DAWN Fridayfax 1998 #25

News from the Dalai Lama, Estonia, South Africa

In this issue:
Dalai Lama: Buddhists can learn from Christians
Estonia: Bible in prison brings late fruit
South Africa: new missionary awakening

Dalai Lama: Buddhists can learn from Christians

Johan Candelin, Director of the World Evangelical Fellowship's Religious Liberty Conference, met the Dalai Lama in Helsinki on 20 June 1998. The Dalai Lama, religious head of Tibetan Buddhism, currently lives in exile in India, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Both agreed that there are no particular problems between Christianity and Buddhism, except in Sri Lanka, where Buddhists regularly attack Christians. In this respect, the Dalai Lama believes that he has little influence, because Sri Lankan Buddhism is based on the old Theravada school, whereas he is associated with the larger Mahayana school, in which Tibetan Buddhism is particularly influential. "A Buddhist should neither practise nor condone violence in any circumstance," he said. "A Buddhist who does that has not understood the true nature of Buddhism." When asked what he could learn from Christianity, he said that he was very impressed with its influence on society, as demonstrated by the construction of hospitals, support for the poor and encouragement of learning. Buddhists can learn much from Christians in these areas, he said. In a press release on 22 June 1998, Candelin called the meeting between a representative of the world's largest union of Evangelical Christians and the most influential Buddhist leader 'very significant'.

Source: WEF Religious Liberty, e-mail: liberty@xc.org, web page www.WorldEvangelical.org

Estonia: Bible in prison brings late fruit

Chuck Killain often visits a number of Christian churches in Estonia, and recently reported the following: "One Friday evening, I was invited to a church in a student's house, and planned to take part in another service in Tapa that Sunday. That Friday, I met Olev. He had spent more than 20 years in prison, and was covered in cheap tattoos, but had a winning smile. One day, someone had visited the jail and prayed for him and 10 other inmates. The Christian left him a Bible, which he threw in the corner, cursing his situation and believing that the book could do nothing for him. The Bible lay in the corner where he had thrown it until he picked it up one day and started to read. Once he had started, he could not put the book down, and what he read changed him. His fellow inmates ridiculed him, but he started taking Christianity very seriously. Following his release, he looked around for a church, and found Endel Tand, a wise and sympathetic pastor in Tapa. Today, Olev can help others in similar situations, because he speaks their language, and can adjust well to socially deprived groups. The following Sunday," writes Killain, "more of Olev's acquaintances became Christians."

Source: Chuck Killain, via "christiandailynews"

South Africa: new missionary awakening

In recent years, there has been an enormous awakening in South African churches of various denominations, according to an AD2000 press release. This is particularly evident in their new commitment to world mission. From 1994-95, the number of missionaries being sent out of South Africa doubled, and according to statistics in the South African Christian Handbook, the number doubled again in 1996. "It is as though something has broken loose which has grabbed many church and missions organisation leaders," according to the report. Hundreds of local churches are currently holding missions weekends or whole missions weeks, and many Christians have started to pray for mission, go themselves or send out and support other Christians. A spirit of cooperation is also evident: in April 1998, a 'hub conference' was held; a 'hub' is a loose association of churches gathered around a common missionary vision, with various groups and churches bundling their strength for mission in a particular country or part of the world. Around 400 church leaders attended the conference in the World Mission Centre in South Africa from 19-21 April 1998, in order to build such missionary partnerships and develop strategies for cooperating in the 19 southern African nations and other parts of the world. There are now 22 hubs, with a total of 386 participating churches.

Source and information: Willie or Owen, wmcentre@cis.co.za

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