Tag Archives: love

Basic Principles, Faith and Relationships, Movies, Neighbourhood, Reflections on Life

The power of hospitality

8 Comments

Most Christians, if asked to list five of the attributes of God, would probably come up with words like loving, powerful, forgiving,  just, holy, and so forth.

These are all important descriptors of God’s character as it is revealed to us in the Bible and supremely in Jesus Christ.  But today I am thinking of another word that powerfully sums up how God deals with sinful, weak, needy people.

The word is hospitality.  I was reminded of this attribute of God’s character by a recent post on Richard Long’s excellent blog at Together Canada.  Hospitality is a trait that I would normally associate with people, not with God.  Yet, when we understand Him as He is described in Scripture and portrayed by Jesus, we see that our God is amazingly hospitable.

Looking at the gospels, we see that in one of his parables, Jesus depicted God as a concerned father welcoming his runaway son home to his household and throwing a party for him.  Jesus tells us elsewhere that in his Father’s household there is room for all his children to find a home.  Jesus himself is depicted in Scripture as the coming Bridegroom who welcomes all who place their hope in Him to His wedding banquet.  Our God longs to welcome people in, that they may find their home in Him.

When we look at the qualifications for elders in the New Testament, we discover that the New Testament church placed high value on hospitality as a trait for leaders.   Evidently, the first century apostles understood that Jesus’ sheep need leaders who reflect His generous, hospitable heart.

Last night Marion and I watched Harvey, a movie from an earlier era of cinematography.  Harvey was originally filmed in 1950, and I found it interesting to see how movie making has changed in 60 years.  But beyond the technical aspects, what struck me most in this movie was the generous and hospitable nature of the film’s lead character, Elwood P. Dowd, played by Jimmy Stewart.  Dowd is portrayed as a middle-aged eccentric who has inherited a fortune and does not have to work for a living.   Rather than pursuing the business opportunities that would have been wide open to someone of his means, Dowd goes through life talking to an invisible 6 foot 3 inch rabbit.  He spends most of his time at the local bar (where his invisible friend is quite welcome), listening to people that no-one else except the bartender has time for, and frequently inviting them to his home for dinner.  This exasperates his sister and niece, who share his home.  To be truthful, almost any normal person would find it difficult to live with someone as impractical, unpredictable and eccentric as Elwood P.  Dowd.  That said, he is an uncommonly likeable character, who excels in kindness and generosity.

When I woke up this morning, I realized that God was speaking to me through this aspect of the film.  He showed me again the power of a hospitable life to communicate the good news of Jesus to people who are hungry for spiritual reality.

When we open our homes and our lives to people who are hungry and thirsty for true life, and become their friends, our understanding of what it means to share the gospel of Jesus undergoes a radical transformation.  Instead of being a project, evangelism truly becomes a way of life.  It is no longer just a matter of verbally communicating spiritual truth, or even praying with people for them to receive Jesus or for the Holy Spirit to touch their lives – although both of these aspects remain important.  When we open our homes and our hearts to people, trust is fostered in the people we befriend, and over time, God uses this atmosphere of acceptance and friendship to prepare their hearts for genuine conversion.  This, of course, requires that we be transparent with those we are reaching out to, so that they can see us as we really are.  That’s how disciples are made – through relationships of honesty and trust, in which the good news of Jesus is communicated on many levels.

Marion and I have been rediscovering the transforming power of hospitality over the past several weeks as the Holy Spirit has opened the door to a friendship with our next-door neighbours.  It all started this past summer when Orlando Suarez, a church-planter from Cuba, visited our life group on several occasions this past summer.  Orlando spoke to us of his passion for sharing the good news of Jesus with the people in his neighbourhood.  As I listened to him, I realized that the Spirit of God was speaking to me and telling me to become more active in reaching out to our neighbourhood.  Marion and I invited several people to our home to watch the Alpha videos and talk about the true meaning of life.  The couple next door accepted our invitation, and it has been a delightful experience getting to know them better.  We had already been on good terms before beginning this process.  But now, the relationship is changing from cordial to intimate.  As we talk about the Alpha videos and their growing realization that Jesus is alive, we are becoming spiritual friends.  In this atmosphere of friendship, lives are being changed.

