The physics of the pendulum Picture an old grandfather clock in a quiet hallway. Its long brass pendulum swings steadily: tick, tock, tick, tock. Now give that pendulum a hard shove to the right. It does not simply glide back to the center and stop. It races right past the middle and sways just as far to the left. Left to its own momentum, a pendulum never rests at either extreme; it finds peace only when it hangs still at the center, held by gravity and its fixed point. The church behaves in much the same way. Push her too far toward one side of a truth and she does not gently settle into balance, she swings. Often for a whole generation toward the opposite error, and then back again, wounding people at both ends of the arc. And here is the crucial thing the clock teaches us: the pendulum comes to rest not by being frozen in place, but by being held. Balance is not the absence of force; it is the fixed point that keeps opposing pulls in tension so that the weight can finally hang still.

In the messy arena of human relationships, whether in marriage, the workplace, church family, or the volatile world of online discourse, we constantly feel the pull of opposing forces. One voice urges us to defend truth fiercely; another calls us to extend grace generously. This is the divine tension of disagreement: holding both conviction and compassion without letting go of either. Today, we turn to a passage that cuts to the heart of how we handle differences: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” – James 1:19-20 (NIV) James, writing to scattered believers across the nations, doesn’t offer fluffy advice. He gives a practical, counter-cultural blueprint for godly relationships: Be quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to anger. These aren’t suggestions for better conversations; they are directives for producing the righteousness God desires. This passage applies to husbands and wives, children and parents, bosses and workers; everyone from the pulpit to the pew. We all need to train ourselves to be better listeners. The divine tension in James’ command Here lies the tension: Listening requires humility and self-control, while speaking (especially in defense of truth) feels urgent. Anger can arise when we perceive injustice or error, yet James holds these in balance. We must lean into listening first, restrain our tongues, and guard our hearts against hasty wrath. Why? Because “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” This isn’t a ban on all anger; Jesus displayed righteous anger in the temple (John 2:13-17). But human anger, tainted by our flesh, tends toward self-justification, escalation, and sin. It rarely births the fruit of the Spirit. The tension calls us to slow down enough for the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than our adrenaline. What science reveals about anger and “hearing” Modern neuroscience echoes what James knew by inspiration. When anger flares, our brain undergoes an “amygdala hijack.” The amygdala, the brain’s alarm system tied to fight-or-flight, floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol. This redirects resources: our heart rate spikes and oxygen flows to muscles for action, but our higher reasoning centers in the prefrontal cortex – responsible for judgment, empathy, and nuanced thinking – get suppressed. In this state, our ability to truly “hear” another person diminishes dramatically. Active listening, the tool that clarifies, disarms, and seeks understanding, becomes nearly impossible. We filter everything through threat detection, empathy drops, and we stop processing the other’s words for their actual meaning. Instead, while they are still speaking we start crafting rebuttals or counterattacks. This explains why conflicts escalate so quickly: we literally cannot hear well when flooded with anger. James’ call to be slow to anger is not just spiritual wisdom; it aligns with how God designed our brains to function best when governed by self-control rather than unchecked emotion. Recognizing our physiological limits isn’t about suppressing feelings, it’s about guarding our capacity for reason so we don’t accidentally sabotage the very justice we seek to defend. Even if the other person is operating out of a completely hijacked, high-emotion state, our calling to maintain self-control and clear thinking remains. When our prefrontal cortex goes offline, our hijacked brain defaults to intellectual shortcuts. This emotional flooding is precisely what predisposes us toward constructing caricatures, like the straw man, rather than engaging with the actual person.

