|
UGM head McElrea will be missed
I was surprised to learn of the pending retirement of
Maurice McElrea from his Union Gospel Mission (UGM) work (‘Soup and
salvation led to Union Gospel leadership,’ July).
I was hoping there was a typo, and Maurice really just
wants to take a leave of absence.
His leadership skills will be sorely missed at a time
when they have never been needed more – as we are witnessing both the
early signs of revival and a weakening economy.
I was moved by Maurice’s humble prayer that our
Saviour receive all glory and praise for all the blessings he has bestowed
– and will bestow – upon UGM.
Their board of directors should grant Maurice’s
request as a retirement gift. This can be done simply by changing the
current name of their Residence to reflect our Lord’s glorious name,
and to stipulate that all subsequent naming of buildings do the same.
Eddy Dugaro, Vancouver
Rational view of charity not cruel
It would appear my comment on homelessness, poverty and
drug addiction (‘A reality check on homelessness,’
Readers’ Forum, April) continues to annoy readers of your fine
journal. (See ‘Puzzled by writer’s reality check,’ June;
and ‘Another reality check is needed,’ July). So I feel
obligated to throw my (black) hat into the ring once more.
Both contributors accused me of being
“judgmental,” “insensitive” and even
“cruel.” Do either of them know what I give in the way of
charity? Do they think I have never assisted friends or family in need?
Neither of them responded to my reference to 2
Thessalonians 3:10, where Paul calls for rationality in this not-so-complex
problem.
We are called to clothe the naked and feed the hungry
– not the depraved and slovenly.
I am accused of “passing” people lying on
the ground, cold and hungry, without food. In fact, they were lying on the
ground mostly because they were in a drugged stupor, and were neither
hungry nor without food.
Where should so-called ‘charity’ end? Shall
we invite them into our homes, feed them a warm meal, draw them a hot bath,
do their laundry and give them a nice back rub?
Larry Bennett, Burnaby
More lessons Dilbert ‘Jesus’ comic
Regarding ‘Is Dilbert really mocking
Jesus?’ (Readers Forum, May): Cartoonist Scott Adams could be rebuked
for profiting from negative portrayals of people, rather than working for
change in the corporate world.
However, if he isn’t Christian, why would we
expect selfless behaviour from him?
Jesus was mocked by his own people; and he warned us
that we could not expect better treatment than he received. If we do
receive better treatment, then we’d better beware we’re not
somehow denying his name.
Letter writer Leslie D. Saul asks: “Must
Christians take punitive action to get respect?” This is largely
answered in the Bible – whether in Jesus’ life (he was mocked
but did not mock in return), or in books such as Job.
Cherryl Katnich does well in quoting John 15:20; I
would add that, if Christians are seeking respect from non-Christians, they
have the wrong set of priorities.
If we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, what might we
truly expect from non-believers? We may see love and respect in return; or
we may be rebuked, disrespected or even hated.
If Jesus went to the cross, if Stephen was stoned, if
Paul received many persecutions – then who are we kidding but
ourselves, if we talk of “taking punitive action to get
respect”?
Patrick Longworth, Surrey
Kudos to Doerksen, and from Bell
Your interview with Brian Doerksen (July) impressed me
greatly with this singer / song writer’s insights into modern music.
The phrase, “The spirit of performance is the
complete opposite of the spirit of worship,” encapsulates most of
what was on his heart. He decries low motives for writing lyrics, which
some of us have suspected all along in the creation of the waves of
‘new’ songs produced for the sake of newness.
We need music compatible with true worship ‘in
spirit and truth’ – where decibels give way to congregational
participation.
Ted Laskowski, Abbotsford
I’ve just received a copy of BC Christian News. What a very good
newspaper.
You should come to Scotland some time, and try and
start something similar. It shows up some of the tired journalism from our
current religious press.
John L. Bell, Iona
Community, Glasgow
In defence of Shack’s view of God
I respectfully submit Ross McGeachy has a far too
restrictive view of the characterization of God in the best-seller, The Shack (‘Shack has a flippant view of
God,’ July).
McGeachy contends The Shack shows no “awe” toward God; that Satan
is absent in the main character’s spiritual trial; and that
repentance is ignored or glossed over.
The Shack portrays an
angry, God-soured, and guilt-ridden man, long embittered by a family
tragedy, coming into repentance and soulful peace after he “confronts
eternity.”
