Living A Daily Life — 5, Persevering through Hope

Pandemic updates dominate the news. Worry about the future availability of toilet paper governs shopping. Shelves are empty in many grocery stores. This panic about having enough stuff is but a window into deeper worries. Our confidence in a dependable future is seriously shaken.

We all hope the spread of this virus will slow and die out. We hope a vaccine will be found soon. We look to health-care professionals to win this viral war. And generally, they’re doing a great job. We need to pray for them. But this hope is not what Christian hope is. This “hope-so” hope merely exposes the fragile nature of human life, international trade, the limitations of science, the vagaries of the stock market, and governments’ limited abilities to cope with crises.

Christian hope is an assurance about the future that is based on the rock-solid promises of the infinite, all-powerful God. And those promises are the heritage of every single person who responds to the gospel. All who confess their sins, turn from them, embrace Jesus as their sin-bearer have a secure future. That security and the hope it produces is a product of salvation.

The apostle Paul reminds us that the gospel he proclaimed produced concrete results among the Thessalonians. It led to “your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3).

Gospel salvation generates faith and love which promote godly labour, kindness, gentleness, compassion. But Christian hope provides the endurance needed to keep on carrying on. We’re tired. We’re discouraged. We see so little happening. But we keep on. Why? “Because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). Not one act of compassion will be wasted. Not one prayer fall to the ground. Not one witness be wasted. Not one drop of water given to the thirsty evaporate. Not one visit to the lonely be in vain.

Why hope? Because Jesus said, “I give them [my sheep] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Believers will be saved from the wrath of God that is to be poured out on a sinful world for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). All genuine believers stand robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. They are justified!

Why hope? Whatever crisis we face, Christ is there with us. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39).

Why do we have hope? Because dying is going home; it is embracing Christ in heaven. Although Paul wanted to stay with his disciples to help them, he longed to be in the presence of Christ. “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, … and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (Corinthians 5:6-8). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Absent from the body is present with the Lord!

Why does hope keep us persevering? Because no matter how many times we stumble or fail Christ will pick us up. He will sanctify us delivering us from the corrupting power of evil in this world and helping us overcome the temptations that may lay us low. The result—glorification. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…and those he predestined, he also called, those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29,30). The end result of this amazing process of sanctification will be Christ-likeness.

Why have hope? Because, “in my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Just think, a place prepared not by an architect or a builder, but by the creator!

Why hope? Because, “God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).

Why? Because Jesus is coming again. “The Lord himself will come down from  heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call God” (1 Thess. 4:16).

These are of a few of the reasons for the Christian hope, a hope that does not disappoint! (Rom.5:5). That hope stiffens our resolve and arms our expectations with confidence. The hope we have in a present, resurrected Savior, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the sovereign Father arms us with the perseverance we need to press on. So led us continue on to glory. Nothing, not even, a pandemic can hinder that journey!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)

Oil, Blockades and Canada’s First Nations – Musings

Here in Canada we’ve just endured over 18 days of rail blockages that have halted all freight and passenger traffic in Eastern Canada. While the main blockage has been taken down and rail traffic is slowly returning, other demonstrations and blockages continue to appear across the country. Environmental, anti-oil and climate-change activists have joined many of the protests in sympathy with the first nations.

Why? What is going on? As a non-indigenous Canadian, my first reaction was anger and frustration. Don’t they realize how good we have it in Canada? Don’t they use gas and oil? Why block a pipeline that will transport natural gas in an underground, safe way instead of shipping it across the country by rail? We’ve had many trains de-railed with resultant fires and spilled oil. Shipping by rail is not as safe as pipelines. Besides why hold a whole province, Alberta, hostage? Why import unethical Saudi oil?

As to our use of fossil fuels, I still don’t have much sympathy with those who want to immediately ban them. Ninety per cent of our energy comes from non-renewables like oil. Sure, we want to encourage the innovation of renewable ways to create energy. But without oil we will not be able to power our society, create concrete, make steel, or manufacture most of our products for decades. Making concrete produces 8% of CO2 world-side. Steel production creates 7 to 9 %. Then there is the CO2 produced by plastic production, etc. etc. The banning of oil and gas is not possible in the foreseeable future without initiating a new dark age of primitivism.

But back to my attempts to understand the indigenous position, I listened to four different debates moderated by Steve Paikin on TVO and seen on YouTube. Each program had guests from First Nations and researchers on our Canadian history. During this marathon, I learned shocking truths about the Indian Act, passed in 1867. Truly, I as a typical Canadian was ignorant of many facts. Consider a few provisions of the Indian Act.

The Indian agent, acting for the Department of Indian Affairs could choose a European name to replace an individual’s indigenous name. He could enter Indian homes at will. Their children could be forcibly removed to residential schools. What created the residential school scandal.

Portions of reserves could be expropriated for roads, railways and other public works, or the whole reserve could be moved to another place if that was deemed expedient. In spite of the many treaties made with our indigenous people, they have been often cheated out of their land. Money designated for their welfare was often squandered.

It denied women status and denied men the right to vote until an amendment in 1960. It forbade the formation of political organizations, the speaking of the native language, the celebrating of traditional potlatchs, the wearing traditional dress in a public dance, and the hiring of lawyers to pursue land claims, etc.

Leaving the reserve required as pass. Selling on or from the reserve required special permits. Property on reserves could not be owned by the occupants of a house or sold. The Act also included many other provisions.

Amendments in 1951 and 1985 deleted the ban on ceremonies and allowed the pursuit of land claims. (My understanding of the Indian Act is admittedly limited.)

Clearly, non-indigenous Canadians are largely ignorant of our history of discrimination against those who were here before us. It way past time to right these wrongs and honour treaties. If we were in their shoes, we’d be angry too.

Let me be clear on what I am saying. For the immediate future we need oil and gas unless we want to heat our houses with wood and light our houses naturally. We need pipelines. And without deifying the earth as some of our indigenous friends seem to, we agree with them that we treat our natural resources with care. God calls us to creation-care. And we need to honour indigenous treaties.

Note, I am not denying climate-change but questioning what we can do about it pragmatically.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Further articles, books, and stories at: http://www.countrywindow.ca Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ––)