From July 19-26, 2027, DT Travel invites parents and their teenage or older children for an unforgettable journey to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. In the brutal hours that followed, the course of World War II shifted permanently. The enemy’s capacity to win had been broken. And yet, the fighting raged on for 11 more months. Soldiers still died; cities still burned. Berlin had not yet fallen. But every Allied commander knew the truth: what happened on D-Day determined what would happen on V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). Victory was certain, even though it was not yet complete. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ stormed the ultimate beach. The decisive battle against sin, death, and darkness has already been won. And yet, we are not yet living in the full experience of that victory. The war is over, and the war is still going. Not because the outcome is in doubt, but because we live between D-Day and V-E Day. This pattern – already won, not yet complete – is the “already but not yet,” and it is not a contradiction. It is the very fabric of the Christian life. As we’ve seen across this series, the fullness of God’s truth is rarely found in tidy, isolated categories. It is held in divine tension, where seemingly opposing realities coexist, each completing and guarding the other. And nowhere is that tension more vivid than in what Scripture says about our own salvation. The Biblical paradox The New Testament speaks of our adoption, redemption, salvation, sanctification, and resurrection in a way that constantly surprises us: as both accomplished facts and future hopes. This is not a theological error; it is the deliberate structure of a story that is already finished by the Author but still being written by the characters. Adoption Already: “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” – Romans 8:15 Not yet: “We ourselves groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” – Romans 8:23 Redemption Already: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” – Ephesians 1:7 Not yet: “You were sealed for the day of redemption.” – Ephesians 4:30 Salvation Already: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” – Ephesians 2:8 Not yet: “How much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” – Romans 5:9 Sanctification and resurrection Already: We are already sanctified in Christ and raised with him. – 1 Corinthians 1:2 and Ephesians 2:6 Not yet: We await final sanctification and the future resurrection of the dead at the last trumpet. – 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 and 1 Corinthians 15:52 The same salvation is being described as past, present, and future. We have been saved. We are being saved. We will be saved. This is not a contradiction, it is the both/and of divine tension. Understanding the timeline To make sense of this, we need to understand how Scripture structures history. Jewish thought divided all of time into two ages: “This age” — the present age marked by sin, suffering, and death — and “the age to come,” when God would restore all things, defeat evil, and reign in fullness. The expectation was that these two ages would be strictly sequential: this age ends, the next one begins. What no one fully anticipated was that through the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the “age to come” broke into “this age” before it was over. We now live in what theologians call “the age between the ages.” The Kingdom of God has arrived, and it is still arriving.

In every major conflict, whether political, personal, or spiritual, there is almost always a sliver of validity on both sides. Grievances are real. Injustices are felt. Leaders on the “wrong” side can even articulate legitimate frustrations.

Picture yourself behind the wheel on a crowded highway at rush hour. You drive with the innocence of a dove, hands at ten and two, obeying every speed limit, yielding to merging traffic...

Parenting requires us to mirror the divine tension we see in God's character. Nurture and discipline are like roots and branches,…

With joy and dedication, we hosted a powerful Women’s Event in Luanda, Angola—filled with worship, growth, and unity. Lives were touched, faith renewed, and one soul baptised. Grateful to all who made it special. May we keep growing together in Christ.

We are all designed with a specific trajectory: a divine mission. Yet, we live in a world with a constant…

In the physical world, dynamic forces must work in opposition to create environments where life can flourish. Consider a mighty river: it requires two opposing realities to exist.

In Part 1 we explored how divine tension is woven into the fabric of creation and Scripture, holding opposing truths together to reveal the fullness of God’s wisdom.

Any serious reader of the Bible soon discovers an uncomfortable reality: the fullness of God's truth is often held in…

At the end of September, the Windhoek Church of Christ family enjoyed their annual outing at Farm Prospect, located about 43km southwest of Windhoek. It was a beautiful weekend of fellowship, fun, and spiritual refreshment in the great outdoors.

15 years after leaving the ICOC, Jan decided to come back. Hear his powerful story of loss, rebellion, exploration, and why he decided to return.

Lorna prayed for godly neighbours and someone to help her grow in God’s Word. Irene arrived in Cape Town praying to be useful to God, and the two met on Good Friday. Their friendship led to Bible studies and Lorna’s baptism—an answered prayer for both women.

Southern African Churches of Christ Campus Ministries held their annual retreat hosted by the Joburg church of Christ.

Dr. Mark Ottenweller has had a wild adventure in Christ. Here he shares his story, gives glory to God and expresses gratitude for the church that has helped him and his family.

#internationalchurchesofchrist #icoc #disciplestoday

In January, the Beira church planting took place with the help of Claudio Mavume, Wolf Bila and a six-member team made up of faithful and committed brothers and sisters. The group had 20 at one of their Bible discussions in February. Please continue to pray for God's work in the city.