a christian perspective on the world today
In this issue November 2025
WHAT IN THE WORLD 04 THE DIVINE GPS 06 The still, small voice guiding each of us home.
ELIZA HAMILTON: AMERICA’S FOUNDING MOTHER 18 How this often-forgotten woman contributed to the birth of a nation.
THE ODE 24 “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.”
“THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO CARE” 30
WHY DON’T WE TALK TO EACH OTHER ANYMORE?
GIVE A LITTLE, CHANGE A LOT 38 The massive impact a small medical team is making in the Solomon Islands.
Our fear of strangers has left us lonelier than ever.
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FINDING GRACE IN THE CHAOS OF PARENTING 44 KEMPSEY’S ARMY: FIGHTING FLOODS ONE CARE PACKAGE AT A TIME 46 How Adventist Community Services jumped into action following a devastating flood.
ASK PASTOR JESSE 52 HOPE IN THE APOCALYPSE 54 Is the end really bad news?
I WON’T PLAY SOCCER ON SABBATH When Silvan learned about the
Sabbath, his life changed forever.
DO YOU NEED TO AVOID GLUTEN? 60 SUDOKU AND CROSSWORD PUZZLE 62
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Beyond first impressions Comedian and social critic George Carlin once said, “A man has walked on the moon, but how many people will walk across the street to welcome a neighbour?” On p12, Mark Hadley notes that from an early age we are taught to keep strangers at a distance. This can come from many things: horror stories that make us believe people are untrustworthy, social anxiety, past hurts, busy lives—and sometimes, even our own faulty thinking. A few years ago, I read Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. I think about it all the time and it’s changed how I perceive people. At its core, it’s about how little we know about the people we don’t know. We often assume we understand others, judging them as if they’ve lived the same lives, learned the same lessons and feel the same things we do. A lot of the time, we don’t even realise we do this. I remember meeting a girl many years ago. In our first conversation, she barely spoke. The next few times I saw her, it was the same, and I took her to be cold and uninterested. Years later, we reconnected and hit it off. She told me that around the time we first met, she was very insecure and would often shut down when talking to new people. My initial perceptions of her had been completely wrong. Today, she is one of my closest friends. Many of us yearn to be accepted, yet we live with the fear of what others will think of us. We hate when people sum us up after one measly interaction, and we’d love if they gave us the benefit of the doubt from time to time. As you go about your daily life—interacting with people new and old—take a page from Gladwell’s book: slow down your assumptions, don’t rush to judgements and give people another chance. Because you and I . . . we’re not as good at reading people as we think.
ZANITA FLETCHER Assistant Editor
VOL 139 NO 10
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: football.ch
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WHAT IN THE WORLD Re-discovering analogue pleasures WORLDWIDE
A new global report suggests Gen Alpha (ages 12–15) is embracing more offline fun. Surveys of 20,000 young people and their parents across 18 countries found 40 per cent now take intentional breaks from digital devices— nearly double the 2022 figure. Since 2021, there’s also been a 44 per cent increase in kids preferring cinemas over streaming, and a 16 per cent rise in those adding physical toys to their Christmas wish lists. While tech use remains high, this shift hints that today’s kids may be rediscovering the joy of the real world.—Global Web Index
Quiet heroes in PNG In Papua New Guinea, two-thirds of women will experience violence in their lifetime—many on a daily basis. Although family violence laws exist, weak enforcement has compelled local women to act. Some have come together to run sports programs that teach leadership, gender equality and healthy conflict resolution, while also offering practical skills like farming, sewing and mental health support.—The Guardian 4
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ADIB SULTHON, MASANTOCREATIVE, MAX BOHME, NATHAN DUMLAO & NATHAN DUMLAO—UNSPLASH, YOUTUBE.COM
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Hotter days, higher risk AUSTRALIA
Hot weather has been linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviours among young Australians. An analysis of more than 55,000 emergency department visits in NSW between November and March found youth presentations rose 1.3 per cent for every one degree Celcius increase in daily temperature. Doctors say the effect is likely biological, rather than from factors like poor sleep, but further research is needed—especially as summer temperatures climb. —NSW Sydney
Could kiwis lift your mood? UNITED KINGDOM
New research suggests that eating two kiwi fruit per day can boost mood and vitality in as little as four days—especially for those low in vitamin C. Whole kiwifruit appears to outperform supplements and its nutrients may help ease depression. While more research is needed, these fuzzy fruits could offer an easy, natural way to support mental wellbeing.—Medical News Today
Blind athletes claim their game AUSTRALIA
Most disability sports are adapted from existing ones—think wheelchair basketball or blind cricket. But blind athletes have found their thing: goalball. Created solely for visionimpaired players, everyone wears blindfolds and tracks a ball using sound and touch. It’s the first time many have played on equal terms. In Australia, both men’s and women’s teams are rebuilding after setbacks and in anticipation of Brisbane’s 2032 Paralympics.—ABC News NOVEMBER 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM
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CEDRICK WESCHE—UNSPLASH
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The
divine GPS
Like a patient GPS, the Holy Spirit doesn’t condemn us when we go off course—He simply offers another way forward, guiding us back to God. KYMBERLEY MCMURRAY NOVEMBER 2O25 • SIGNSMAG.COM
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urn right, veer left, make a U-turn, make a U-turn, make a U-turn”, the voice of my navigation system screams out over the sound of the music, as I drive down the road, on my way to have brunch with a friend. I’m frustrated because I’m running late and, in my haste to reach my destination, I’ve missed the turn. Not only did I miss it, but I also missed the slip lane that allowed me to make a U-turn. As I continue to drive in the wrong direction, my navigator gives me constant updates, letting me know I’m not where I should be. Now I’m even more frustrated because not only do I know I’m driving in the wrong direction, but I also have this voice in the background, constantly reminding me that I need to get back on track. Finally, after a while of telling me to turn around, it simply offers me alternative routes, almost saying, “This is the way to go, let me lead you so that you can still reach your destination.”
