Wednesday, November 5, 2025

“You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.” (2 Corinthians 4: 8 -10, The Message Bible)

                It is very tempting to use these verses to describe the feelings of we, Blue Jays fan, after the crushing defeat in the World Series. But to do so would be to trivialize these words and do them a great disservice. (Although, I guess I just did anyway. Shame on me!)

                No, these words better resonate with those people who are enduring terrible, exhausting, life-threatening circumstances. Maybe it’s the wars in Ukraine, Sudan or Palestine. Maybe it’s in the palliative care wards of hospitals. Perhaps, it’s the endless addictions of drugs and alcohol that some face. Or it could be the daily confrontations of abusive spouses, parents or bosses. It might be the interminable state of depression, fear, anxiety or worry. Need I go on?  You get the picture. These words reach out to those who constantly experience troubles, feel demoralized, seem to be at a loss and spiritually terrorized.  Or in the more familiar translations: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed… (New Revised Standard Version)

                Paul is not being some Pollyannish, stoic martyr here, trying to put on a Christian, happy face. Earlier, in this same letter, he wrote, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.” (2 Corinthians 1: 8) Paul, too, experienced the deep waters of troubled times. Listen to him describe some of the details of what it was like for him. “Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.” (1 Corinthians 4:11) There is more but you get the idea. Paul was challenged by some very harsh, life circumstances and yet as our text states, he worked his way through it all; he comes close, perhaps,  to despair but he is not defeated. His faith and trust in Jesus Christ sustain him in the most challenging of circumstances. “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9 -10)

                Some may see Paul as larger-than-life, a Christian superhero. But I think that we need to appreciate his very normal, human qualities. It is indeed remarkable how he can endure so much, and yet remain so hopeful, remain resolute, remain confident, remain assured about Jesus and God’s Love through Jesus Christ.  Some might think it took herculean effort but more likely, it is the solid, human connection he had with Jesus Christ that made the difference for him. He gave us some insight and inspiration when he wrote to the Roman church: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5: 3-5)

                Everyone is different and unique as to how they handle their troubled times. The last thing that I would ever say is that we should put on a phoney, happy face because of some ideology that preaches that Christians should always be happy and never be sad or depressed.  Life can be nasty sometimes. What we need, though, is a working faith which gives us something to hold onto when the storms come. We do not know what the future holds for us but we can deepen our trust that Jesus walks with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are not abandoned.

                “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8: 35 – 39)

                To that, I say, Alleluia!

 

Dale

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life…” (Matthew 6:25, New Living Translation)

                It seems to me that Jesus’ words fly over the head of any hardcore Toronto Blue Jays fan.  Deep worry and anxiety are fundamental attitudes for those of us who passionately cheer for this team on a regular basis. Now that the Jays are in the World Series, it is even worse. We agonize over every pitch, squirm when the Dodgers are winning, complain over the manager’s pitching decisions, gripe about the umpires, have sleepless nights after a loss, sit on the edge of our seats during a game wringing our hands and shaking our heads, praying for divine intervention. Look up ‘anxiety’ in the dictionary and you’ll see a picture of a Blues Jays fan – probably mine.

                There was a news clip on the CBC last night which claimed that this stress and worry about our sports’ teams can be bad for our health, especially if we have a serious heart condition.  Blood pressure increases. Bio-chemicals get stirred up. Our breathing may become affected. Our physical domain is put in jeopardy because of our intense relationship with the teams we cheer for and die for. Don’t I know it!

                I know that they are just games. World peace does not depend on them.  The sun still comes up even after a loss. Nobody dies. There is always a next time. But in the moment, worry and anxiety seep in and take over more often than not.

                We really should save our anxiety for more serious matters in the world.  We need to concerned about big things like wars, pollution, hatred, racism, and the like. Or perhaps, it is more personal - health issues, relationship troubles, financial concerns, employment difficulties, troubled children, etc.  These are indeed troubled times we live in and we can weigh ourselves down with anxiety and worry.

                Yet Jesus has the audacity to tell us not to worry about everyday things. Perhaps being concerned is not quite the same as being worried and anxious but, either way, our fears, worries, anxieties, even concerns can threaten to overwhelm us. Jesus looks us in the eyes and challenges us not to let the bad win out. Don’t let the challenges take over our lives and don’t let the darkness prevail when it surrounds us.  Let our faith, in fact, show us the way out of those worries. Let our trust in God prevail when life becomes troublesome. Let our hope in God take hold rather than despair. “Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.” (Psalm 10:17)

                I don’t think that this trust in the face of adversity means we are seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses. It doesn’t make us gullible or naïve. It doesn’t lead us into wishful or fanciful thinking. It doesn’t mean that all our problems will magically disappear. But standing on the promises of God give us a firm foothold, a rock upon which to stand, when the storms are fierce and dangerous.

                “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 5: 31 -33)

                Paul wrote much about the ideal of hope. It was one of the cornerstones of walking with Jesus: faith, hope and love. For a man who faced so much adversity, it is remarkable that his personal sense of hope was so strong and vibrant. “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Romans 12:12) Having hope rather than anxiety gives us strength, courage, perseverance, determination, and sometimes, even a sense of peace, all because of knowing God’s Love for us. “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)

                Let’s not allow the world to get the better of us. “But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.” (Hebrews 3:6)

                But really, Lord, can you help out the Blue Jays?

Dale

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

“The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12: 12 -13, New Living Translation)

               The five baptisms, this past Sunday, at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (Toronto) made this scripture text come alive.  There were a variety of ages, people of colour, genders and personality. It was heart-warming to witness the authentic and sometimes spontaneous joy each person was feeling as they “went through the waters.” Baptism is more than just a church-y, perfunctory ritual but as this ceremony was, baptism is something personal, intimate and communal. We all share the same Spirit.

