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God shines through: A woman tries to set up her tent (above) damaged by a windstorm that hit 60 refugee camps and 11 temporary shelters for earthquake survivors in Idlib, Syria. (Muhammed Said/Getty Images)

 Ukraine, Mozambique, Syria: ‘Bombs don’t hit non-believers only’

God is in every dark corner, say those who have suffered in Ukraine, Mozambique and the Middle East

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God hides in the heart

Young people are believers but many are hindered by circumstances they regard as beyond their control — which is why they are secret believers

Game ranger  Tsakana Nxumalo.

I was looked after by a guardian angel, says game ranger

Game rangers, the custodians of the natural environment, who face danger from wildlife and poachers, use faith to inspire them

Purifying: Children play in the grounds of the Badi Masjid on the banks of the River Ganges during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Prophet speaks of not wasting or polluting water and the importance of sharing it. Photo: Sanjay Kanojia/Getty Images

Every Muslim must look after the Earth

There is a duty to show kindness, preserve life, care for the natural environment and not waste water

Preordained: Gabriel Jesus scores against Leeds. His early return after injury is somewhat miraculous. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The second coming of Jesus for Arsenal’s Premier League hopes

A footballing three days and three nights in a cave don’t appear to have affected the striker’s performance

I believe: Greater powers guide Fano Buthelezi, who owns a business making doors and other items in Katlehong township, Gauteng. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Load-shedding: The carpenter calls on his ancestors

Fano Buthelezi believes his traditional faith – with a mix of Christianity and Islam – keeps his woodwork shop going amid Eskom’s blackouts

Religion can be joyful but some reject it, and they can be ostracised

John McCann illustrates how some can be cast out for not believing

Belief: At the height of the pandemic, Father Kennedy Mugute (right) held a Palm Sunday mass in Harare’s Cathedral of the Sacred Heart that was livestreamed to parishioners. Photo: Jekesai Nji8kizana/Getty Images

No escape for non-believers in deeply-Christian Southern Africa

After a while, it becomes exhausting to remind people that no, you are not religious, so you go along with the numerous rituals

Father in Jerusalem: My father the minister had doubts about his belief even until his death. Blind faith is not a respectable position for me. Photo: Scott Peter Smith

The non-believer’s believer

At some point, you need to admit you don’t know everything. But not knowing something does not mean that what you choose to believe is true

Libraries are enlightening settings, sanctuaries from the noise and problems of the world outside. Photo: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

The cathedral of my heart, Yeoville library

Long gone now, the library in one of Joburg’s most fabled suburbs, offered a whole lot more to me than books

Divine silence: Jacob Zuma (centre) receives blessing from pastors and preachers at an inter-faith gathering held in May 2017 to pray for him, at the height of state capture. He resigned as president nine months later, after pressure from the ANC itself. Photo: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images

God in politics: Divine boundaries exist in secular South Africa

The country is hyper religious but has prided itself on not talking politics at the church table

It is time for a personal reset this long weekend, whether you’re a believer or not

We encourage you to choose the good in life this long weekend, and wish everyone a blessed time

Hope for South Africa lies in us, not in government or in the interests of  shareholders of our major corporates, writes M&G Editor-in-Chief Ron Derby.  (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

With prayer, we seek peace for South Africa

Creating a new civilisation based on the power of good and the culture of community is up to the passion and power of youth around the world

Partners is a 1993 copper statue by Blaine Gibson depicting Walt Disney holding the hand of the most popular character he created, Mickey Mouse. Now, the mouse’s time with the company might be coming to an end. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

The divine Disney irony of Mickey Mouse

The studio has built an empire on raiding religion and myth, but now risks having its own god taken from it

Bob Marley and the Wailers perform at the Uptown Theater, Chicago, Illinois, November 13, 1979. (Photo by Kirk West/Getty Images)
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Bob Marley: The Prophet’s feel-good theology

Christianity tells us to worry about hellfire; Bob Marley tells us ‘Don’t worry about a thing’. Drew Forrest looks at the Jamaican singer’s timeless appeal

Acceptance: A memorial service for Desmond Tutu. During his life the archbishop rejected homophobia. (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP)

Most churches in the LGBTQ+ Dark Ages

Homophobia persists in mainstream churches despite the acceptance of the queer community by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane and Bishop Paul Verryn

Faith: ANC supporters at a civil disobedience campaign protest in the 1950s. Older people have the patience and experience to go through hardships and still see hope, the author writes. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Does Jesus still have meaning for today’s youth?

This young generation faces problems previously only envisaged in science fiction movies. They need to reflect on the effect of their own demands on their world

Two participants embrace before joining more than 1000 people, some in dramatic costumes, in the annual Cape Town Pride Parade through the centre of the city, which takes place to celebrate and raise awareness on the issues affecting , Cape Town’s LGBTI+ community, on February 26, 2022, in Cape Town. (RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

‘‘My queerness is a gift to my community of faith”

Gomo Lesejane’s work has allowed her to find resonance in the stories of people like her who could never fully embody their queer identities in temples, churches, mosques and…

Lay me down: Dianne Willman became only the fourth South African woman to be ordained in the Catholic tradition.

Faith is a feminist issue for women in the Catholic church

Women are not permitted to be deacons in the Catholic Church, but that could soon change

‘Hope is a lie’: Brazilian singer Mel has embraced African-derived religions because ‘they are all about love’.

Fighting the ‘whiteness’ of hope

A Brazilian trans woman has faith in Umbanda and Candomblé, two African-derived religions