Wednesday, October 21, 2026

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.” (Matthew 25:43, New Living Translation)

                 Among various articles on pumpkin spice, hiking trails and Italian wines in the Life section of the Globe today was an intriguing one entitled “Talking to Strangers.” (Erin Anderssen) This is something many of us, including myself, are not very good at, engaging someone we don’t know in a friendly, meaningful and interesting way. I have never been very good at small talk. I am quite introverted. I can be shy in the midst of strangers in a crowd and wait to be engaged rather than take the initiative myself. As a pastor, I had to work very intentionally to speak to guests and strangers in my church. I am not alone. “Instead, we pass each other by, eyes averted, heads crooked toward screens, missing out on the everyday greetings and more meaningful interactions that boost well-being and create safer, more caring communities.”

                I bet you didn’t know that November 23rd to the 29^th is “Talk to a Stranger Week,”  “to challenge Canadians to get more chatty on the bus, at the dog park, in passing on the street.” Apparently, it is becoming a movement around the world, known by many names,  inspiring and urging us to be more deliberately connected to each other. “A growing number of places have started campaigns, events and programs to kickstart those conversations.”  It is so easy for so many  to hide behind secret and anonymous Twitter accounts and the like and be cowardly judgmental, nasty and critical with no accountability. But this movement towards strangers offers a healthier and more personal solution to the isolation, the loneliness and the alienation that exists all around us. “Around the world, there’s a sense that humanity generally needs a neighbourly tune-up.”

                A simple “Watcha doing?” can start an interesting conversation with a stranger. One is not trying to start a life-long friendship necessarily but simply it is a way of expanding one’s connections and thereby broaden one’s understanding and appreciation of others.  We may be pleasantly surprised to find our biases, prejudices, opinions and assumptions melt away because we have taken a little extra time to have a conversation with someone we didn’t know before. I have worked hard to get to know names and some of the stories of the people and even their dogs in our apartment building. It has helped me feel part of a community. I hope that I am also giving something back in return.

                We may never invite strangers into our homes like Jesus said. Sadly, we live in dangerous times when there are unscrupulous people who might try to take advantage of our friendliness. Yet, this caveat does not exempt us from showing kindness, compassion, understanding, tolerance and patience towards strangers around us. Life is too short to waste it on judgment, criticism, hatred, prejudice and exclusionism.  It bothers me immensely how immigrants are generally being treated here in North America, as some sort of scourge almost. It is unwarranted by and large. If you get to know their stories just a little bit, they are as every bit like “us” as anyone. “In real life, strangers are far less dangerous, significantly more honest and much happier to chat with us than we believe – and than crime TV and social media suggest.”

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (Hebrews 13:2) Jesus, of course, is the “angel” in the room in his own parable. What we do for others, we have done for him. So, smile and say hello, at least; ask how they are doing if you get a chance; learn their names; shake their hand, perhaps; hear their story if they wish to share it.  Just be Jesus to one and all!

 

Prayer:

O God, our for-ever Friend, you have opened your Kingdom to all and invited us to enjoy your Sacred Hospitality. You grace us with your Love without discrimination or preference.  Help us, O Lord, to reach out to others with the same focus as Jesus Christ, to love with compassion and righteousness any and all who cross our path. May we see Jesus in the face of each and every stranger. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8, New Living Translation)

                 Yesterday, I finished a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. It has been the hardest puzzle I have ever done and I have done dozens upon dozens. I began it back in May, working on it a couple of hours every day except weekends. (Well, you know, there are sports on the weekends.) What made it so very hard was twofold. One, it is was circular and there was no uniformity to the shapes or sizes of the pieces. In fact, it didn’t fit my table and I had to rig up some bristle board to give me the extra space I needed. Secondly, it was a kaleidoscopic mural of similar colours and images which gave few clues as to what fitted where. The back of the puzzle featured various geometric shapes which I used to verify that the pieces went together. My occupational therapist said that he wanted me to send him a picture of it when it was done as he couldn’t believe that it was possible to do.

                As I got close to the finish, there were three pieces missing. Yes, I had 997 pieces finally in place, but the puzzle was not complete. I still felt good about what I had accomplished but if I couldn’t find those missing three pieces, it was going to be very disappointing. I was prepared to search every nook and cranny in hopes that I would find them.  To my delight, I found all three pieces together, hiding under a bag on the floor, not far from the table. That thrilled me just as about a much as having done the whole puzzle up to then. I didn’t throw a party but I did get a big hug from Susan for completing the project. Double delight!

                The parable of the woman and her lost coin reminds me of Jesus’ words. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33) There are some things in our lives, beyond the material and the quantitative, which are deeply worthy of our efforts to attain. There are worthy goals and ambitions that demand our attention and focus. We should not procrastinate. We should not give up. We should not neglect our pursuit of righteousness and faithfulness.  Like the parable’s woman, nothing is so inconsequential or so trivial that we can afford to just let it go. Jesus calls us to pursue his Way with vigour and resolve.