                One woman grew up with atheistic parents. Another grew up in a different country than Canada. Each of the five had their own unique, personal story but Jesus Christ had brought them together at this time for this moment to share in this blessed experience of faith, witness and community. “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

But there was a moment which stood out for me which symbolized all a church could and should be. The second person who was baptised was a senior woman. She needed some help going down the stairs into the water. The man who was to be baptized next, helped her down the stairs, even having to step into the water himself to do so. Later, the young woman who had been baptized before her had stayed at the top of the stairs and then helped the woman get safely back up the stairs. I found this all-in-these-waters-together moment especially rich and meaningful. Perhaps, it had been arranged beforehand but that doesn’t matter. It was still a beautiful reminder of what the church can be at its best; helping hands, people looking out for each other.  Yes, baptism is a sign of God’s grace in our lives, a proclamation of accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour but it also brings us into solidarity and fellowship with the Christian family. All that and more unfolded on Sunday morning.

We are never alone in our faith journey. Many of us can fondly and lovingly recall those who have mentored, encouraged and instructed us in our faith: parents, grandparents, pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth workers to name a few. My brother, Wayne, was a significant influence in own Christian growth.  I think of what Paul wrote to Timothy: “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.” (2 Timothy 1:5) We may not even know how our Christian witness is affecting another person.  Therefore, we should always try to be conscious that our words and actions truly reflect the love of Jesus Christ. Others are watching. “He (Jesus Christ) makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16)

Just as the baptismal candidates were giving a helping hand to another, so we all are responsible for helping one another as we walk together in faith.  No one should ever feel alone or forgotten or abandoned or an outcast but embraced into God’s company of believers. We need each other in these troubling times more than ever.

“God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (2 Corinthians 5: 18 -20, The Message Bible)

How can I be of help?

Dale

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil.    My cup overflows with blessings.” (Psalm 23:5, New Living Translation)

                Happy belated Thanksgiving!

                We celebrated in the usual fashion. Our family gathered for our traditional Thanksgiving feast on Sunday. Ten adults and seven grandchildren squeezed into our son’s home in Mississauga. We all pitched in by bringing something to the meal. The  turkey meal was fantastic with all the trimmings.  Equally special was the joy and blessings of being together as a family.  We are a loud and raucous group whenever we get together. “I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods.” (Psalm 138:1)

                Mind you, none of this was done in “the presence of my enemies.” We were all family, of course. Even better, we are all friends with each other. Why did the David think that it was important to include the idea that God’s invitation to the table was done in the presence of his enemies? I don’t think it was a just a matter of gloating that he had it better than his foes. He had an invitation and they didn’t it. Nyah. Nyah! Although I do think that he meant that despite their animosity toward him, God’s blessing exceeded their hostility. Their hatred could not stop’s God generosity and grace.  No matter what these enemies felt about him, God’s love was stronger than their enmity. 

                My response and influence come from the New Testament, especially Jesus’ gracious words and actions. He did not exclude anyone from his table. Time after time, he was seen eating with anyone and everyone, even the most undesirable, the worst sinners, the outcast and the so-called unworthy. He practiced what he preached. Remember the parable of the banquet where the ones, supposedly friends,  who were first invited found excuses not to come.  So instead, his told his servants, “‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame… Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.” (Luke 14: 21, 23) In fact, the decliners were the ones who were on the outside looking in on the feast.  Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he practiced inclusion and welcoming grace. His invitation to the whole world was that all people could enjoy God’s generosity of Love and Mercy. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

                But where does this leave our so-called enemies, the people that don’t like us, wish us harm, have no love for us? Is there anywhere at the table for them?  Jesus did say that we were to love our enemy. “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5: 43 -45) We see people differently when we share a meal together, as we talk, find common things of interest, share about our families, open up about our thoughts and feelings. With good food and good drink, we may come to realize that the “other” is not so strange, not so alien, not so dangerous, not so evil as we first thought.

Perhaps, if some our world leaders shared a meal together instead of making war together, they would find the peace they are so longingly desperate for.  But it also is true in our own small corners of the world. A shared table becomes a peace zone where we put down our defences and hatred and pick up knives and forks and pass the bread to the one sitting across from us. “Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”  (Romans 12:20, The Message Bible)

May your days be full of good food, good people, good deeds, good thoughts and good and bountiful living.

Dale

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.” (Matthew 5:5, The Message Bible)

               Of course, most of us are more familiar with this text as: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” But I really like the Message’s interpretation.

                Either way, the verse leapt to mind, yesterday, after watching a few sound bites of the Carney/Trump meeting in Washington. Believe me, I try to watch as few clips about Trump as I possibly can. But there they were on the news, front and centre at the White House. Trump had just made the comment that Carney was a great leader. When asked why then he didn’t make a trade deal with Canada, Trump said, “I want to be a great leader, too.” It was about as close as Trump will ever get to some level of modesty and that may be stretching it. He certainly is not known for having any sense of meekness, humility or modesty.

                But it sparked some thoughts about humility or meekness. Many see meekness as weakness, a character flaw. But, in truth, humility is not a form of humiliation. It is not timidity. It is not a lack of self-confidence. It is not fear of others. It doesn’t mean being pushed around or bullied.  It is not a reluctance to express an opinion.  It does not mean that one is not bold or brave when the moment calls for it. It is not wavering or cowardice.  In fact, I think it takes a lot of courage and inner strength to be humble in life.

