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January 31, 2024

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

I read something on the internet recently that astonished me. It was a story about Elmo, the cuddly character on Sesame Street TV, and his question to his social media followers about how they were doing:” Elmo is just checking in. How is everybody doing?” he asked on X. The response was huge. Thousands of people including celebrities (even President Biden!) responded. The general message : “We’re sad. Our world is on fire. We’re having trouble sleeping at night. Where is this world heading?”

Isn’t it sad in itself that the outreach to our suffering world is from a puppet? And even sadder is that people are moved by this fuzzy compassion to open their hearts?

Perhaps this unprecedented relational interaction between real people and a Sesame Street “personality” is evidence of our isolation. We’re connected like never before (due to social media) and marginalized like never before. We are silos desperately in need of someone who truly cares. We are spiritual and emotional orphans. Little wonder there seems to be an epidemic of mental health issues.

We need to rediscover the promise that our Creator cares “He will never leave us nor forsake us…He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. Indeed, “for God so loved the world…”.

You and I are that “world”. It’s time to reconnect lovingly with both Him and our neighbor. We need it.

 

January 17, 2024

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

Every New Year the number one resolution by us westerners is to lose weight. We seem to be chronically over-fed and under- exercised. In light of the World Food Program’s reports we might consider being ashamed of ourselves.

The WFP reports that 783 million people in our world live with chronic hunger and 300-350 are food insecure (meaning they don’t know if there will be food tomorrow). The main cause is war. Indeed 70% of hunger is conflict based while the remaining 30% is caused by climate crises and operational underfunding. Apparently international donations to the WFP are down by 50%. The greatest hunger emergencies are reported to be in 14 areas: Afghanistan, Central Sahel, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Myanmar, N.E. Nigeria, Somalia, S. Madagascar, S. Sudan, Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. There would be few in these regions, if any, resolving to lose weight in 2024.

Contrast these devastating realities to a headline I just read on the BBC news website: “Weight-loss Surgeon Told Patient to ‘eat, eat, eat’ in Order to Qualify for his Gastric Sleeve Surgery”. He owns and operates a weight-loss “holiday” business that provides cut rate surgeries in Turkey. But to qualify a patient must meet a minimum weight. So, if one is on the cusp of that weight minimum one must eat copiously to gain the needed pounds.
There’s no need to moralize here. We all can see the gross inequities that plague our world. Yet we live in a parallel universe of entitlement and complacency. Nevertheless there are millions of compassionate souls who care and act. Multitudes of charities raise millions of dollars in mitigating the hunger gap. These are thoughtful, loving people who look at our suffering world and say,” There but for the grace of God go I”.

These are the ones who choose every day of the year to change the world by ministering to “the least of these” one hungry soul at a time. Let’s resolve to be among them.

 

March 8, 2021

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

I’ve been thinking of the impact of the home on a child’s life. Rather than my thoughts here’s something from a late 19th century theologian:

 

       “ The father and mother of an unnoticed family, who, in their seclusion awaken the mind of one child to the idea and love of perfect goodness, who awaken in him a strength of will to repel all temptation, and who send him out prepared to profit by the conflicts of life, surpass in influence a Napoleon breaking the world to his sway.”

 

Parents have a “captive audience” of their children during Covid. Now’s the time to change the world.

February 22, 2021

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

Photo by Doğukan Şahin on Unsplash

 

We’ve passed the one year mark in the Covid era. Vaccinations and variants are vying for victory. Who will win?

Seems that both may prevail. The experts are predicting that Covid is here to stay but vaccination will see a plague becoming some sort of ever present flu. Who knows? One thing we know is that predictions are just that.

Our sense of vulnerability has not only been heightened but burned into our social, familial, and spiritual lives. We suffer and remember how it used to be. But that “new normal” we lightly referred to a year ago has become a burden that refuses to disappear. From now on we’re walking with a limp.

Jesus said,” Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”. This would be a good time to take him at his word.

 

February 8, 2021

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

 

So how are you doing 12 months into this COVID-19 era? If the media reports are anywhere close to the heart of the matter you’re not doing well. Infections and deaths increase every day, depression is up, divorce, thoughts of suicide, alcoholism climbing, disturbing increase of abused infants at emergency wards, sorrow on sorrow…we’re suffering a global pandemic of fear and sadness.

 

This is no time for trite solutions. We’ve got to admit our lostness on a scale never before imagined. We need help.

 

I was listening to one of the most loved hymns in history being sung recently. It resonated acutely:

   Our hope for years to come,
   Our shelter from the stormy blast
   And our eternal home…”

 

Now is the time for us to reach out to our Creator and call for His intervention. Indeed, that constant cry of ancient church liturgy rings truer today than ever:” Lord have mercy”.

January 18, 2021

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

The “Golden Rule” is under duress these days. A casual summary of Covid protocols from a governmental medical authority was recently posted, “Stay away from other people”. Blunt, succinct, and counter-intuitive, if not biblically dissonant. Indeed,
culturally dissonant too.
The core value of reaching out to those in need, let alone achieving social harmony via “quid pro quo”, has been carved into human relations over millennia. It’s a principle that has stood the rest of time. But not today. We’re locked down.
Social media connectivity, which has proven, ironically, to disconnect us in the name of “friending” and “liking”, has found its match in “social distancing”. The result is social isolation like never before in history. We feel the “gulf fixed” keenly. We’re all suffering.
But there may be a silver lining. It’s called “prayer”. Praying for others is an act of love. As you lift your neighbors and loved ones before our Heavenly Father there is connectivity on a higher level. “Bearing one another’s’ burdens” gives one a sense of family and mutual care. It has always proved to be a fulfilling exchange. And, a great aspect of praying for someone else is that it gets your focus off yourself. That’s always a good thing.

