Environmental Caretakers by Lorilee Guenter

 The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24:1

This sentiment directs much of my activity. Since at least high school the environment and our impact on it has been a topic I am drawn to. There is much harm happening to the world around us, a world God gave to us for our provision and our pleasure. He instructed us to rule over it and care for it. We have a choice to be a benevolent caretaker or to take all we can.

My interest in caring for our physical surroundings is not just for the benefit of the land, but for the people this land holds, people who are created in  God's image. Our treatment of our surroundings impacts those we share this place with. Our choices can help or harm.

As a writer and artist my words can influence others to consider their choices. I can recite the mantra of "reduce, reuse, recycle" until no one hears it, or I can invite others into the conversation. I try to listen and create, sharing the story of respect. This story, if told well, balances the needs of all. We need to use the resources around us to survive. We need energy to heat our homes, to grow and cook our food. We also need to recognize these resources are not evenly distributed, and those of us who have been blessed with more need to consider how we can help others. This recognition can help us as we care for God's creation, both His people and the world He gave us.

My words, no matter how compelling the story, are not enough. There are actions I can take, and so I must. I do not mean tossing recyclable materials in the correct bin and letting others deal with it although, for some things, that may be the best option I have at this time. I mean considering my impact and making small changes that can become large changes later. I must be aware the easy or popular choices are often not the most effective choices. I recognize my changes are not the same as changes others take. I must respect the places God has put them in, but I can use my actions coupled with my words to show respect and to inform.

I could list all the different actions I have taken or seen others take. I think respect and observation are much more effective because it lets us take the steps we can where we are. Many people have offered ideas. I choose to encourage people to consider the world around them and what they can do to be a good steward of what God has given us. Hopefully, as I watch and listen, I can learn how to be a better caretaker of the gifts I have been given, and encourage others to do the same.

Bringing Hope to the Brokenhearted by Nina Faye Morey

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

~ Romans 15:13 NIV

Faith, hope, and love are fundamental to Christianity (1 Cor. 13:13).

But what exactly is hope?

HOPE

To the worldly wise, hope means something quite different than it does to us Christians. To them, hope is simply a desire or yearning for a certain outcome: “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” For many, it also means having a positive outlook on life. The hopeful focus optimistically on the opportunities that life’s challenges present. Those who tend to be more downcast, pessimistically focus on the challenges that come with life’s opportunities.

For nonbelievers, much of the hope that the world has to offer turns out to be false hope. Despair abounds and is often reflected in literature and the arts. Many people are so overcome by hopelessness and despair that they turn to drugs and/or suicide as a means of escape. Suicide is one of the top ten leading causes of death in Canada <https://suicideprevention.ca/understanding/suicide-in-canada/>.

FAITH

For Christians, grounded in the Word of God, Christ offers true hope: “The assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). This hope, based on our Christian faith, sets us apart from the world. It’s not the kind of false hope that blinds us to life’s challenges or leads us to expect good things to simply fall into our laps.

But how can I, a believer, convey to the world’s brokenhearted the genuine hope that Jesus Christ offers? The Bible exhorts us to be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks why we are so hopeful:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give

an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope

that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

~ 1 Peter 3:15 NIV

As a Christian writer, I must not be timid about sharing my testimony (2 Timothy 1:7-8). However, it’s imperative that I not offend my readers by being critical or judgmental. I must be careful not to write in a patronizing tone or make the mistake of putting myself on a pedestal. To gain my readers’ trust, I need to reveal my true self and be open and honest about my flaws and mistakes. If I’m not authentic, how can I connect with my audience or expect them to be receptive to my message? My desire is to reflect Christ through words that offer kindness, patience, gentleness, understanding, compassion, and respect.

LOVE

My mission is to share with the brokenhearted a sense of the incredible, infinite love and mercy of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 61:1). By sharing my own faith in the face of challenges and suffering or the peace that I feel in my heart and soul because of the trust I place in God, my words have the potential to give someone whose world is filled with hopelessness, darkness, and pain a faint glimmer of hope, light, and love.

My objective is to offer my readers words that encourage and inspire. But no matter what our Christian ministry, we can never single-handedly fix a broken world. However, by spreading Christ’s message of love and hope, we have the power to mobilize someone to take that first tiny and timely step that will start them down the right path to redemption.

Photo Credits: © 2017 Nina Faye Morey

Discovering the Good Jesus by Janice Keats

I had a brief chat with my friend recently who is a Chaplain. He told me about a lady who called him seeking counselling who is in an awkward relationship with her new boyfriend. She said, “I don’t know how to deal with my new boyfriend because he is so good to me. All I was used to was guys who treated me so poorly.”

How interesting, I thought. This statement seems to make sense. How did this lady through all of her love interests only know harsh words and behaviours to discover kindness, love and respect? This lady brings about a very thought provoking scenario. Most women have very stable relationships with their spouses but to someone who actually has had mostly unstable and demeaning relationships must take a little longer to adjust to genuine compassion.

Such genuine compassion is exemplified many times throughout Jesus’ teachings. The Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus where a crowd was gathered at the Mount of Olives. They informed Him that the woman was caught in adultery suggesting she be stoned to death. The frightened woman didn’t know of any “good” male relationships. Nor did she know of the “good” Jesus. To be presented before a large crowd of unknown people following an adulterous encounter must have been shameful.

Or, was it? If that was her lifestyle and if that was all she had known about relationships then what good did she really know and understand? What expression of emotion did she portray? Do you wonder what the people were thinking as Jesus was teaching about His love? When the good teacher was offering the Gospel message the crowd turned their eyes and watched as the Pharisees scurried this woman along. As they became sidetracked by this mob of activity could they have been caused to secretly encircle a few stones beside them in anticipation of her impending death?

While it may have been a custom to stone such woman, Jesus chose to counter the accusation. He challenged the men saying, “if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.” (John 8:7,9 NIV)

The woman turned and to find that all had left except Jesus. Jesus did not condemn the woman for her life of sin. He showed her that His love and compassion was genuine and He loved her despite her known lifestyle. She realized that someone truly loved her and treated her with dignity and respect. As Jesus advised her to go and sin no more, she walked away free and without condemnation. Do you suppose she went back to the life of sin she was accustomed to? She found the good Jesus. She walked away to learn how to deal with the goodness in her life, Jesus. It was a new beginning!

Janice Keats