                But what is humility at its best? The Psalmist wrote that God “leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.” (Psalm 25:9) Humility begins in having the right mind set about doing what is right and good. This verse jibes with the one from Micah: “the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) We may have been made a little lower than the angels but we gain our appropriate self-perspective in our relationship with God. “The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.” (Psalm 69:32) Meekness is the understanding that our true and best identity begins in God and not ourselves. “For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” (Psalm 149:4)   

                Being humble is the self-understanding that we are certainly not the centre of the universe or even the little corner in which we live. Our humility practices good and positive relationships. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2) There is no room for conceit, arrogance, self-importance, but rather we understand that we are not perfect and therefore we reach out to love others just as unconditionally as God has loved us. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)  

                What the Message paraphrase captures so well is that humility means to be content with just who you are.  It does not mean that we don’t need to grow, learn, improve, or discover fresh insights; even Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and all the people.” (Luke 2:52) But humility helps us keep an honest perspective about ourselves. In humility, we learn to be satisfied with who we are, what we are doing and how we are doing it. Humility cuts out envy and jealousy. It replaces pride with a spirit of well-being and inner peace (i.e. shalom). Our humility engages all others with love, tolerance, respect and grace.

                In the end, humility gives us what riches, fame or power cannot – the Love of God in Jesus Christ and our salvation. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” (James 4:10)         

Dale

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us, “I heard your call in the nick of time; the day you needed me, I was there to help.” Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late…  (2 Corinthians 6: 1 -3, The Message Bible)

                “Somehow, it’s always right now until it’s later.” It’s today’s punch line out of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Calvin has a school project of collecting 50 leaves and he keeps making excuses for not getting it done even though he has two weeks to do it. Hobbes, the come-to-life plush tiger, is known for such wisdom as this.

                I grew up with a mother who insisted that if we were not at least a half hour in advance of arriving before the start time, we were therefore late. It didn’t matter what it was - church, a doctor’s appointment, a movie, theatre, dinner invitation - it was mandatory to be there early, presumingly to get a good seat, beat the crowds, beat the traffic, whatever. It was a mortal sin to be late.

Unfortunately, this script has been imbedded in my own life. Much to Susan’s chagrin, I too insist that we are always very early to wherever we are going. There have been times when I have been preaching in a church some distance away and  I have arrived even before any of the church members have shown up to open up the building. Although I can remember once when I was a divinity college student, it worked in my favour as I had a flat tire on the way to the church which was about 45 minutes away. I had enough time to change the tire and get there on time. See, my mother was right!

                There was an article last week in the Globe and Mail which challenged people who always “get all in a knot when someone is a few minutes late. Get over yourself.” (Jane Maddougal)  She is quite scornful about those who get upset over a few minutes of lateness. “The idea that a frictional time difference shows disrespect for your precious time speaks of narcissism and megalomania. I mean come on!” She advocates for patience, good will and respect for the time of others, not just your own. here can be many legitimate reasons for tardiness. She makes a point that being in time is not a contest and we need to relax.  “Lateness can happen to anyone and it doesn’t mean you are a delinquent.” It’s a good thing my mother isn’t around to read this!

                But wait a minute! (Pun intended.) If you are late, at least, one is presumably arriving at their destination – eventually.  But when lateness becomes procrastination and more delays and putting it off and postponement after postponement, never getting it done or never arriving at the destination at all then there are serious consequences. Putting off a doctor’s appointment may miss as a serious health problem. Skipping a dinner date with a friend may miss helping them in a time of crisis.  It becomes too late. Our tardiness has missed an opportunity to make a difference either for ourselves or for someone else.

                Jesus told several parables about the importance of being ready and prepared for the critical moments of our faith and practice. Instantly comes to mind is the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, five of whom had sufficient oil for their lamps to wait through the night for the groom (who, by the way, is not criticized for his lateness). But the other five were caught without enough oil and were shut out of the wedding feast all together. The message of this parable and the others like it is this: “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” (Matthew 24: 44)

In other words, when it comes to matters of the Kingdom of God, we are called to make the most of every opportunity and step up when called and don’t make excuses or be tardy in our Christian witness and service. Putting off until tomorrow what needs to be done today is not an effective strategy for our Christian witness and service. Just as our salvation calls for an imminent and immediate response, so our salvation puts us at the front of the line in working for Jesus Christ. “Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late…”  Get it done while the doing is timely, helpful, meaningful, critical and useful. “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

My mother would have approved of this unpaid, previous message.

Dale

 Wednesday, September 24, 2025

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

            We had a gathering of the clans in Mississauga last Saturday. The occasion was the inurnment of Susan’s mother, Barbara Neal, who passed away last January. Saturday was her birthday and it just seemed appropriate for us all to gather and honour her life once more.  Then we all gathered back at my father-in-law’s home for our family time and food. Mum Neal would have loved it.

            One of the things that Mum had told us was that she would like everyone to have an ice-cream cone at her wake. She particularly had a fondness for Dairy Queen chocolate-dipped cones. Whenever the young grandchildren stayed there for any sort of vacation time, there were always many trips to the Dairy Queen.  So, on Saturday, there was a trip to the Dairy Queen (by some brave souls) who procured 25 chocolate-dipped ice cream cones and brought them back to the house. By the time they arrived, the ice cream was already melting. We all hurried out to the back yard and grabbed a cone.  But it was a messy endeavour to say the least, A lot of folk, especially some of the great-grandchildren, were covered in gooey ice cream by the time we were done. The patio area was bespeckled with melted drips and drabs. Even some of the adults were wiping ice cream off their clothes.  We were all laughing at the craziness of this celebration. It was a riot. Mum would have enjoyed every inane, messy minute of it.