                People may lose their faith. Some lose hope. Others lose trust in others. Some lose their self-esteem. Others lose relationships or friendships. Some may lose health and security.  But no matter the losses which we experience, through them all, we must intentionally seek the goodness of God’s Love for us. “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.” (Psalm 105:4)

                Perhaps, the woman would have “gotten by” with the coins she had left. We don’t know the reasons for her persistence in finding just one coin.  But she understood that it mattered greatly that she finds it. We are taught through her example that it is sometimes paying attention to the little things in our lives that bring us joy and peace. It is doing the extra little thing that brings us satisfaction and happiness. Jesus talked about the need to go the extra mile in doing good. It is always a good feeling when something small adds up to helping someone in need or gives a boost to someone who is hurting. There are many ways to seek the Kingdom of God and some may seem inconsequential at first. But in God’s hands, they may reap a great harvest. But nothing will happen if we don’t try.

                Sometimes, our lives may get so cluttered and messy that we may  not even notice what we have lost. Maybe, this parable can speak to us that we need to clean up our act.  There comes a time when we need to get rid of the dust-bunnies hiding under our psyches and consciences.  It may be time to do a little spiritual, moral house-cleaning, getting rid of the things that don’t matter or break our spirits or lead astray. Perhaps, there is no better time than the present to get our lives back in order, back to God, back to the Kingdom Way. “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)

                There is no time like the present to go looking for that lost “coin.”

 Prayer:

Our Lord and Good Shepherd, you are never weary in seeking us to include us in your Kingdom’s plans. You never give up on us, no matter how far we have strayed. We ask that you Spirit inspire us to be equally diligent and thorough in seeking the Jesus Way of life and faith.  May we never cease loving you nor neglect the compassion and goodness of our Christian calling.  We seek Jesus in all we say, think or do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

                 

               

 Wednesday, October 7, 2026

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.” (Philippians 1:20, New Living Translation)

               “Bold” derives from an old English (West Saxon) word, “beald”, meaning "stout-hearted, brave, confident, strong."  Our seven-year-old grand-daughter, Amelia, exhibited some of the boldness of her late, great-grandmother, Barb Neal, this past Friday. Mom could take great mischievous, undaunted  delight in arranging “surprises” for birthdays and other cerebrations, especially at restaurants. At the restaurant on Friday, where we were celebrating my birthday, there was Amelia sidling up to our waitress and arranging for a birthday cupcake to be delivered to our table along with the requisite “Happy Birthday” song and a birthday picture to be taken. There had already been several such celebrations and she didn’t want me to be left out. She boldly acted on her own and it was done before any of the others of us knew what she was doing. Thank you, great-grandma Barb!

                The apostle Paul wrote about being bold for Christ. Amelia’s actions got me to thinking about what that might mean. Here are a few thoughts.

                “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” (Ephesians 4:15) Some people may interpret this verse as permission to be bluntly and rudely honest.  I have had a couple of parishioners like that.  I have been prone to be like that myself on occasion. But we are missing the “in love” part of the equation. This is whole verse calls us to be Christ-like in our words and actions towards others. It means we should choose our words wisely and carefully so as to build up and not just tear down. Our words should be spoken respectfully, humbly, in the hopes that we might repair any damage or hurt caused in our relationships. Sometimes, the truth spoken needs to be more about ourselves than our brother or sister in Christ. “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.” (Matthew 5: 22-24, The Message Bible)

                “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37) Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t be a hypocrite.  The epistle writer, James gave us a vivid image of the damage our words can cause. "If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” (James 1:26) There are many ways that we may think we are being bold in our faith by using Jesus to be judgmental, critical, authoritative, preachy, condemnatory and self-righteous on top of it all. But authentic boldness for Christ leads us to servanthood, humility, trustworthiness, compassion, and the fruit of love. Piety is not measured by how loud we are, but by the fruit of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5L 22 -23)

                “Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition.” (1 Thessalonians 2:2) In the Book of Acts, there are several times when the members of the new Church were described as boldly spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Yes, sometimes, that was by preaching openly in public places. But it was even more so by demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit through their acts of love, generosity, compassion and good works. As a friend of mine often says, "Spread the Gospel; if necessary, use words.”  Good evangelism happens through our love for one another.  It is not the grandiose sermon that wins the hearts of people but our actions of compassion, justice, good works so that when people ask why we do what we do, we are prepared to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ. “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (Colossians 4:6) And if that mean to be counter-cultural, to go against the grain of popular belief as we live out our faith, so be it.

                So, let’s be bold – in a Christ-like way. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!

 Prayer:

                O God, our Redeemer, may the words of our mouths and the actions of our hands and hearts be acceptable to you. Save us from false piety and aggressive behaviour towards others. Lead us in the way of Jesus, the Way of Love, forgiveness, kindness and mercy. May we put into action the loving words of our faith.  In Jesus’ name, amen.