Friday January 22, 2010

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds, Habakkuk 1:3.

Buried under the frantic efforts to bring relief to Haiti, this question persists. We are not the first to condemn the senselessness of this destruction and suffering; Habakkuk faced a similar horror, and asked the question of God, as humans have since the beginning of time.

The violence of nature is an ongoing, devastating phenomenon: wild fires in Australia, California, floods in Europe and South America, volcanoes in the Philippines, mudslides in South America, and the potential menace of global warming, are a few of the recent tragedies.

But all these, tragic as they are, are still vastly less than the violence and suffering caused by “man’s inhumanity to man.” The last century alone saw the loss of more than 100 million lives due to warfare, with vaster numbers maimed, displaced or bereaved. That doesn’t include the many victimised by despotic powers’ greed and corruption and lives destroyed by slavery and exploitation.

Two news stories today highlight this menace. Two boys, 11 and 12 years, in Britain brutally assaulted and tortured two younger boys in a “prolonged, sadistic violence for no reason other than that you got a real kick out of hurting and humiliating them," according to the judge who jailed them indefinitely.

In Vancouver, two police officers pulled a man out of the wrong house and attacked him without reason or identifying themselves, sending him to hospital. This seems to be a case of two policemen using the pretext of a domestic violence call to beat a man up—in this case the wrong man—purely for the sadistic delight gained from it.

The question comes to mind, whether the two—natural disasters and human violence--are related. The Bible infers that the sin of humankind seeps into the fabric of the earth destabilizing it, see Gen. 3:17, Lev 18:24-28, Jer. 3:2 and 9, but godly virtue increases the land’s fertility, Lev. 25:18-19.

This is not a one for one response, any more than every sickness can be blamed on the individual. Haiti, as others have done, is suffering some of the widespread natural violence as a result of worldwide sin. Of course, a direct human element is often observed in natural disasters, but it seems the general pervasiveness of sin is their underlying cause as with all suffering.

Yet despite all this, the Haitians, a deeply religious people, are facing this disaster with remarkable resilience. Of all the pictures I have seen, one stands out: a large column of people marching through the streets singing and waving their arms in defiance of the conditions inflicted upon them. Could I do the same, I wonder?

Thursday January 14, 2009

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. 2 Thessalonians 1:6–7.

No-one can see the devastation in Haiti and be unaffected. Immediate reports indicate that no resources are available. Columns of survivors walk with nowhere to go, carrying their dead and wounded. There are no police, politicians, government officials to be seen, no heavy equipment to rescue the trapped, simply looters scrounging from the rubble.

One reporter offered a hungry girl some money—but there is no market standing to buy food! Most of the capital, Port au Prince, is destroyed. There may be thousands, under the rubble, alive, injured or dead, no-one knows. Others lie dead or seriously injured in the streets with no help in sight. Away from the city certainly thousands more are in a helpless state, no-one knows for sure, communications are destroyed.

One reporter reminded us that “God” and “Jesus” are common currency in Haiti, one woman saying, “God is very angry”! It is popular wisdom, it seems, to blame God for a catastrophe like this, if not for a deliberate act, at least for allowing it to happen. But reviewing the recent history of Haiti, there are other, man-made reasons contributing to such devastation.

Michaelle John, Canada’s Governor General, escaped from the despotic rule of Papa Doc Duvalier with her family when she was 11 years old. Since then, Haiti has been plagued with poor government, violent street gangs, and continued grinding poverty. Those who do work mainly subsist off the land from their own crops. Successive self-serving governments have failed to provide basic infrastructure for the county, leaving it with absolutely no resources to help itself.

The majority of buildings in the capital were considered unsafe without the effect of an earthquake, yet 50% of the population who are unemployed could have been gainfully employed for half a century developing the country’s infrastructure. By contrast, with all its failures, the US was able to tackle hurricane Katrina’s devastation with its own resources.

The bigger picture from the Bible suggests that sin in general has destabilised the planet that is our home. Genesis 3:17–19 suggests that sin infected the earth causing it to act contrary to its original design, and Romans 8:20–22 looks forward to the time when it will be restored. Furthermore, today’s text promises that there will be a final accounting for those who deliberately create conditions of misery—not just in Haiti, but by exploitation and terror around the world throughout history.

Belief in a God of compassion and love is the only way to work through tragedies such as this. For if that God does not exist, then there is no hope for restoration or justice—this world is all we have. In fact, there is a massive international humanitarian effort underway to assist Haiti in its need. What is most noticeable, it is countries with a Christian heritage that are in the forefront of disaster relief, here and in previous disasters.