            Taste and see the Lord is good.  In these troubled, anxious times, we all need to eat some ice cream and even drip a little chocolate-dipped ice cream on ourselves. We need to be reminded of the joys of family, experience some laughter, don’t take ourselves too seriously, do something silly, remind ourselves God has a sense of humour too,  and let the ice cream drip away. It’s OK if it gets messy. It’s OK if we spill some. It’s OK when we get together as family and friends and imbibe in life’s joys, laughter, appreciation and gratitude. “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”  (Psalm 118:24)

            As I write this, I have had a morning of technical glitches. It has been frustrating, annoying and exasperating. As my mother used to say at times like this, it is enough to make a preacher swear. The world right now seems to be in one big technical glitch. Humour, joy, hilarity, fun, whimsy even, are in short supply. We have a bitter taste in our mouths or left with a sour taste.  A lot of stuff that is happening is hard to swallow. Our taste buds for life are being affected by tastelessness and unsavoury times.

            Perhaps, we are making it too complicated. Taste and see that the Lord is good.  More than  likely, we will find this goodness in the small sweet things in life. We’re in a wonderful season of harvest: apples, tomatoes, corn, fresh garden vegetables. Eating is never more pleasurable than this time of year. This harvest reminds us that there is goodness to be had and enjoyed. But we need to carry this over to appreciate those things that make our lives full of abundance and lives to be relished. Feast on the things that matter, be it family and friend’s, our church and our faith, our health (even though not always perfect) and our freedoms and this country we live in (again, not perfect but far better than many.)

Paul wrote about those who abide by the rules: “Why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? ‘Don’t touch this! Don’t taste that! Don’t go near this!’ “Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention?” (Colossians 2: 21 -23, The Message Bible) But once we have an appetite for the Lord’s Grace, Love and Mercy, there is a smorgasbord of life’s wonders and a feast of sacred portions. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Sometimes though, it is a simple as letting some ice cream drip down your chin and enjoying the moment for all its worth. Savour the moments like these. They are precious!

Love you, Mum!

 

Dale

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16, new Living Translation)

                Hatred is as very strong emotion. We all use the word “hate” all too easily and sometimes often. We hate the traffic. We hate the slowness of our computers. We hate the weather. We hate the slow lines at the cash register. We hate the telemarketer. Our list can grow and become quite extensive.

                There are some interesting synonyms for hatred. They all sound ominous and foreboding. Abhorrence. Detestation. Loathing. Repugnance.  Disgust.  One might think – should think? - that hatred would be best left alone altogether, if we can manage. It is not a healthy part of our well-being.

                But hatred is becoming a raison-d’etre in our society these days. The Right hate the Left. White folk hate the immigrant.  The Jew hates the Palestinian. The Russian hates the Ukrainian.  And vice-versa. Perhaps, there is always the danger of overstating it all.  But the mood of our culture is becoming one of severe intolerance and belligerence towards anyone who doesn’t think, act, believe like they do. As we have seen recently, it can lead to terrible violence.

                I have always believed that the Church, as followers of Jesus Christ, needs to be counter-cultural. Therefore, we need to speaking up against this hateful trend. But there is growing evidence that some Christians are contributing to it instead. One of their popular claims is that “God hates ______.” Fill in the blank with whatever these Christians purport to hate like LGBTQ, pro-choice, liberalism, science, vaccinations, etc. etc.  Their lists are long. They might, but rarely do these days, say they hate the sin and not the sinner.  But their angry rhetoric belies that. Basically, it would seem that if you don’t believe exactly what they  do, you may well end up on their hate list because God hates you, too.

                Never mind the presumptuous rhetoric of speaking on behalf of God about what he may or may not hate, I was curious about what the scriptures say on the subject. Some will argue that in the Old Testament, God can be cantankerous, angry and punitive. Psalm 5 says that God "hates all who do evil.” Well, that makes sense. God hates sin, of course. We are to do the same, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Psalm 97:10) He hates “those who love violence.” (Psalm 11:5) In Psalm 45, there is a counterpoint to his hatred of evil, “You love justice and hate evil.”  (Psalm 45:7) If anything, in the Psalms, at least, God deals severely with those who use hatred as a form of behaviour against him or others. “Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him; they would be doomed forever.” (Psalm  81:5) There is more. “For I, the Lord, love justice.  I hate robbery and wrongdoing.” (Isaiah 61:8) And the message is clear in Jeremiah: “Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much.” (Jeremiah 44:4)

                There is also overwhelming biblical evidence that God is far more that any hatred of evil and sin. Hate does not define God’s  whole being by any stretch of the imagination. If we get stuck on what we think God may hate, we do God a great disservice. “The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.” (Numbers 14:18)

                More than anything, Jesus has allowed us to see God in a whole new Light. The Word made flesh embodies the Love of God.  Jesus surpasses the need to judge, hate, condemn, vilify, denounce or express his disgust about the behaviour of the people around him. Oh, he can be testy and critical at times, (ironically, mostly against the religious pomposity of the religious leaders of  his time) but his compassion, grace, tolerance, brings people into the amazing, unconditional Love of God without little fear of judgment and punishment (although again, Jesus can preach fire and brimstone to the self-righteous and pompous.) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3: 16 -17) That says to me that God is a Lover, not a hater.