January 11, 2021

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

This week a “day of infamy” occurred in Washington DC. We all watched it unfold and we’re all troubled not only by the insurrection itself but by the implications. There’s a lot of blame-shifting and/or soul searching going on depending on political ideologies and adherence or non-adherence to conspiracy theories. But, regardless of polarities, no one is immune to the collateral damage from the incitement of riotous behaviour.
There’s a profound irony in that this attack on democracy took place on the same day that the USA had a record breaking one day death toll from the Corona virus. The nation seems under siege.
Yet the House and the Senate still managed to regroup and certify the election. Democracy was dealt a blow, but it was not fatal. For this we thank the Lord.
No need to scold or berate, rather to mourn and pray that the “God in whom we trust” will have mercy and heal the nation.

December 21, 2020

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

 

Everywhere people are gearing up for a truncated, if not solitary, Christmas Day. The Covid news keeps deteriorating. As of the past few days we’re suddenly aware of a Covid “variant” that has emerged in the UK. Yikes! Scores of countries are closing borders to any British attempts at entry. All this while Brexit is in final death throes.

 

It’s not inappropriate to refer to 2020 as an “apocalyptic” year, with more to come. We can try to mitigate but we can’t avoid the impact of sorrow on sorrows, not just in terms of Covid, but also convulsions of war, famine, and political upheavals.

 

Nevertheless we will prevail. History has its undulations but the human heart has deep resources of hope and joy. We can truly sing our belief that there are and will be continual “tidings of comfort and joy” in this sin stricken world.

 

Jesus is here. His spirit is present. His words resonate, “Come into me all you who are weary and heavily laden, and I will give you rest”. I’m weary. Are you? If so let us find rest in the Savior born in a stable, crucified on a Roman cross, dying and rising again for our salvation. The angels over those shepherds’ fields got it right. Our world, with all its woe still resounds with,” Peace on earth, good will to men”.

 

December 7, 2020

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

We just celebrated the first Sunday of Advent. Christmas is less than a month away! The long established magic of the season is trying to gain traction, but Covid is pushing back. The online shopping, house decorating (apparently there’s a huge run on Christmas trees),and Zoom connections are all in gear, but the elephant in the room is “Code Red” restrictions on gatherings. In our area we’re told to stay home without outside guests on Christmas Day. What?!

 

For sure this will be a December 25th like never before. Are we ready for it? Will it be a downer or will we dig deep and find some joy?

 

Joy, in the final analysis, is something we choose as much as feel. It’s roots are in gratitude. We used to sing a song in church,“Count your blessings…”. There’s wisdom in that lyric. We have much to be grateful for. Our entitlements may be losing their grip but that’s a good thing. Reevaluation, reinvention, and renewal go well with “Peace on earth good will to men”.

 

November 24, 2020

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

Looking out the window from my desk I’m watching a squirrel preparing her nest for the winter. For her the rhythm of life continues as usual. For us, however, the rhythm is irregular and scary. As I write, the Internet news is all about the second wave of Covid and the distressing awareness that Christmas will be unlike any others in history. We’re being advised to stay at home and celebrate via Zoom and FaceTime.
The popular song ,”It’s the most wonderful time of the year” rings hollow.
So it’ll be a truncated Christmas day socially, but it needn’t be spiritually. This will be a time to revisit the meaning and the beauty of “God became flesh and dwelt among us…”. Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, in a stable no less(!), an angelic chorus singing his birth to humble shepherds, a visit from oriental wisemen…a profound message of “peace on earth”. What a powerful word to our disease and war stricken world.

May the Christ of Christmas be your peace.

 

October 19, 2020

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

 

This “second wave” of Covid is no surprise but it is troubling. It’s a bit much to hear we may be under protocols for another year, barring a vaccine breakthrough. Even those whose tendencies to depression have been minimal are sounding a touch gloomy. Little wonder. We’re made for fellowship.

 

In the book of Acts we read that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”
(Acts 2:42). Doctrinal input, communion (table fellowship?), and prayer were all catalyzed by social interaction. The sustainability of the church over centuries has been fuelled by these core values.
The online church service has become a staple in these unstable times and we’re grateful. But we need to get back together. May it be soon.

 

October 5, 2020

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

 

It’s a big world out there. The mind is boggled by reports of natural disasters ( eg. wild fires on the west coast of America), wars ( latest being Armenia vs Azerbaijan), widespread corruption (read: government leaders everywhere), and relentless surges of Covid. Could bring on a surge of depression!

 

Nevertheless the critical mass of human energy, history, and resilience continues to prevail. What’s more, for those who have faith in a sovereign and loving Creator, there is much more hope than despair.

 

My grandmother used to say of adversity,” This too shall pass”. She was right. One day we’ll look back at this tumultuous time with amazement at the God given sustainability of the human race. The times are tough, but so are we.