Looking for a place to feel inspired and challenged? Like to share a smile or a laugh? Interested in becoming more familiar with Canadian writers who have a Christian worldview? We are writers who live in different parts of Canada, see life from a variety of perspectives, and write in a number of genres. We share the goal of wanting to entertain and inspire you to be all you can be with God's help.
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
In Times Like These -- Gibson
“Nana, am I five now?” my third grandbean, aged a mighty three, asked the other day. “Cuz when I get to five, I can SPEED!”
Slow down, child. Just a minute ago, I was five too. Back then (a half-century ago, in 1961) the average hourly wage was $1.15, and the average annual full-time salary, about six and a half thousand dollars. But $18,800 would buy a new house, and $2,275 a brand new car. Gas cost 31 cents a gallon, and you could mail a local first class letter for 4 cents.
A half-century ago, the world contained just 4 billion people. Canada’s population sat at 18,238,247. In the U.S., John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President, and the same year marked the birth of future president Barak Obama—just in time to have his bottom pampered by the first disposable diapers in the world.
To the south, President Fidel Castro declared Cuba a Communist State. In Germany, Berlin constructed a wall.
But in 1961, entire Western families still sat together on tweed couches, watching Billy Graham’s Hour of Decision (or Dick Van Dyke) on 12” black and white televisions (perhaps munching toast that came from a 21 cent loaf, drinking milk poured from a $1.05 gallon jug.)
Those same families likely shared a church pew on Sundays, and bowed their heads to pray before they ate.
Times have changed some. Do I want my grandbean to speed, to five or fifty-five? On the contrary. I shudder to think what the next half-century holds for the simple faith already growing inside her.
Here’s why: A great and spreading ache has overtaken us. The Biblical message that God loves the world, and sent his Son as the answer for our deepest needs is under attack as never before.
In many countries worldwide, determined efforts to undermine the Christian faith—even eliminate it—have escalated. Inside many Western Christian churches, doctrine is dancing to the piper of social acceptability.
In other parts of the world, speaking up for those things that are trademark to Christianity: respect for life, right living, love for one’s neighbour, kindness to the weakest members of society, forgiveness of one’s enemies, intolerance for injustice and inequality, and defence of the Word of God, is tantamount to a death sentence.
There’s more: according to the organization, Voice of the Martyrs, in the countries of North Korea, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and over sixty other countries, one Christian is martyred every five minutes. It is routine in those countries for Christians to suffer torture, harassment, rape, imprisonment, slavery, kidnapping and death.
That organization has designated this Sunday, November 13, as this year’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. They would like to remind Christians in the West to pray. If one suffers, we all suffer, they say.
Pray this Sunday, for Christ's Body West and Christ's Body East. And for the sake of my grandbeans, and yours, and all the children of God--don't stop.
***
Find more information at www.dayofprayer.org
Kathleen Gibson
author, columnist, broadcaster
www.kathleengibson.ca
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
Write Canada is more than a professional networking conference. It’s a safe place where beginning and intermediate writers can learn ...
-
Inspiration hardly strikes on an empty stomach. For this, and other reasons, writers must eat. And if you like minced beef (and you...
-
By Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird By Rev. Dr Ed and Janice Hird What if most of the people in your family died from incurable illnes...
-
My present journey through the Bible has landed me in the book of Jonah, a good place to land in January. When Jonah opened his in-box he f...
-
On Thanksgiving Sunday, our daughter and son-in-law blessed us with our first grandchild. My heart sings as I gaze in ...
-
I regularly pray, asking God for wisdom and direction for all the little and big decisions of my year, weeks, days and moments. I trust that...
-
Last week, I read this quote, “ Don’t regret growing older, it’s a privilege denied many.” I though about the truthfulness of this quote....
-
Hey Mr Tambourine Man By the Rev. Dr. Ed Hird One of the most romantic dates that my wife Janice and I go on is to the local librar...
-
Commercials and television ads define their products with slogans. The Coke ad says, “Coke is it.” KFC says, “We do chicken right.” ...
-
(This was first published on my website as a meditation in December 2007.) Once more the Christian year rolls round to the last few days of ...
2 comments:
Kathleen, thank you for this timely jaunt into the past and jolt back to the present -- at first wistful and funny, and latterly disconcerting and sober. You don't leave us there, though. The call to prayer spells hope.
I'm back. My thought was incomplete, for I omitted to affirm that our prayers spell hope for the emerging generation as represented in your precious little grand-bean.
And my -- what a great snapshot . . . priceless! :)
Post a Comment