This, it seems to me, is what happened over and over again in the ministry of Jesus and the Apostles.  I once did a survey of pivotal or life-changing events in the gospels and the Book of Acts, and discovered that a great many of them took place in someone’s home.   When Jesus dropped in to Zaccheus’ house for dinner, someone’s life was changed because Jesus took time to accept hospitality from a man that any self-respecting religious teacher wouldn’t go near.  Jesus knew Zaccheus needed to repent.  By inviting himself to Zaccheus’ home for a meal, Jesus honoured this man whom others rejected, and offered an atmosphere of acceptance that made it easy for Zaccheus to turn away from his self-focussed life and make things right with God.

So – how are you doing with hospitality?  It’s not really about how nice a home you have.  That doesn’t matter.  Your home doesn’t have to be spotless or elegant.  Hospitality is not entertainment.   And you don’t have to be limited to offering hospitality in your home.  You can also offer hospitality in a friend’s house or apartment, a restaurant, a bar, a hospital, a workplace, a prison, or even on a street corner.  It’s really about making time for relationship and having an open heart.

To be truthful, I’m not very good at this.  I’m still learning.  But Jesus is very good at it, and he is teaching me how to let my life be a vehicle for His ministry of hospitality.  It’s all about learning to rest in the Father’s goodness, and invite others to come into His household and discover His delightfully generous love.

Share
Faith and Relationships, Intimacy with God

Keep yourselves in the love of God

4 Comments

Yesterday I went for a walk after lunch.  While I was out walking, my thoughts turned to the previous evening’s church meeting.  The meeting had featured a thought-provoking presentation on how our church welcomes and integrates new people, and some changes that are underway to help us do this more effectively.  The presentation was followed by some Biblical reflections from Steve, who gives leadership to our elders’ team.

I am someone who tends to think analytically and theologically.  It’s part of how God has made me – I like to take time to reflect on what I hear, especially when it comes from leaders.  So, I found myself thinking in particular about some of Steve’s comments on the elders’ high-level vision for what our church is called to become.

As I was engaged in this process of reflection, I was also in dialogue with God, as I often am. I was asking God what He wanted to say to me about the things that had been shared the previous evening. It was all very positive stuff, and there were lots of good things to think about. Yet, I had questions about a couple of things that I had heard.

Suddenly I realized that I was being prompted to move from the mind to the spirit – to move from reflection to Spirit-led prayer. I began praying in tongues.  In doing this, I was intentionally shutting down the voice of rational thought and choosing to give priority to the Spirit.

Within five seconds, I heard the voice of the Lord in my spirit.  His words to me were simple, direct and to the point :  Do you love them?

Immediately I had a powerful, tangible sense of the presence of the Lord. I spent the next few minutes praying for our elders with a fresh awareness of how much God loves each of these precious men, their wives and their families, how He treasures them, how He wants them to experience an intimate relationship with Him.

Why share this experience in a blog post?  Because I was so powerfully struck by the impact on my own thought life of a simple decision to spend a few minutes praying in the Spirit.  It really was only a few minutes, yet the impact on my thought life was immediate and profound.  Almost right away, I began thinking about our elders in a different way.

It was not that my thoughts had been wrong before. But now, instead of thinking analytically about vision, decisions and man’s opinions, my thoughts became very simple. I found myself thinking of our elders as men who are loved by God and belong to Him eternally. I began sensing the deep love of the Father for them, and their constant dependency on His grace and mercy.

I realized again that the greatest need of all spiritual leaders – and the greatest protection for the church – is for leaders to be filled to overflowing with a powerful awareness of how much God loves them, as an anchor for their hearts.

I realized that love covers over a multitude of sins.  Even when we and our leaders make mistakes or get off track – which will probably happen at times – if we are rooted and grounded in love, His love will guard our hearts from being offended or damaged, and the sheep will be kept safe.  I realized that they, like me, were bought with a high price, are infinitely precious to the Father, and are destined for glory.

Of course, none of this was new – yet it was all new, in the sense that I saw it again as if for the first time.  With a humbled, quieted heart, I stood in awe of the goodness and mercy of God.