The ability they have to provide relief is the comparable prosperity they have to afford it. It is their Christian values—albeit currently in decline in the west—that have been largely responsible for these countries to develop the freedom and affluence they enjoy or exploit today. And it is the reflection of a God of love imaged within them that motivates their compassion for those in need.

Tuesday January 12, 2010

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved, Ephesians 2:4-5.

Well, Ann and I have just finished our walk in the university here in Lethbridge. It’s convenient, only a few minutes drive away, and inside in the poor weather. The university is built into the side of a coulee, so there are plenty of stairs for exercise, and it takes us about half an hour for the return trip bottom to top. It provides at least the minimum exercise for folks of our vintage!

Ann likes the time to discuss the day’s events, but I am distracted by the floors. They are mostly exposed concrete with plenty of construction joints and shrinkage cracks. You probably know where I’m going! It’s almost as if I’m driven not to walk on the cracks—recall the expression: “step on a crack, break your mother’s back”? As my mother is no longer with us, her back is quite safe! 

It’s a pity we’re not driven to avoid sin in the same way. I find it impossible to miss some cracks in the university floors, and it reminds me that our sinful nature raises it’s ugly head at times and distracts us from our desired course. That’s why today’s text is so comforting; it’s not our achievements that gain God’s approval, but his “great love” and “rich mercy” that ensures our relationship to him in spite of our failures.

I often feel the same about our writing—now a major vocation in retirement!—it always seems inadequate; always room for improvement. Yet we know that God uses the imperfect, both people and things, to accomplish his purposes and I’m sure you will agree that we are all glad that our imperfection does not deny us a share in that. 

Despite our perceived inadequacy, our publisher has selected us to be spotlighted on their website at www.wordalivepress.ca/author_spotlight.html where you will find revelations about us, and our two books to date. Thanks to so many of you that have encouraged us and even bought our books! May you all experience God’s great love and rich mercy for 2010.

MAKING A NEW START

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1.

What New Year resolutions are you working on this time? I’ve always thought that the best resolution was a resolve not make any more resolutions as they never last through the year! But the idea of a new start is always compelling as we face a new year—even if it’s only to shed the pounds that the Christmas season has accumulated. But if there is an overriding sense of loss for me during the past year, it is the lessening of a constant relationship with our Father.

I have to admit that 2009 has been a good year—at least as good as any previous vintage—and I have nothing but gratitude for the joy that the past year has provided. That makes it even more distressing that the setbacks, disappointments and failures of the year should puncture my faith journey so easily. It is so disturbing that these small things can “hinder and so easily entangle” us.

If omission is a great a sin as commission, then I am compelled to begin 2010 with repentance and seeking forgiveness from Him. In fact, I doubt if any effort to improve my daily walk with God, and consequently with others, can begin with anything less. The idea of “running with perseverance” entails frequent renewal, for constant engagement with the surrounding world, together with my weak nature, continually intercepts my communion with Him.

A passage of Scripture that has a continuing impact on my waywardness is Paul’s reaction to his “light and momentary troubles”—mine are a lot lighter than his ever were! We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18. The lure of the unseen always beckons me forward. The constant nagging that life with Him is far greater than anything this world offers, keeps me coming back to the greater realities of life beyond this.

For having found Him, who alone can completely fill the void of life, nothing else can ever hold the same allure. And as the palmist reminds me, despite my inconsistency, He is always there. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10.

Every day is a “new year” available for a new start. Join me, won’t you, in making not only the first day of January, but every day a renewal with Him?

This letter appeared in the Lethbridge Herald this last weekend. Excellent letter. Read and enjoy. Thanks Edison.

Bryan

Remember the gift that is Christmas

Written by Edison Bardock

Saturday, 12 December 2009

With Christmas, people are so busy trying to find the perfect gift, scrambling to get the cards mailed. The media inundate us with sales offers. In some ways, Christmas is being lost. We are pressed on all sides to accept the plastic interpretation of the real thing and are perplexed to find that after all the gifts are unwrapped, the turkey eaten, after all of the lights go off and the tree comes down, we are not much happier. We wonder why we do not continue to tingle with anticipation and the high level of excitement generated from the overwhelming power of Christmas.

If, like Herod, we fill our lives only with things, if we must fill every moment with action, when will we have time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi? Sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Brood over the coming of the Child as did Mary? For all of us, there is a desert to travel, a star to discover, a being within ourselves to bring to life.