                For sure, that Is the message of John’s letter. God is love. This is God’s prime mode of being.  I could fill another page with the things that Jesus said we shouldn’t or should do which seems to have gone over the heads of the self-righteous haters in our world. Don’t judge. Love your enemies.  Love one another. Go the extra mile. Look after the homeless, the hungry, then poor. But then again, I guess I end up sounding judgmental myself.  But I also think somebody needs to speak up for and uphold this wondrous, uniquely loving God we have. Not that he needs me to, but God is getting some very bad press these days. I may be a voice crying the wilderness, but God is Love and I would like the world to experience that Love in all its glory.

                John says it very plainly: “If anyone boasts, ‘I love God,’ and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.” (1 John  4: 19 20, The Message Bible)

    Blessings!

 Dale

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”” (Matthew 9:12-13 New Living Translation)

              Our family doctor retired over a year ago and we have been without a doctor ever since. At our ages and various health concerns, that is disconcerting. Peterborough has had a difficult time in recruiting new doctors. We were on a waiting list but “waiting” was the operative word here.  It was hard to believe that when we moved to Whitby, there were medical clinics actually advertising for new patients. We found one very close by and we now have a doctor. We have met him. I can’t pronounce his last name or even spell it accurately off hand; his patients simply call him call him Dr. Osa. It is wonderful to have a family doctor again.

                I was fascinated to read in a text from the Apocrypha (Intertestamental literature) how respected and appreciated physicians were even in Biblical times. “Honor physicians for their services, for the Lord created them, for their gift of healing comes from the Most High...” (Sirach 38:1) This text goes on to describe the abilities of both physicians and pharmacists and the important work that each does. The passage concludes with these words: “There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, for they, too, pray to the Lord that he grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.” We are blessed in Canada that we have an affordable health care system and everyone can get the medical treatment they need without fearing the cost.

                Jesus was, of course, the Great Physician. “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (Matthew 14: 14) The Gospels are full of stories about Jesus’ ability to restore health to the sick and dying. “And he healed every kind of disease and illness.” (Matthew 4:23) Not surprisingly, his reputation as a healer spread quickly and attracted large crowds. It also attracted controversy and his critics. Even on a Sabbath, Jesus would heal anyone who had a need. He healed Jew and Gentile alike, the poor, the rich, the old. the young, women, children, the sinner, the outcast and the ostracized.  No one was outside his healing purview. “And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all.” (Matthew 4:24)

                The health of a person is so essential for their well-being, their shalom.  It is hard for someone to feel near to God when they are sick or dealing with a disease or infirmed or in pain.  I have chronic arthritis and there are days it just makes me miserable (well, more so than usual). Susan is still dealing with her cancer and this is frightening. But our faith helps us to battle through. Jesus still reaches out to us with his compassion and grace and walks beside us in this journey. It may not be exactly the same as a miraculous cure but the stories of healing in the Gospels give us courage, strength, and assurances. Paul, when he was dealing with and praying about his physical aliment, “a thorn in my flesh,” wrote about the Lord’s counsel, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

                In our text above, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees who are criticizing Jesus for eating with a group of low-lifes in their not-so-humble opinion.  Jesus tells them that it exactly for those who are spiritually unwell that he has been sent by God. His purpose is health. Total health. To help everyone who needs God in their lives for one reason or another, to experience God’s Shalom, i.e. total well being. It is no coincidence that following these verses are two more stories about healings and even a resurrection.  Ironically, the leader of a synagogue asks Jesus to help raise his daughter who had just died. On his way, a woman who had been suffering a chronic condition for twelve years touches the hem of his cloak and is healed. Jesus restores the daughter back to life. Later he restores the sight to two blind men and then casts out a demon. Just another normal day in the life of Jesus. A physician’s work is never done. Jesus’ mission to help those who are in need of a physician for the heart, soul and body knew no limits: “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

                Salvation comes from the Latin word “salus,” meaning safety or being saved from harm or danger. But now we use it to describe the results, the good prognosis, we have because of  Jesus Christ. The Great Physician has used his sacred Love to save us from whatever life and death can throw at.us. “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8: 35 -37)

                Be well!

 Dale

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14, New Living Translation)

                “And who is my neighbour?” a man once asked Jesus. Well, so far, I can name Linda, Don, Wayne, Stephen, Jackie, Justin, Jacob and Ryan.  I now know more names of my neighbours in 3 months here in Whitby than I ever did in Peterborough in 20 years. I could name our neighbours’ dogs better than I could name the neighbours themselves. But I am discovering that our apartment building is a very friendly and close neighbourhood in its own right. Nobody is ever nosy but everyone keeps an eye out for each other. I am working hard trying to remember all their names. There are a lot of dogs in our building, too, but I haven’t learned a single one of their names, yet. How times have changed!

                The population of our apartment building is richly diverse. There are many retired folk like us. But there are children, too.  It is very multicultural. There are singles and mixed families and same sex couples and many others sharing our building.  Very different personalities and characteristics.  I know all this by watching and listening and talking to my neighbours. As one of my neighbours said to me, we’re all different and there is no point in judging others.  Life is too short for that. Amen to that! Everyone seems respectful and considerate of one another. (It’s kind of like one would want a church to be.)