All this insight and shift in perspective from just a few moments spent praying in the Spirit.  I think I will do this more often.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God (Jude 20-21)

Share
Faith and Relationships, Reflections on Life

A lifetime assignment

5 Comments

Goalies have different styles.

Take Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas, for example.  For those who aren’t hockey fans, Luongo and Thomas are the goalies of the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins respectively, who are currently tied at three wins apiece in the Stanley Cup finals.

Several of the goals in this series have been a direct result of shooters understanding the unique traits of the opposing goalie’s style of play.  In game two, Alex Burrows scored the winning goal by going behind the net because he knew Tim Thomas would come way out of his net to challenge the shooter.  In game six, Brad Marchand beat Luongo on the upper left side after studying his goaltending style and habits, and discovering one of his weak areas.  His goal may well have been the key to his team’s victory in that game.

Men and women also have different styles, different ways of doing things, different ways of thinking.  Anyone who has been married for any length of time has discovered this.

As in hockey, so in marriage it is possible to catalogue your partner’s unique ways of thinking and behaving, looking for weak areas so that you can score points on each other.  In case you hadn’t figured it out yet, that probably won’t lead to the most harmonious of marriage relationships.

But what if we studied our marriage partners with a different goal in mind – so that we can learn how to love them better?

I’m making a fundamental assumption here – that you and your marriage partner have both surrendered control of your lives to Jesus and invited Him to be the Lord of your individual lives and of your marriage.  If you have not done this, most of the rest of what I say here won’t make sense to you.  Our marriage changed radically when Marion and I both explicitly surrendered our wills to Jesus, and stopped trying to control each other.  We still had lots of other issues to work through, but at least we had a starting point – we were standing on the same ground and walking in the same direction.

That was about twenty-five years ago, and since then, I’ve learned a few things.  One of the things I’ve learned is that to love my wife really well, I need to understand how she thinks.  A number of years ago Marion and I watched a series of DVDs by Dr. Gary Smalley called “Hidden Keys to Loving Relationships”.  For me, probably the number one insight that came from this teaching series was the transformative power of one simple decision.  I’m referring to the decision to honour, rather than bemoan, the built-in qualities that make my partner different from me.  Smalley related how in his own marriage he had to learn to see the differences between his wife and himself (differences in emotional makeup and ways of thinking) as a gift rather than a problem.

I’m not talking about fundamental differences in vision, goals and purpose for living.  A couple needs to be committed to unity in those fundamental areas for a marriage to work.  If your basic visions for life are different, you need to listen to the Lord together until you come to agreement.  But even if we agree on our fundamental visions and goals, men and women are different in the way we think, in the way we communicate, in the way we look at life.  And beyond typical male-female differences, individual men and women have their own unique traits.

It’s easy to get frustrated by the fact that your husband or wife doesn’t think the way you do.  But what if you choose to assume that God has made your marriage partner different from you for a reason?  Then the differences, instead of being a cause of frustration, become an asset.  When Marion and I are talking about a given situation, we often see things differently.  We have learned that this doesn’t necessarily mean one of us is wrong.  It could just mean that neither of us sees the whole picture.  Marion possesses wisdom in certain areas of life that can benefit me greatly if I am willing to humble myself and learn from her.  I also have strengths in other areas that she has learned to recognize.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that all of your marriage partner’s most irritating habits are God-given, built-in traits.  Some of them are just bad habits, old patterns that need to be unlearned, maybe even sins that need to be repented of.  Even so, I have learned that I can trust the Holy Spirit to show my wife the areas where she needs to change.  My main job is to pray for her and encourage her.  It’s amazing how much more responsive she is to me when I treat her with encouragement and acceptance.  Funny thing, eh?