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I made it to brunch that day, but at the cost of 10 minutes spent trying to get myself back onto the route that I was supposed to take. While 10 minutes isn’t too much of a loss in time, imagine if I had kept driving in the wrong direction. What would have happened had I never turned around? Or if I had put in the directions, only to ignore the route completely and try to navigate myself? I would have missed the opportunity to have brunch with a friend—and I probably would have ended up lost.
longing for direction
Have you ever felt lost in life? Have you ever wanted someone to just tell you what to do and where to go? If only life was so simple. While we may not have someone telling us exactly what to do and where to go, we do have a guide sent by Jesus, who among many other things, prompts us when we’re heading off track in our spiritual journey.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit was sent as the personal presence of God for us on earth. He inspired the writers of the Bible. He filled Jesus’ life with power. He convicts and leads followers of Jesus and, for those who respond to Him, He renews and transforms them into the image of God. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is one part of the Trinity—the belief that God is made up of three Persons—but is nevertheless One. These three Persons are typically identified as God the Father, God the Son (also known as Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. While we may not be able to see the physical presence of Holy Spirit, we can see and feel the effects He has on our lives and the lives of those around us. When we see others exercise patience, have joy, peace, self-control, goodness, faithfulness, kindness and love (Galatians 5:22,23), this is a result of the work of the Spirit, just as when we begin
Have you ever wanted someone to just tell you what to do and where to go?
to demonstrate these attributes, we know that He is working on our hearts.
the gifts of the Spirit
Not only does He inspire change in our hearts—the Spirit also blesses us with gifts. We all have unique talents and abilities that He empowers us with to use for the purpose of leading others closer to God (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Just like the navigation in our car, we can also hear His voice in the background if we listen closely enough. However, the big difference is that our navigation screams at us, whereas the voice of the Spirit is often described as a subtle inner conviction, a sense of knowing that comes from God. The amazing thing is that while the Spirit convicts us when we have done something wrong, He doesn’t condemn us (John 16:8). Rather, He gently leads us back to the right path, even offering us alternative routes to get us to the ultimate destination—a never-ending life with Jesus.
my Divine guide
There have been many times in my life when I have felt the frustration of being on the wrong path, both physically and spiritually. I’m sure you can resonate with me when I say that often, I tend to lean towards the path that I want to take rather than allowing God to guide me to the path I need to take. The truth, I want to be the navigator, the driver and the NOVEMBER 2025 • SIGNSMAG.COM
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passenger all at once but in order to get to the right destination, I need to follow the instructions given to me through the Bible. This is another way that the Spirit speaks to us: through the Bible. He helps us understand God’s words and in doing so, His will for our lives (John 16:13). When we make decisions, we can test if they’re the right ones by searching the Scriptures by asking ourselves, Does this decision align with what the Bible says? Does it reflect the character of Jesus? If you find yourself doing something that doesn’t align with who God says He is, then chances are you’ve strayed off the path—but it’s okay, because this is where the Holy Spirit does His best work. He delights in helping us to recognise our mistakes and learn from them, encouraging us to grow spiritually (2 Peter 3:18). SIGNSMAG.COM • NOVEMBER 2025
Another great feature of the navigation in your car is that it can detect incidents on the road that may slow us down on the way to our destination. When this happens, we get a little warning and sometimes a redirection to another route. This is also true of what happens when we pray for something that might not be beneficial to us in our journey. Sometimes, we don’t really know what we’re asking for when we pray about certain outcomes. We don’t always have the clarity that God does, in that He can see everything, including the motives of a person’s heart (Jeremiah 17:10). This is where the Holy Spirit steps in and intercedes for us, advocating on our behalf. He takes our prayers and ensures we get what we need, even if it might not always be what we want (Romans 8:26,27).
peace and power
Have you ever felt that strange peace of knowing that “everything will be okay”, despite the circumstances around you? If so, I have good news. The Holy Spirit is already working in your life to shape the outcomes of your decisions toward goodness. He provides comfort for you and encourages you when you feel hopeless. Let’s take it one step further: He gives you the strength you need in the same way as He did for Jesus during His time on earth. Jesus faced more struggles than we could ever imagine. While He never strayed from the path that He had been called to walk, He experienced many moments where Jesus may have wanted to “take the wheel”, but it was through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment that He was able to stay on track (Luke 4:14).
If you’re looking for a navigation system that will lead you, comfort you, intercede for you and most importantly, help you to become more like Jesus, then I encourage you to try the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t matter where you are on your faith journey. You can always press start on this divine navigation and allow Him to lead you to the ultimate destination in Jesus. Kymberley McMurray is a marketing specialist living in Sydney, Australia.
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Find your next step with God: <biblestudy.com.au/ bible-study-topics>
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