                We are living in a perilous time where powerful political and extreme conservative social forces are creating a very unfriendly and unneighbourly society. Outsiders, i.e. people not like us, are being targeted as unwanted. People who don’t look like us talk like us, act like us are unwelcome. Conservative Christianity, sadly, is sometimes at the very vanguard of this movement. Neighbourliness is taking a beating out there in the world. We are more like to accuse our neighbour of something than to befriend him or her. Jesus pointed to such troubled times as this as a portent of the end of the world: “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.” (Mark 13: 12)  We give little heed to God’s declaration: “I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.” (Psalm 101:5)

                It may take a Second Coming of Christ to restore civility, tolerance, mutual concern, compassion, justice, grace and peace in our neighborhoods. Perhaps, it can only be Christ’s Love that can fully and completely re-establish the Kingdom of God in all its fullness where one neighbour really does love another neighbour. Let the rapture begin if it means we can treat each other with Love again. At the very least, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.” (Matthew 7: 1 -5, The Message Bible)

                Proverbs give us some clarity on neighbourliness. “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, ‘Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.’ Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you. Don’t pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm.” (Proverbs 3: 27-30)

                And just maybe, if you and I can begin to get it right again, then the world leaders will pick it up and stop their warring madness. But I am getting way ahead of myself. Let us consider what Jesus and then Paul had to say: Love your neighbour as yourself. Blows your mind, doesn’t it? It sounds so simple. We don’t need to complicate it with conditions, exceptions, restrictions, qualifications, etc.  Just love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus gave us the Golden Rule as a good start: “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” (Luke 6:31) How hard can that be? This is not complicated, sophisticated theology. It’s practical, down-to-earth. Love your neighbour as yourself. A child can do it. Why not us?

                Who is my neighbour? You are!

 

Dale

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them. (Psalm 19: 9 -11, New Living Translation)

                I love honey comb.  It is a real treat on the rare occasion I find some. Last week, we were at the outdoor farmer’s market, here in Whitby, and there was a honey vendor’s stall. A small block of honey comb called my name. It wasn’t cheap but I splurged anyway.

                The bee keeper explained to me some of the process of harvesting honey comb. They put each piece in the freezer for 24 hours. There is a slight risk that the queen bee has laid an egg in the comb and freezing it kills the eggs.  Good to know as I really wouldn’t want to spread some honey on my toast and see a wiggling larva looking up at me; don’t need the extra protein that badly!

                Honey is a biblical metaphor for a life that is good, a sweet existence. The Promised Land was called a land flowing with milk and honey. “And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.” (Numbers 14:8) It is said that the manna God gave the Israelites in the desert tasted like honey wafers. God promises that his people will be nourished well. “But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.” (Psalm 81:16)

                Then, of course, we get our text that proclaims that God’s Word is “sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.” Psalm 119 expresses the same, “How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” (119:103) Although I prefer the honey metaphor, the Message Bible expresses it this way: “God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.  You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.” Now just maybe, if you put the honey on top of the strawberries…

                But the preamble to these sweet verses is equally important to help us understand just how the word of God nourishes us and sustains us and why the word of God is essential for our well-being. “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” (vss. 7 -8) God’s Word warns us when we sin. God’s Word replaces ill-thoughts with good thoughts.  

           “Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
            Keep me from stupid sins,
                from thinking I can take over your work;
            Then I can start this day sun-washed,
                scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
            These are the words in my mouth;
            These are what I chew on and pray.

            Accept them when I place them
                on the morning altar,
            O God, my Altar-Rock,
            God, Priest-of-My-Altar.” (Psalm 19: 13 -14, The Message Bible)

                I know that I could always stand to be a little sweeter. How about you?

Dale

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden - except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2: 16 -17, New Living Translation)

           Our nearly six-year-old granddaughter, Amelia, is a very smart, independent little soul. Recently, she asked her mother for a snack. She received two cookies. Then she happily went back outside while her mother went off to another part of the house. When Katie came back, a little while later, there was a stool up to the kitchen counter, an empty cookie package on the counter and cookie packaging on the floor. When asked, Amelia readily admitted that she had helped herself to more cookies. How many more?  Maye six or so, she blithely said. We can, perhaps, appreciate her independence at getting her own snacks, but she needs help with her decisions about getting more healthy snacks if she is still hungry – cheese, yogurt, fruit. But who among us is ever really satisfied with just one or two treats and don’t wish for more of the same? Try and eat just one chocolate!

            Maybe, it was the apple core on the ground that first gave Adam away after he ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil. (I know it wasn’t an apple per se and it was their self-awareness of their nakedness which gave them away, but humour me.) They had a cornucopia of lush, delicious fruits to eat from the bountiful garden but couldn’t resist the temptation to eat the one and only fruit which was forbidden. I have no idea why God would create such a tree of the knowledge of good and evil or put it within easy arm’s reach and then forbid eating from it. It would seem that God was testing Adam and Eve. They failed gloriously and left us, forever more, with humanity’s mess of sin.

            I have always appreciated that tongue-twister of paragraphs in Paul’s letter to the Romans where he admits how hard it is to choose to do the right thing and so easy to do the wrong thing. Perhaps, he had this Garden experience in mind when he wrote, “For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots…”  (Romans 7:5, The Message Bible) Of course, we are not thinking about an extra cookie or the second or third chocolate out of the box, but behaviour, words and actions, that lead us right down the garden path and eventually out of the garden all together. “I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.” (7: 19-20, TMB)

            More cookies, please? No? That’s OK, I’ll just help myself anyway. When You are not looking.  Sorry about the crumbs!

           Yet, we are not alone with this turmoil of good versus evil within us. “You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.” (7: 4 -5, NLT) It is now possible to drop the forbidden fruit and in letting go of the sin that grabs at us, to live in new, abundant ways that are pleasing to God. Using Christ as our guide and template, we turn away from the temptations and affectations of living with our poor and ugly choices and find ourselves with all sorts of healthy, wholesome, life-enhancing opportunities to live freely and abundantly. We find ourselves welcomed back into the Garden. “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” (Romans 5:11, NLT)

            That’s the way the cookie crumbles!

