Written by Melissa Sharpe

My family was in a need of a few things, so I ventured out to a well-known one stop shop where the shelves are stacked twenty feet high, and your cart tends to overflow with things you absolutely didn’t need.

As I ventured down the aisle heading towards the checkout line, I passed by a little guy no more than three. His mother was a few feet away looking at him with an amused expression on her face; his father stood looking a little lost. This pint-sized powerhouse ripped off his face mask and hurdled it to the ground screaming in the loudest shout he could muster, “I AM NOT HAPPY!”

I, too, was amused. I looked at this spunky little boy and responded, “I hear you little man. I’m not happy either. You shout it out for me, too”.

And if it had been at all appropriate, I would have thrown my own mask on the floor to show solidarity.

For many of us, we’re experiencing those same types of feelings. We’re not happy. The repercussions of this pandemic have us feeling a variety of emotions at any given moment. And if we’re honest, perhaps we, too, would like to shout at the top of our lungs alerting the world to our internal struggles. So how do we as leaders lead well when, in our humanity, we are experiencing the same struggles as everyone else? Solidarity. We do so by leaning into our humanity and not trying to defy it.

The book of 1 Corinthians is a letter penned to the church of Corinth by the Apostle Paul. The city of Corinth was a large international metropolis filled with people from different backgrounds. It was well known for is pagan worship of many false idols and sinful activity. It was difficult for the church to live separate from the worldliness of the city, however Paul was clear to the people that they were not to abandon the city but live out their commitment ever more faithfully in solidarity before the nonbelievers. Paul expected that believers would come together and shine their light into the dark places.

1 Corinthians 12:26

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.

And Paul’s words echo to this very day. We, as believers, must stand in solidarity with those who struggle just like we do. One for all and all for one. We must acknowledge the thoughts and feelings of others leading them with our own unique perspective of compassion and empathy bringing our collective humanity to the conversation. And our ability to be vulnerable and stand in solidarity will accomplish what we’ve been commissioned: shining light into a very dark place.

Written by Patricia Klein

A little over a year after my major heart surgery, it was time for an evaluation. Scans and blood work were followed by a phone consultation with my cardiologist. What she said was similar to lots of things in life these days. Basically, “… these things are good, but these need watching”.

A few weeks later, I had my annual eye check-up. Our eyes aren’t anywhere near our heart, right? Still, as she reviewed the pictures of my retinas, she pointed out that the blood vessels looked healthy, and so “your recent heart issues didn’t harm them”. I was thankful – but truthfully, I hadn’t even considered that the circulation to my eye could have been affected by my heart issues!

All this reminded me of the proverb: Above all else, guard your heart. For everything you do flows from it. ^[1]

As leaders, it’s so important to guard our hearts. It’s too easy to be influenced by trends in our world around us.

Meditating on Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount^[2], we have to conclude that the Kingdom of God is upside-down from what we’re used to. Jesus challenged his followers to think and live differently.

• Love your enemies. Do good to them!
• Turn the other cheek. Offer even more than is demanded, even unjustly demanded.
• Remember there’s the Now, but also the Later. If you’re upset because you’re hungry, or poor, or being persecuted now – remember that later on you’ll be satisfied, laughing, and greatly rewarded. Conversely, if you’re rich and prosperous, and famous now, later you may be unhappy, sorrowful, in mourning.
• And then this reference to our heart:  Just as figs can never be gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes aren’t picked from bramble bushes, so evil things come from an evil heart, and good things from a good heart.
• Leaders desire to speak love, wisdom, courage, and hope. But our friend Heidi McLaughlin recently reminded us that we can only speak out what God puts into our hearts. May we guard our hearts, by spending time with our Father, worshipping, seeking discernment in these times, yielding our desires to his.

When the prophet was looking for a good candidate for the next King of the nation, God reminded him: ‘People look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart’.^[3]

^[1] Proverbs 4:23

^[2] Luke 6:20-49

^[3] 1 Samuel 16:7

As God lovingly looks into our hearts today, what does He see? Hurt and bewilderment? Feelings of inferiority and discouragement? Judgment and pride? Entitlement? Worship? Thanksgiving? Love? Self-sacrificing mind-set?

Oh Lord, how we need you today! Create in us a clean heart, we pray.