We hear the true meaning of Christmas is about families, the spirit of giving, about thankfulness. It is all about these, but I would like to remind you, as I often remind myself, that the glue that holds them all together is the realization that we are not alone. Christmas is a day, once a year, to remind us to remember the birth of hope, the birth of Jesus Christ. It is why we give gifts . . . as a reminder of the greatest gift of all.

It is at Christmas that we not only recognize the birth of Jesus Christ, it is a time for us to find, in life, both a meaning and a purpose. I love gifts and the festivities. But there comes a time, shortly after Christmas, when we realize we are in a world not lit by lights and we are able to look at Christmas with the realization of hope that we are here for a reason . . . the feeling that Christmas isn’t a feeling that shoots in like a star and is gone in a flash.

Remember the gift that is Christmas. In this Christmas season, take a moment to rediscover how the holiday started. It will help to have the season and its meaning stay with you all year long.

Edison Bardock

Lethbridge

Sunday December 13, 2009

For the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, Luke 1:49-50

If ever a verse stood out as a bulwark against the uncertainties of life, this is it. Spoken by Mary as she waited the birth of her child, these words of great faith, were contrary to her experience up to that time.

Found with child before contact with Joseph her intended husband was a huge shame in that culture, far worse that the results of the shenanigans of our favourite golfer. All but her closest friends and family would shun Mary; a story of her impregnation by the Holy Spirit considered a joke or sacrilege. She probably kept that to herself, it would only make matters worse.

Even Joseph didn’t believe this story until it was confirmed to him in a dream. Then he was as supportive as any husband should be. But none of this shook Mary’s faith in the greatness of God, and especially the great things he had done for her.

But the greatness of God on its own is no comfort. Many great people exploit those dependent on them, and create greater misery than they could find on their own. Mary recognized it was God’s mercy allied with his greatness that was the source of ultimate security and comfort.

What she found, we can find. There is nothing in any world, now or hereafter, that can come between God’s care and us—except, of course, our own rejection of him. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

His greatness is awesome, far more than enough to meet all our needs.

Geese: crazy, lazy or smart?

Winter is well settled in Lethbridge, and the Canada geese are still around. This is not unusual; it seems to be the same every winter. They hang around, perhaps waiting for the last dog to be hung, and now find themselves hung out to dry, freeze, starve . . . I see them now on the grain field opposite, hundreds hunkered down, their dark bodies against the mottled stubble and snow covered field.

Earlier, I watched them fly in, coming in many large and small flocks, all making for the same destination. They glide in, more gracefully than a space shuttle, their wings with a characteristic droop, sometimes making a half circle into the wind. A sharp fluttering of the wings and they are down; no runway needed for these space travellers!

With the ability to fly to warmer climes that we can’t without a lot of fuss, why stay around here? Are they fooled by all the talk of global warming and expect Arizona in Alberta? It’s not just the cold and shortage of food, the frozen ponds fool them. The elegant glide to water finishes up as an inelegant slide on ice, with nothing but their companion’s bodies to provide crash stops. I wonder what they make of that!

Of course, for some they are a pest. Vancouver’s beaches and walks become covered in what they no longer need, and they make occasional concerted attacks on inquisitive, defenceless humans who venture too close. Can’t (perish the thought) cull them, they are protected like the sturgeon, although I’m sure they’d make good eating. After all, it is Christmas, it’d give the turkeys a rest and we could get our goose cooked!

For all that, I can’t think of any Albertans that would be glad to see them go—either south for some sunshine, or onto a dinner plate. They are an elegant bird, more so than the ungainly big beaked pelicans we see here in the summer. They probably fly south, their feathers may be white but I’m not sure that makes them amenable to snow. Are they more sensible than the geese?

But why fly when you don’t need to? Birds, apparently, don’t fly for fun, or so I learned at a recent visit to a local bird sanctuary. They fly for food or migration, but apart from that, they’re happy to laze around. But these geese may not have heard that. They gear up their autumnal bodies for a long flight, their V-shaped formations passing my window like streamers on a windy day, and then decide not to go. All that wasted effort.

But then, Ann has me walking every day, not to go somewhere, but just to walk. And I don’t walk (or fly if I could) for fun. Apparently, it helps keep my body healthy. Perhaps that’s what the geese are after—more smart than lazy; no flies or fat on those birds! So perhaps crazy is out as well. I have to accept they know what they are doing, just like us . .

At least we think we know what we’re about, but sometimes I’m not so sure. We are probably more lazy and crazy than smart, and if we could get into those little goose heads, we might learn a thing or two. That’s unlikely, so let’s just watch the geese; it’s good for the soul.