempting to weigh in the balance the complex factors that go into the current fraught situation in the region. All possible options for moving forward carry serious risks for Israel, while two of them continue to leave Palestinians in a vulnerable position. The words of Psalm 122:6 cry out to us: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!"
On Saturday, 10 June, I participated in a forum sponsored by Global Scholars Canada, titled, ‘Letters from Moscow’: The Opening and Closing of Russia. Speakers included Adrian and Wendy Helleman, the first Global Scholars who started with the organization in 1995: James Payton, retired professor of history at Redeemer University College; Fr. Andrey Kordochkin, an Orthodox priest who addressed us remotely from Spain; and yours truly, who discussed politics and law in Russia. The proceedings were recorded, and I will let you know when they have been posted. The event took place at Faith Baptist Church in Oakville, Ontario.
The last-but-one instalment of my series with the Politics Network of UCCF: The Christian Unions has been published: Democratism: Making Too Much of a Good Thing. The final instalment will come out early next month.
Michael Owens of Denver, Pennsylvania, has completed the formatting of my Genevan Psalter texts with the Bekkers and Kort arrangements of the tunes and has produced two drafts of the collection. I will be going through this carefully and editing it with an eye towards eventual publication. I am grateful to the Stanford Reid Trust and the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship for their financial support of this project, as well as to Owens who has shown consistent enthusiasm for this project over the years.
As for my current book project, "Citizenship Without Illusions," I have a complete first draft, as indicated last month. I still need material to fill out one of the chapters, and then I can circulate the manuscript for vetting purposes. Please pray for me as I continue a project that I hope readers will find helpful.
Finally, my monthly column in Christian Courier permitted me to revisit my February travels: Pittsburgh pilgrimage.
Once again, thank you for your financial and prayer support for my work. Please consider a regular monthly contribution, as it makes it easier for Global Scholars to set an annual budget, including the modest salary I receive from the organization. GSC's page for giving can be found here. Once you are in the page, scroll down to the heading marked DONATION DETAILS, and then choose one of the options under FUND. Americans may donate through our sister organization in the US.
Canadian donors can now donate publicly traded securities (shares or mutual funds) directly to charities without having to pay the capital gains tax. This is a cost-effective way to make a donation that comes with a substantial tax incentive. By donating securities, donors pay no tax on capital gains, receive a tax receipt for the fair market value of the securities, as well as reduce their taxes. Watch this video for more information about this option: Link Charity Canada: Donation of Securities. If interested, please visit the Link Charity Canada Inc. website, and call for details at 1-800-387-8146. Link Charity Canada is a partner organization of Global Scholars Canada, so Link Charity can easily direct funds for my work. Thank you!
Yours in God's service,
David Koyzis, Global Scholar
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