“Purify my heart

Let me be as gold and precious silver

Purify my heart

Let me be as gold, pure gold

Refiner’s fire

My heart’s one desire

Is to be holy

Set apart for You, Lord

I choose to be holy

Set apart for You, my Master

Ready to do Your will^[1]”

^[1] Refiner’s Fire, by Brian Doerksen

Written by Ruth Johnstone

Fires floods, planes shot out of the sky and …

Lockdown

A plague swept across our globe causing fear, isolation, panic, sickness, and death.

We washed our hands, cleaned our groceries, wore our masks, kept our distance and stayed away from loved ones and friends. Stores ran out of toilet paper and sanitizers due to panic buying.

Out of the ashes of all this turmoil a new flora began to emerge. Heavily polluted cities began to see blue sky and hear birds sing for the first time. Carbon dioxide emissions were at an all-time low.  People began to slow down spending more time with their families. Bicycles, puzzles, board games sales were at an all-time high. Garbage pick-up in the Parks and Walking Trails in Edmonton had to increase from one day a week to three days. People, families, couples, enjoying God’s creation.

People came out of the woodwork helping other people. Church buildings closed but the church stayed opened!

People all over the world slowed down, looked at their neighbour in a new way, sang from their balconies and marched in front of hospitals to encourage our front-line workers.

It goes to show just how big we really are and how little control we really have.

We watched our neighbours to the south of us become more polarized and divided during the politicizing of the election. My heart went out to the thousands of sincere Christians who pilgrimaged to Washington to pray over their country. Some I saw prostrate on the ground as the shofar was sounding. I heard speakers telling these loyal followers that God has heard their cries and their man would lead their country for the next four years.

So, what about Providence?
Is God in control of all things and governing over all things? Does He “uphold all things by his powerful word”? Hebrews 1:3

Job said, after trying to convince God how good he was,

I know that you can do all things and that no plan of yours can be thwarted”. Job 42.2

I made known the end from the beginning from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned I will do.” Isaiah 46:10-11

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples.” Psalms 33:10

The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all the depths.” Psalms 135:6

Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His path beyond tracing out!” Romans 11:33

To have just a small glimpse of God’s all-encompassing control over all things will help us see everything as God’s design. It will help protect us from the effects of our culture, false teachings, and be less vulnerable to panic, the media and conspiracy theories.

“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree

For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.” Isaiah 55:8-9

May the all-knowing all powerful all sustaining providence and sovereignty of our God navigate us through 2021.

“Perspective is the difference between a negative approach to life and a belief that God is in control!”

The other day I was talking with my daughter-in-law on FaceTime and I saw a little head appear on the screen. After chatting a few moments with 3-year-old Ari, he disappeared and we continued with our conversation. Suddenly I heard a little voice call, “Nan, Nan”. And when I said “Yes, Ari?” He said very quietly “Nan, I like the polka dots on the back of your hands”.

At first, I didn’t realize what he meant and then, looking at my hands, I saw what he had seen close-up on the screen. He had seen the age spots … brown, discoloured ugly spots that I would erase if I could … spots that appeared after thousands of hours washing little hands, preparing meals, cleaning the house, rocking little babies … spots that were the results of 75 years of constant use and abuse!

However, to Ari, these spots were happy spots, polka dots, something that made him smile! Polka dots represented bright coloured birthday presents, a circus clown or a bouquet of floating balloons!

Why did Ari see “beautiful” and I see “old”? We were looking at my hands from two different perspectives! Ari saw hands that had wiped away his tears, hands that had held him when he was hurt, hands that had rocked him to sleep. On the other hand, I saw the brown spots as signs of aging, reminders that I was no longer young and that time was passing by.

If we look at any definition of the word “perspective”, it always involves “looking”.

How do we see ourselves? How do we look at others? How do we view our circumstances, our job, our family? The Bible is full of accounts of individuals whose perspective on life enabled them to become heroes of their time or, adversely, caused them to fail. Joshua, Caleb and ten other spies were sent to see if the land of Canaan could be conquered. The ten spies looked at the giants who lived there and reported that they would be impossible to overcome. They looked through eyes of fear. But Joshua and Caleb “had a different spirit in them” and reported that God would enable them to win the battle. They saw the same giants but what a different response! Their (Joshua and Caleb’s) perspective came from remembering God’s faithfulness in the past … so they looked through eyes of faith. Same circumstances, two different responses fueled by perspective!

How about your eyesight?  Are you looking at life and seeing “brown spots” or “polka dots”?

It’s all a matter of perspective!

Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from thy Word”. Psalm 119:18