 Dale

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” (Psalm 37:7, New Living Translation)

          A long time ago, I used to love to go fishing at my parents’ cottage on Lake Steinburg. I would get in the boat and set out for some part of the lake. It wasn’t a very big lake. But on many a lazy summer’s day, I would get out, not far from the shoreline, turn off the motor and just slowly drift along. I never set down an anchor. If I got too close to the shore, I would paddle back out to deeper waters. I‘d cast out my line and hook with a worm as bait.  I’d light up a cigar and just enjoy the out of doors. The truth of the matter was that I really didn’t care if I caught anything. That would mean I would have to reel the fish in, take it off the hook, throw it back and start over again. Catching a fish would interrupt my blissful reverie. I might spend a couple of hours just drifting in summer breezes.  Lots of time to unwind, think, pray and relax.

            I read an article recently which expounded the importance of taking time off in the summer for R&R. It is important to unplug from the stress of work and routines and recharge our whole-body system.  We owe it to ourselves to have some down-time, some fun, some serious (?) playtime. We work through very busy, demanding and stressful schedules, whether  in a workplace, at home or even in retirement sometimes.  Our lives can be dictated to by our calendars, our clocks and our lists of things to do. The article gives six recommendations for a meaningful rest break. Yikes, now I have an agenda even for my down times!

But for what it is worth here they are:  1. Take it when you can – even if it isn’t perfect. 2. Make a list of things you might enjoy doing. 3.Small is good. 4.Practice a bit of quiet. 5.Reflect purposefully. 6. Block it off and pay yourself first. (Eilleen Chadnick, Globe and Mail)

We read in the Gospels that Jesus took time-outs from his hectic and busy schedule.  He would find some secluded spot where he would pray and think. After being inundated with the demands from people to cure illnesses, listen to their stories and requests, he needed some “me-time.”  He practiced what the Psalm advocated: be still in the presence of the Lord. The Message Bible puts it this way: "Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him." In the busy, noisy, demanding lives we have, we need time to get away from the madness and seek and renew our relationship with what and whom  deeply and truly matters and that includes our relationship with God. We time to reflect, pray, ponder,

Such quiet times helps put things in better and healthier perspective. If we were to read the whole of Psalm 37, it reminds us that even though the world is full of problems, sinful people, wickedness and the like, our time with God restores our confidence and assures that God is still in charge. “Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” (v.8) In fact, when we start to get really angry and upset about the state of the world, the Psalm tells us to chill out. “Stop being angry!  Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.” (vss.8-9)

Being still in the presence of God helps us to find inner peace, some personal sanctuary in troubled times, some sense of spiritual and psychic balance. These critical quiet times help us develop the strength and resolve of then meeting the demands of the world around us. The reconnect us with our centres and core of our beings. They help us to refocus on our priorities and relationship.

            I know that the summer is late now. But it is never too late to make the time to stop and smell the coffee, as the old saying goes. “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 4:10)

            Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
            thy wings shall my petition bear
            to him whose truth and faithfulness
            engage the waiting soul to bless.
            And since he bids me seek his face,
            believe his word, and trust his grace,
            I'll cast on him my every care,
            and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! (W.W. Walford)

Dale

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6: 19 21, New Living Translation)

            So, yesterday, Susan asked me whether I knew that we had packed my old skill-saw and brought it with us to our new apartment.  Well, of course, I did. You never know when I just might get a powerful urge to rip something in two. I will be all set.

            We have a small storage area in our apartment. It is now chock-and-block filled with everything that we couldn’t fit into the rest of the apartment. Heaven only knows what may be in those several boxes and bins.  Even though we discarded piles and piles of unneeded stuff, we still have a crammed storage space of miscellaneous who-knows-what.  Oh well, our children can sort it all out when we are gone.

            Perhaps, it is human nature that we hang on to what is old, unneeded and ends up as clutter and baggage.  It is one thing to hang on to keepsakes, old photos, memorabilia that may elicit fond memories, emotions and a few good stories.  But it is when we cling to the old, hang on to the past, embrace nostalgia that we get stuck and mired or overwhelmed in emotional debris and useless sentimentality.  Or worse – we store up regrets, grudges, complaints, criticisms, judgments, envy, malice, sins, habits, worry, anxieties,  etc. One might think that these are not treasures, per se, yet we put high value on them and give them precious status in our lives. We hang on to them dearly.  They come with a high cost to our own welfare, relationships and outlook on life.  Even so,  it is hard to let them go.

            But Jesus urges us to put these things in proper perspective. Don’t let these things define us. Don’t let them hold us back from a more abundant form of living. Don’t let our baggage and our past weigh us down.  For some of us, in the light of Jesus Christ, it is time to clean house, to let go of all the attitudes, behaviour and brittleness that fills our minds, spirits and hearts. None of that matters anymore. It is of no use. It is not worth the bother. We are made new. We get a fresh start. We get a better perspective if we don’t have to peek up over the jumbles.

            But we are not striving for mere emptiness. Instead, we are seeking to fill our lives with the attributes of Love, Forgiveness, Compassion and Joy. We open up our minds, hearts and spirits to let the cleansing breath of the Holy Spirit sweep out the old and bring in the new. We should have an enormous capacity to live the right and best way – to follow Jesus Christ. “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.” (Philippians 2: 1 -5 The Message Bible) Or simply put in other translations: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” (NRSV)

        Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me
        Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me
        Melt me, mold me
        Fill me, use me
        Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me
        Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me

Dale

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.” (2 Corinthians 4:8, New Living Translation)

            It is a catastrophe! Or should I say, a batastrophe?

