I recently spent time with my many family members who live in various locales in or around Asheville, North Carolina—that is, the epicenter of an apocalyptic event that occurred last fall. In late September Hurricane Helene ravaged the region, and when I visited two months later, I was consoled to see that the intimacy and stability of their individual homes had been restored and that “normal” functionality had resumed (for my nephew and family, only just; they had been without potable water for fifty-three days). The rhythms of their lives, however, remained altered. Running “quick errands” involved detours and convoluted meanderings, as many bridges remained compromised, if not yet completely washed away. Many roads had not yet been repaired, and, in some places, roadsides remained littered with cars and trucks angled oddly in riverbanks. Everywhere you’d go, you’d come across twisted metal wrapped around trees, and trees splintered and felled everywhere. Perhaps the most haunting sight I saw was the muddied, bulldozed empty lots where people’s homes once stood. (I felt that a priest ought to sprinkle holy water and speak a prayer of consecration on this sacred ground.) But more pointed than these altered landscapes has been the overthrow of the fabric of their souls, forever shaped by the unexpected struggle they faced for basic survival.

Freedom of movement and normalcy is a gift to be treasured, not presumed. The struggle my family and countless others faced in western North Carolina in the catastrophic aftermath of this devastating storm—and, even now, the suffering of those contending with the devastating fires in and around Los Angeles—for me, offered a moment to reflect. The trauma served as a larger window into the kinds of soul struggles faced by so many every day, in an ongoing manner, under differing circumstances but with no less desolation. This is evident in some of the stories we highlight in our upcoming issue of Ex Fonte (coming in mid-February), which highlights “Lessons from the East.”

The complex dynamics faced by the believing community throughout the continent of Asia brings this struggle into high relief. Asia is arguably the most challenging continent for the mission of the church, being the home of all major world religions—Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Confucianism—while the Christian populations are lower than other continents and resistance to the gospel and persecution of the Church are stronger and wide-spread. This is seen also for the Christian community in Syria, after the dramatic events that occurred in December when the government was overthrown. While persecution and hardship do not bespeak the only story when it comes to the Christian communities across Asia, such soul-struggles do shape the contours of their daily life.

The abiding truth to all of this is: God’s presence is everywhere even (especially) amid life-altering trials. Folks in western North Carolina, Los Angeles, and Christian communities in varying locales across the Asian continent attest to the same reality: the Divine Presence is real and miraculous interventions occur at regular intervals at the hands of helping neighbors, friends, and sometimes strangers throughout the worst of trials and calamities. We are pinned to earth, and so, alas, our earthly identities are left to contend with earthly afflictions. Such trials force us to dig deeper and rise higher in search of that sacred space of God’s nearness. The upcoming issue of our new magazine attests that God’s presence is real amid the suffering, mysteriously and gloriously changing lives and landscapes.

In the Upcoming Issue . . .

Our cover story, “Lessons from the East” explores some distinctives of the (so-called) “Church in Asia,” including salient lessons “Western” Christians can glean from this complex and effervescent region where the church is growing the fastest. Our guides for this lively conversation include Gordon-Conwell faculty, Drs. Eun Ah Cho, dean of the Gordon-Conwell Institute; Todd Johnson co-director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity; Kevin Xiyi Yao, professor of world Christianity and Asian studies; and Brent Burdick, adjunct professor of missions.

Contributing editor Timothy C. Morgan explores the shocking resignation in November 2024 of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and more than that, the culture within Christian bodies of all traditions that allows for a willingness to cover up clergy misconduct.

Poetry Editor, Scott Cairns, debuts our poetry section, and much-loved author and popular speaker, Frederica Mathewes-Green answers the question, “Is ‘The Jesus Prayer’ Vain Repetition?” (Spoiler alert: No.)

We hope you’ll check it out and, better yet, please subscribe.


Wendy Murray is editor in chief of Ex Fonte magazine.