Newsflash : no marriage on earth is perfect, and at times every couple has to have an honest talk.  But even those honest talks go a lot better if both partners start with the assumption that God gave us to each other for a reason, and that our differences are part of the package.  Marion and I both have a lot of changing still to do as the Lord transforms us into His image, but no matter how much each of us grows in Christ, we will always be two distinct personalities, even though we are one in flesh and in spirit.  If you are like most married couples, it’s probably the differences that attracted you to each other in the first place, and if your partner were just like you, you probably wouldn’t like it.  So, you might as well learn to appreciate the differences – they aren’t going to go away no matter what you do.  I am still learning to understand my wife’s ways, still learning to appreciate her fully.  I think it must be a lifetime assignment – women are complex creatures – but it’s well worth the effort.  My wife is a gift to me.  She is a true woman of God, and the better I understand her, the more I realize this.

I remember an older couple who had a huge impact on Marion and me earlier in our marriage.  Ray and Jean were in their seventies by that time, and Marion and I were in our late thirties/early forties.  We were church leaders, but we still had so much to learn about life!  They shared their hearts and their lives freely, and invested in us with all that they had learned over the years.  I will always be grateful to them.  Now it’s our turn to pass on some of what we’ve learned.  Marion and I have been transitioning into a new season in our marriage over the last decade as our own children have grown up.   We are excited about what is to come! We both sense that God is opening up some new areas of growth for us, and it’s our heartfelt desire that the lessons we have learned – and the ones we are still learning – will bless others who are seeking to honour God in their marriages.

Share
Faith and Justice, Faith and Relationships, Reflections on Life

In memory of Rob Hall

6 Comments

When I wrote in a recent post (Reality Check) that life is short and fragile, I had no idea that within a couple of weeks, Rob Hall’s untimely death would offer a graphic reminder of the truth of those words.

But there you have it.  A good man has gone to be with Jesus, leaving his wife Kate, three children, and an army of family and friends around the world who clearly miss him deeply but who just as clearly were inspired by his life.

I never got to know Rob well.  I am much better acquainted with his father Ken, who was a mentor and spiritual father to me for a couple of crucial years about a decade and a half ago when I was walking through an agonizing yet transformational period of transition.  I will always be grateful for Ken’s wisdom and unassuming yet authoritative shepherding which provided an anchor for my life at that crucial time.  Marion and I and our four children were part of Ken’s church for a season, and I got to know Rob a little bit, partly through talking with him directly, but mostly through my chats with Ken, who evidently loved his sons dearly and had fathered them well.  At that time Rob was a young man in his early twenties, and was already involved in co-operative community gardening, combining faith with practice in compelling ways.  Before long Marion and I moved to Russell to be involved in planting a DOVE church there, and I never saw Rob again.  I knew from Ken that he had been serving as an associate pastor in the Cambridge Vineyard but did not realize that he and his wife and children had left for mission work in Zambia.

News of Rob’s death earlier this week, just a  few days shy of his 39th birthday, came as a shock.  I couldn’t stop thinking about Ken and Lois, and of course Rob’s wife Kate and their three children.  The web site and Facebook page that have been created in memory of Rob have drawn my attention like a magnet, opening my eyes to some of the core passions that fuelled Rob’s life, and introducing me to a vast network of people who knew and loved him.

A few things I have learned about Daniel Robert Hall :

o He loved Jesus, his wife Kate and their three children, people, and God’s creation.
o He was an authentic servant of God, a good listener who knew how to draw out the best in others.
o He could speak truth into situations and get a hearing because he could be truthful without being arrogant, and because he really cared.
o He served with integrity and passion wherever he went.
o He had a bold, entrepreneurial approach to life.
o He had a great sense of humour.
o He loved the King and his coming Kingdom.
o He echoed the values of the Kingdom in his living here and now.
o He had counted the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, and invested his life willingly in God’s enterprises.

A few things I have learned (or been reminded of) this week about living as a servant of God :

o God places high value on integrity and humility, and loves the heart of a genuine servant.
o We often have more impact on others than we know.
o Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s (Romans 14:8).
o All of us in a fallen world are under the sentence of death; therefore pain is inevitable.
o Pain is not the worst thing that can happen. Having a deadened heart  (living without vision, purpose, or knowledge of God’s call) is far worse.
o Jesus gives life to the dead.  Those who trust Him do not need to be afraid of death.
o Hold those you love closely, treat them well, and entrust them to God fearlessly.  They don’t belong to you and you don’t know when you may be required to release them into the hands of their loving Father.
o Our hope is in the resurrection of the dead and the restoration of all things.
o Those who love Jesus are called to serve the poor in His name and do works of mercy and justice on the earth.
o Everyone needs to know that Jesus loves them.
o Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Rob, thank you.  I am deeply grateful for your example.  Your life has had more of an impact on me than you would have guessed.  You are now one of the great cloud of witnesses, spurring me on and calling me forward to finish my race well and to live faithfully, my eyes on the King and his coming Kingdom.

