THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT WILLPOWER
Celebrating 140 years of Hope
In this issue January/February 2026 WHAT IN THE WORLD 04 YOU DON’T NEED MORE WILLPOWER 12 So what do you need?
THE SACRED EVERYDAY 18 Take time to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
AI PROMISED THE WORLD. IT’S NOT DELIVERING. Why AI isn’t the silver bullet its proponents claim it is.
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LOVE ON TRIAL: THE CASE FOR GOD’S JUSTICE 24 Why God’s justice is better than ours.
LOVE SERVED HOT: HOW A SOUP CARAVAN IS FEEDING HOPE IN BLENHEIM, NZ 30 The food caravan that has become a community fixture.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MAN? 40 Rethinking toxic masculinity.
SIX FOODS FOR 2026 46 Give yourself the best start for the new year.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD’S LOVE LANGUAGE? 52
SPIRITUAL, NOT RELIGIOUS—UNTIL THE DARKNESS VISITED Jake thought he was going crazy
when a spectre appeared in his room.
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WHEN FREEDOM HURTS: WHY GOD LETS US CHOOSE 54 Why doesn’t God simply end all suffering in the world?
SMART FOOD PAIRINGS 60 Get the best nutrition and flavour.
SUDOKU AND CROSSWORD PUZZLE 62
@SIGNSMAG
New year, same old me? It’s January 6. You wake, roll over and gaze at the joggers on your bedroom floor. Your intentions are still the same as the past five days but for whatever reason, your motivation—that key ingredient—is gone. Where is it? You don’t know, but you do know one thing: you’re not jogging today. You hit the snooze button, roll over and go back to sleep. I need to be honest: I’m cynical about New Year’s resolutions. Of my friends, there are a few who always jump on the bandwagon—excitedly posting their progress to their social media, projecting a subtle message of “I’m better than you”. Inevitably, most of them end up failing. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t want them to fail. It’s just that I’ve come to view the whole “new year, new me” mentality as doomed to fail. However, one thing I’ve come to appreciate is that behaviour change is possible. As psychologist Simon Matthews points out (p12), the problem isn’t willpower— but what is it? You’ll have to read to find out. On page 32, we’re thrilled to share Jake Stevanja’s story. His is one of spectral spirits, sleepless nights and spiritual warfare. While we often like to engage with scepticism, science and the rationality of Christian faith, his story illustrates the importance of recognising that there is a spiritual world—whether we like it or not. Finally, on page 40, Joshua Newbegin challenges us to reevaluate our idea of masculinity and paints a vision for what it means to be a man. Whether you hope 2026 will be a new beginning for you, or if you are simply hoping to make it through the year, let me share with you Tiana Storm’s wise words (p18): “Remember that God is always with us—waiting and wanting to connect. All we have to do is slow down and take a seat at His table.” JESSE HERFORD Associate Editor
VOL 140 NO 1
ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Jarrod Stackelroth ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jesse Herford ASSISTANT EDITOR Zanita Fletcher COPYEDITORS Melody Tan Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Theodora Pau’u Talia Valderrama PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsmag.com WEBSITE signsmag.com ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A28/$NZ30; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical. Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs. Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide. COVER IMAGE: MIDJOURNEY
WHAT IN THE WORLD Can we feed the world without breaking it? WORLDWIDE
Can we feed almost 10 million people by 2050? A major new report from the EAT-Lancet Commission says yes—if we drastically change how we eat and farm. Food systems are the biggest driver of biodiversity loss and make up nearly 30 per cent of global emissions. But cutting back on meat and dairy and increasing consumption of wholegrains, fruits, nuts and vegetables could put us on a sustainable path. The comission’s “planetary health diet” aims to promote human health while protecting the planet— potentially saving trillions in health and environmental costs each year.—The Lancet
Beating blindness According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Fiji is now free from trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. Fiji’s improved water sanitation, monitoring and education have stopped its transmission. “Future generations of Fijians have been given a precious gift,” said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.—World Health Organization 4
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UNSPLASH, MIDJOURNEY
FIJI
Extra-enhanced athletes UNITED STATES
Las Vegas will host the inaugural Enhanced Games in May 2026—a controversial new event that allows athletes to use performanceenhancing drugs without being subject to testing. Promoters call it the “Olympics of the future”. Founder Aron D’Souza believes athletes should be able to do what they wish with their own bodies. Others say it challenges values of athlete safety and sports integrity. It will feature events in swimming, sprinting and weightlifting.—The Conversation
Dogs in wigs UNITED STATES
US animal care centres have found creative ways to pull on people’s adoptive heart strings. Staff have been placing curly wigs on the dogs with the label “Golden Doodle”, “Schnoodle” and “Labradoodle” and posting footage of them online, in an attempt to highlight that these dogs deserve homes just as much as designer breeds. The tactic worked and sparked an influx of visitors.—The Washington Post
New Year’s traditions ITALY
In Southern Italy, people celebrate the New Year by throwing old pots, pans, clothes and even furniture out of their upstairs windows to banish bad luck. But that’s not all. Lucky lentils and sausages are eaten to welcome wealth, red underwear is worn for love and fortune, and fireworks or firecrackers are set off to scare away evil spirits. How did you celebrate coming into 2026? —Ripleys Believe it or Not
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