yankees

::: today's aquisition by the new york yankees (the biggest of big-market teams) of outfielder bobby abreu from the philadelphia phillies (a small market team) made me think immediately of two things...

• first, with peculiar fondness, i imagined the hysteria swirling in boston, esp. the "evil-empire" verbage being aimed at their arch-enemies down I-95

• second, i thought about the big-market / small-market power dynamics involved in global theological education...as promising christian thinkers and leaders emerge in africa, asia, and latin/south america, they often seek further postgraduate education in the west (n. america and europe)...as has been more the historical norm than the exception, instead of returning back to their homes to strengthen the church in the "majority world" (or two-thirds world), these scholars stay in the west, far removed from the places where -- ironically -- the church is growing explosively and where theological training is sorely needed...thank God for visionary ministries -- such as the langham scholars program of john stott ministries -- that are making significant strides to reverse this power dynamic

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