            After, ever so carefully, transporting my Lego Batman cityscape to Whitby – the one I had meticulously and laboriously spent days and days, weeks and weeks, in putting it all together – I was attempting to move it from one room to the spot where it was to be displayed. I picked it up thinking it was more solidly put together than it really was. It buckled in the middle, slipped from my hands, and most of it hit the floor, exploding into hundreds of pieces. It was devastating. I couldn’t believe that it had happened.  Just my clumsy luck! There was nothing to do but sweep up the pieces and put them in a bag.  I tried to console myself that the joy of the project was in the making of it. Nobody died!  The world didn’t end. The Blue Jays are in first place. And I have a nine-year-old grandson who has been dying to get his hands on this project since the get-go. He is a Lego savant. If anybody can put it back together, he can. Thankfully, I still have the two manuals of instructions. But still…

            We have all experienced life-shattering events in our lives, far more serious and perhaps life-changing than a shattered Lego set. A Lego set can, indeed, be put back together but sometimes it can be very difficult to put one’s life back together after a shattering event when everything seems to fall to pieces. A marriage breaks up. A job is lost. A loved one gets cancer or we ourselves face serious health issues.  A son or daughter has addiction issues. There are a stack of unpaid bills and the creditors are at the door. Maybe, there are mental health issues which weigh us down or knock us out of the joys of living.

“As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,
    you know how I’m feeling,
Know the danger I’m in,
the traps hidden in my path.
    Look right, look left—
there’s not a soul who cares what happens!
I’m up against the wall, with no exit—
    it’s just me, all alone.
I cry out, God, call out:
‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’
Oh listen, please listen;
    I’ve never been this low.” (Psalm 142: 3 -6, The Message Bible)

            The apostle Paul had suffered much in his defence of the Gospel. At one point, he admitted that he was at the point of despair. We would probably diagnose him today as being in a deep depression. “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.” (2 Corinthians 1:8) We consider Paul to be a spiritual and faithful giant of Christianity, heroic, fearless and courageous as he spread the Gospel. But he is very honest about his own humanity, his vulnerability, his struggles with his health, the suffering he endured. It was never easy. “Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:11)

             I don’t see Paul as being a martyr, per se. He suffered for Jesus Christ, yes; but he also, at times, struggled with an enormous cost of doing what he did for a living – preaching the Gospel. When he was reflecting on his “thorn in the flesh,” some chromic physical impediment he wished would go away, he found strength in Jesus’ words, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9) Perhaps, that seems too simplistic for us when our lives are facing hardships. But it is an important step, even remedy, which helps us get through the tough and broken times.  It creates a bedrock from which we face the storms which rail against us.  In faith and trust we sweep up the pieces and take one step at a time into healing, restoration, redemption and reconciliation. We are never alone, never abandoned, never forsaken.

            “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38 - 39)

 Dale

 Wednesday, July 23, 2025

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.” (Matthew 23: 25 -26, New Living Translation)

           There was an article in the Globe and Mail last week or so that asked the question: “Do you need a 10-step shower routine?” Slow news week, perhaps? But it caught my attention. Apparently, many people are using elaborate shower cleansing as part of their rigorous, daily toiletry. It includes “double cleansing, antibacterial soap, loads of scented body scrubs and shower oils.”  And apparently, according to dermatologists, it is not a healthy thing to do as it washes away essential oils and other natural skin protection.

It strikes me how much time all that washing must take. Not me, boy! I am in, wash up using whatever soap is handy, shampoo my hair and get out in less than ten minutes. Now I am wondering whether I am really clean.

The Pharisees were very strict about their washing routines. It was an offence to them if one did not wash their hands before a meal. Don’t we tell our kids to wash up before coming to the table? Sure, we do but for these religious leaders it was virtually an eleventh commandment. They were in high dungeon when Jesus sat down at the supper table “without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom.” (Luke 11:38) On another occasion, they criticized Jesus’ allowance for his disciples’ lack of respect: “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” (Matthew 15:2) Note that the Pharisees were not so much concerned about hygiene as they were about rituals, traditions, ceremonies and religious rules. A clean Jew was a good Jew! Or we might say that a clean Baptist is a good Baptist. Sadly, they deemed so many others as being unclean – Gentiles, women, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, and the list goes on for far too many. (So do some Baptists!)

Just so we don’t get too pompous about our own culture and times, we still see how the pious and powerful treat immigrants, women and children, indigenous people, the homeless, the poor, the hungry, the addicted and the like. There is still this snobbish arms-length from the “unwashed.”

Jesus breaks and re-invents the codes of cleanliness. He understands that it doesn’t matter how clean you are on the outside, i.e. how religious, how pious, how religiously strict one is, how conversant one is with scripture, how many times one goes to church in their best clothes and sits in the best pews.  It is what is inside the person which counts the most. Jesus wants a cleansing from the inside out, Get rid of the inner filth. “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” (Matthew 15: 19 20) Get one’s personal priorities straight and on the right side of God’s Love and Mercy and then one will experience the truly fresh and purifying nature of walking with Jesus.  “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51: 7)

To this end, Jesus demonstrated the depth of clean living when he washed the disciples’ feet.  It was a lowly, humble thing for him to do. You would have never caught a Pharisee doing any such thing. That stinky, dirty job was for the lowest of servants, a slave perhaps. But we see Jesus taking a basin and a towel and washing each of the disciples’ feet.  He tells them “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene.” (John 13: 10 -11, The Message Bible) I think he goes on to explain “holiness” i.e. cleanliness, not as ceremonial observations but in terms of servanthood, how we treat and love others: “You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do.”

In the words of Paul to Titus: “It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.” (Titus 3: 5 -7, TMB)
            Time to wash up, people! 

Dale