Satan does not appear in name; but he is there in the
word “evil.” Satan is Evil and he’s distinctly identified
by God the Father in chapter 13: “All evil flows from independence,
and independence is your choice . . . Evil is the chaos of this age that
you brought to me, but it will not have the final say.”
God in The Shack isn’t perched on a celestially-distant pedestal. The
novel is, emphatically, about our relational God exhibiting loving
forgiveness. The Shack is also about God in the Holy Spirit, and in the flesh of
Jesus – God in action and alive in humanity.
Continue article >>
|
As author William P. Young pointed out in your
newspaper’s March report, “I wrote the book to explore the
relational centrality of Christianity, as opposed to the
‘performance’ paradigm that seems to be so common.”
Young’s novel speaks universally to the everyday
realities of people everywhere, and it’s no wonder The Shack is flying off book shelves.
Bless him for his landmark contribution to humanity and faith.
Wally Dennison, Kelowna
Carbon taxes not a good solution
Do I understand this right?
Federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion proposes to tax us
on our heating expenses; then he says he will give it back in tax breaks.
He wants us to trust the government with our money for a year – which
means we ‘loan’ them the money for that time.
But does the government always keep promises? They will
have a top government agent check make sure they give our money back. But
how long will that take?
The Liberals say the big polluters will bear the brunt
of the costs. But surely they will charge us consumers more. They will not want to lose money; and
they will not likely spend more money on solutions to avoid pollution.
I prefer to keep my money in my own pocket. In my
opinion, this is a tax grab.
Audrey Mabley, Vancouver
No thought has been given to the impact the new
provincial Carbon Tax will have on charities. We have a choice to
either pay more tax, or reap the benefit of the income tax savings
incentive.
Registered charitable organizations and non-profits do
not have that option; they must bear the full burden of the tax, in order
to continue operations of necessary vehicles, and heat facilities that
serve the community.
The tax appears to be a ‘carrot and stick’
motivational strategy for consumers. For the thousands of charities across
B.C., the only thing being felt right now is the ‘stick.’
The GST issue was dealt with differently by our federal
government. The GST is fairly imposed on charities, in that GST is eligible
for 50 percent recovery by the charities –
a gesture which respects the use of gifts generously provided
by willing donors.
A similar provincial plan for charities – one of
society’s largest positive economic impact sectors – would be
more than appropriate.
Greg Hatton, Manager,
Communication and Fund Development,
Cridge Centre for the Family, Victoria
Douglas critique lacked substance
Re: ‘Father of B.C. Douglas no saint,’
(Readers Forum, July): This letter questions the integrity of two men
of God – one I know personally, and the other by his legacy.
The writer’s critique is so general one is left
with unanswered questions about James Douglas.
What was his “weakness?” Was it his
aboriginal policies? If so, these should be mentioned and discussed in an
open way.
The archival resources on Governor Douglas and his
colonial policies are vast. This vague criticism reveals the limited
perspective of one undergraduate student’s short visit.
Anyone wanting to learn more about Douglas is invited
to contact our church, where he was a member, and where Christian
historians discuss him intelligently.
All of us are sinners saved by grace; that is the basis
for our ‘sainthood.’ Linking Douglas’ unspecified actions
to being a saint is off the mark. Such sweeping statements only give an
unhelpful sense of condemnation.
And why attack another ‘saintly’ man,
author Ed Hird, in another broad criticism based on an unsubstantiated
argument?
Rev. Dr. Rod Ellis, Rector,
Church of Our Lord, Victoria
Christian Info’s work appreciated
I picked up a copy of In The
World today at church. I’ve just
started it, and I am very impressed.
I’m so thrilled that there is an article on the
African Children’s Choir and Ray Barnett. He and his family have been
associated with our church, Bible Fellowship, for years.
I look forward to finishing the magazine as I am sure I
will find many other interesting and touching stories.
I also had an opportunity to read your
other magazine, Options, awhile ago, the issue with Starfield on the cover.
I was also very impressed with it.
The stories, the layout (especially the one article
written in the shape of Africa), everything was first class. I shared so
many things from your magazine with others. Keep up the good work.
Terri Tuhkala, Surrey
Correction: In The
World
There was an inaccuracy in the Fall/Summer issue of In The World (see above).
The article ‘To China with lessons in
leadership’ stated that Trinity Western University’s MAL
(Masters of Arts in Leadership) program “is about to be offered
through China’s Cypress Leadership Institute.”
In fact, the program has yet to be approved.
Our apologies for any confusion.
August 2008
|