Share
Basic Principles, Reflections on Life, Testimonies

Overwhelmed by love

I am overwhelmed by love,
Overtaken by your mercy,
Lord, your goodness without end
Will be the house in which I dwell.
– Brian Doerksen, When You Shepherd Me  (based on Psalm 23)

Late last Sunday evening, as I sat down to write a blog post, two very contrasting story lines vied for my attention.  On the one hand there was the ninth anniversary of 9/11 and all the fuss over Florida pastor Terry Jones’ misguided plan to burn copies of the Qu’ran.  On the other hand, there was the free spaghetti dinner that All Nations Church had hosted for students at University of Ottawa the previous evening.

It’s pretty easy to tell which of these is more worthy of attention, isn’t it?  I mean, who cares about a spaghetti dinner, compared to an event that captured the attention of the world media and on which even Barack Obama and Sarah Palin found common ground?

And yet … when I tried to blog about the Qu’ran-burning episode, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me.  That’s the only way I can describe it.  He didn’t exactly forbid me, or stop me directly – but the words just didn’t flow, and I found myself without anything to write. 

This, of course, poses a problem for a writer.  I suppose I could have come up with something on my own, but that’s not what God has called me to do with this blog.  I don’t just want to write words originating in my own human wisdom.  So I asked Him what was going on, and He spoke to me very clearly.  (For those who wonder what I mean by statements like “God spoke to me” :  No, I didn’t hear Him with my physical ears, but a very clear thought suddenly “popped up” into my awareness – a thought that I immediately recognized as coming not from my own mind but from the Holy One). 

As He often does, the Spirit answered me with a question. 

What do you want to focus on – darkness or light?

As I considered this question, it shed a great deal of light on why I had not been able to blog about the Qu’ran burning episode.  I saw that although this sad tale appeared to be significant, and had indeed captured much attention, if I focussed on it in my blog, I would be giving attention to a distraction, something that originated from the Prince of Darkness.  I would be in danger of giving glory to the Enemy and his works rather than to the Lord of glory and His works.

On the other hand, if I focussed on the spaghetti dinner, simple and mundane though it might seem to be — why then, I would be writing about an event that was truly noteworthy — an act of positive spiritual warfare that carries the potential to permanently change the lives of hundreds of people, and influence the whole direction of our society for the better.

Hang on, you say.  Isn’t that a pretty big claim to make for a simple spaghetti dinner?  How can it be that important?  And how can it be an act of spiritual warfare?

As I attempt to answer that question, let me begin by explaining why I found my involvement in the spaghetti dinner to be so profoundly moving. 

It wasn’t because of anything that I did.  I didn’t really do that much, and all of it was simple stuff.  I grew some tomatoes that Marion made into a crock pot full of spaghetti sauce. I helped set up tables and chairs, sliced cucumbers, served spaghetti noodles and gave out cookies.  Marion served in the kitchen for several hours, putting veggie trays together, and helping to cook more pasta and make more spaghetti sauce when we began to run out.   None of this is especially complicated or noteworthy by itself.  What got my attention wasn’t what we did, but what everyone did.  There were so many volunteers – at least fifty, according to our leading elder Steve Wilkins.   Numerous volunteers gave out several thousand invitations on campus during the week prior to the dinner.  Others, like us, cooked spaghetti sauce.  Throughout the event itself, a small army of volunteers were cooking pasta, slicing vegetables, serving food, setting tables, decorating the room so it looked attractive, setting up a sound system, providing literature, greeting students with smiles and words of encouragement. There were even volunteers who handed out cookies and buns to students who had to wait in line for a long time because there were so many who came to the dinner – more than 600, representing a 50% increase from the previous year.  Some of the volunteers did amounts of work that were truly prodigious – like Janie and her 1200 home made chocolate chip cookies.  All of them served willingly, with a smile and with genuine enthusiasm.  And the students loved it!  In addition to a free meal, they were provided with information about Church on Campus (a student ministry of our church), as well as a new Student Alpha ministry that will be starting shortly on the UOttawa campus.   They also saw people working together to show kindness in Jesus’ name.  Many of the young adults who were volunteering did a great job at showing a genuine interest in the concerns and needs of the students who came to the dinner.  None of this was spectacular – there were no fireworks – but I believe it was very significant in the eyes of the Lord. 

It was significant, first of all, as a practical demonstration of God’s love.  God loves students, as he loves all people.  We know this to be true in theory, but God values faith that is put into action.  Last Saturday I saw genuine love being put into practice, and I was deeply moved.

I was moved not only by the dinner itself, but by what it represents.  This was not just a one-off event, but an expression of a genuine and ongoing commitment to reaching out to students with the good news of Jesus Christ.  The next morning, as Marion and I stood in line for a hamburger at an after-service BBQ, we chatted with a young woman who was a first year student.  She hadn’t even been at the dinner, but she had learned of our church through the outreach activities that had taken place the previous week on campus.  That evening, at the first meeting of Church on Campus (a student outreach ministry), over 70 were in attendance.  A number were young adults who are already a part of All Nations, but quite a few were students, and some were new to the church and possibly new to the Kingdom.

Students matter to God.  Of course, all people matter to God – all have equal value in His sight.  At the same time, reaching university campuses represents a strategic act of spiritual warfare.  The university campuses of the historically-Christian Western nations have become increasingly hostile to the gospel in the past few generations.  But that’s not the whole story.  Universities have also been the scene of some of the greatest revivals in North America’s history.  Reaching out to students has the potential to change the course of a generation and a nation.

Any successful presentation of the gospel requires a combination of truth and love.  People who have been blinded by the Enemy’s lies desperately need to hear the truth about who God is and who they are.  But they not only need to hear the truth, they also need to see the power and love of God being demonstrated by people who have fallen in love with Jesus.  As I contemplated the spaghetti dinner, I was overwhelmed by the love of God, and deeply moved because of how I saw His love being displayed by His people.  I realized again that I am still, and will forever be, a student of the ways of God.  I am humbled and deeply challenged by the grace displayed by so many of my brothers and sisters, and I am so thankful to be part of a fellowship that has such a lively sense of mission and in which we can all learn together to walk in God’s love and then give it away. 

More, Lord!

Share
Faith and Politics

True Patriot Love

Yesterday was Canada Day.  As I was out walking the dog, a young man on the street wished me a Happy Canada Day.  I returned the greeting, of course, but it got me thinking.  What is Canada Day really all about?  Later on that day, we watched the festivities on Parliament Hill from the comfort of our living room, on high definition TV.  I was particularly struck by the words of the song Today I’m Going to Try and Change the World, by Scottish-born country singer Johnny Reid, whose family immigrated to Canada when he was fifteen years old.  His song spoke about the impact of daily choices on those around us, and I found it inspiring.  That evening, Marion and I went to sit by the Ottawa River in our favourite spot for viewing the fireworks on Parliament Hill.  The atmosphere on the streets was that of a gigantic party.  People were calling “Happy Canada Day” to each other.  We enjoyed the festive atmosphere, but I couldn’t help wondering what those words really meant to the revellers.  Is Canada Day just an excuse for a good party, or is it more than that?  On Canada Day, Canadians are passionate about their country – but what about the rest of the time?  Do we exhibit the true patriot love of which our national anthem speaks?

The founders of our nation gave Canada its name – the Dominion of Canada – based on a promise from God which is inscribed on the stones of our Parliament Buildings.  Indeed, the Scriptures tell us that not only Israel, but every nation on earth – including Canada – has been allotted its land by God, and has a specific purpose in God’s plan for the world.  Christians ought to be enthusiastic patriots, like singer Johnny Reid – people who are passionate about making our country a better place and seeing it fulfil its God-given destiny.  Yet I find that many Canadians – including Christians – often display a cynical, negative attitude towards our country and its government, and it’s all too easy to let ourselves be subtly influenced by this prevailing negativity.  I find that I have to remind myself regularly of the Scriptural admonitions to honour and pray for our nation’s leaders, and to seek the well-being of the land in which God has placed me.

Last week Marion and I had an inspiring, first-hand reminder of what true patriot love looks like.  We were privileged to spend a few hours with Victor Wilson, a young man from Nigeria who came to Canada three years ago because of threats to his personal safety in his homeland.  As Marion and I listened to Victor talk about his homeland, his dreams and visions, I was inspired and moved by his love for his people, his story of overcoming adversity, and his desire to see his country blessed.  I’ve had the privilege of getting to know a number of African Christians over the past few years – brothers and sisters from Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Zimbabwe.  When Canadians think of Africa, it seems all we think of is problems, but most of the African Christians I have met are full of hope despite the many challenges faced by most of the nations in Africa.  Their hope comes from their lively confidence in God.  Victor is no exception.  He had been an evangelist in his native land before coming to Canada three years ago.  Although he has now made his home here, Victor told us of his conviction that God was calling him to get involved in the political process in his homeland, so that the wealth of Nigeria might be shared by all its people.  He spoke with heartfelt passion about his country and its potential, and told us with real excitement of the recent ascent to power of a new President, Goodluck Jonathan, a godly man who is determined to put an end to the corruption that has kept Nigeria’s people in poverty despite the nation’s wealth of natural resources.

Victor’s passion to see his nation blessed was a true inspiration.  I’ve asked him to do me and my readers the favour of using my blog as a vehicle to talk about his vision for Nigeria and his desire to serve God by working for transformation in his homeland, and he’s promised to do this in an upcoming post.  In the meantime, let me encourage you to throw off the cynicism and negativity that is so common among Canadians, and let God work into your heart a passion to see spiritual, economic, political and moral transformation in your neighbourhood, in your city or town, and in our nation of Canada.  As believers in Jesus and heirs of the faith of Abraham, we know that we are blessed to be a blessing.  The first followers of Christ were marked by a joyous exuberant faith and a way of life that made them visibly different than the world around them.   Although they were often persecuted, their faith and their way of life had an undeniable attraction for people who were looking for reality.  As a result, even though they had very little political power and were frequently persecuted, within a couple of centuries the Christian faith had infiltrated the Roman Empire and had a huge influence on society.  We have different gifts and different opportunities, and we aren’t all called to do exactly the same things, but all believers in Jesus are called to throw off passivity and be influencers, like the salt that preserves food and adds flavour, and the light that dispels darkness.  It may be “cool” to be cynical, but it’s godly to be enthusiastic and passionate about change.  Hearing Johnny Reid sing about changing the world, and listening to Victor Wilson talk about his vision for his homeland, has renewed my determination to love my country with true patriot love.  How about you?

Share
Reflections on Life

Deeply moved

This post will be a bit different.   Yesterday I read the entire history of Brian Bloomfield’s fight with liver failure due to Hepatitis-C.   I don’t know Brian but I’ve met his son Josh through my son Joe – they are the same age and share a group of friends.  I’ve heard Josh lead worship (he’s a great worship leader) and got to know him a bit when he designed a great web site for a business that I was helping Joe to start.

Anyway, I knew Josh’s dad had been going through major health struggles but I had not followed the story in detail, having lots else on my plate like most of us.  Yesterday I had some time on my hands, and I had just noticed a link to Josh’s blog in an e-mail that I had received from him.   I read the entire blog and was amazed and deeply moved.   To make a long story short, Josh donated part of his liver to save his Dad.   The transplant was a success, and while his Dad is not out of the woods yet,  his Dad now has a chance at recovery and a normal life.

You can read the whole story here.   I’m including it here because I was so affected and inspired by this example of a son’s love for his father, a family’s commitment to each other during a challenging time, and a church’s support for one of their own.  Josh doesn’t gloss over the gory details, but through it all, the transforming power of faith in Jesus, and love for one another, shines through.   To Josh and the entire Bloomfield family – thanks for sharing your story.

Share