One + One = Three

When I first met Christians at UBC I was surprised at the peace I felt when with them. After my accident I once again had this same feeling. The pastor from Cascades Gospel Chapel visited me every week. We would talk about his message that week share our hearts and then he would share communion with me. What caused the sense of peace that filled our time together? It was the presence in the room of a third person. Jesus put it this way: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)

Note that Jesus promised to be with us plural. So we get our blog title, One + One = Three.

I see two encouraging thoughts arising from this verse and the reminiscences that precede it.

1. That "no man is an island" and we need each other. The blessing of having Jesus with us is promised when we are with at least one other. I wonder if this is because we tend to become like Narcissus when alone, self-absorbed and simply unable to see that Jesus is with us.
   
2. When we gather together as Christians joy will be present because Jesus is there. In addition as non-Christians are with us they too will experience the effect of Jesus' presence.
   

Let us pray that the presence of Jesus when Christians are together will help others warm up to Him.

 

Word of the Week: “ephemera”

I have decided to dedicate one blog entry a week to looking into a word, what it means, and how it applies to life in general and my life in particular.
Meaning
ephemera (ɪˈfɛmərə) — n , pl -eras , -erae 1. a mayfly, esp one of the genus Ephemera 2. something transitory or short-lived 3. ( functioning as plural ) a class of collectable items not originally intended to last for more than a short time, such as tickets, posters, postcards, or labels 4. a plural of ephemeron
This definition came from the World Dictionary on dictionary.com. It originally was the Greek name for the mayfly, a short-lived insect, and became applied to anything that did not last.
Life in General
When put alongside eternity human life is ephemeral. A song entitled “Be in Time” captures the essence:
• Life at best is very brief,
Like the falling of a leaf,
Like the binding of a sheaf,
Be in time!
My Life in Particular
In library school I learned about ephemera, material like brochures, that are not expected to last. These things are stored in filing cabinets and called vertical files. The Greeks set up a library at Alexandria where they collected books that would last forever. The library burned down and all the books were lost.
After my accident I realized my life on earth is finite. I’m not going to build a library but instead put my trust in God’s promise of eternal life. Pray with me that my friends and readers will do so also.

Hame and Agin

I have been back from the city for a week now and it is high time I got down to it and told you about my trip. Maria, Laverne and I headed for Vancouver on Tuesday, May 10. We went straight to G F Strong where we checked into the living room. This is a room where rehab patients and family can practice living on their own. It is set up like a motel room with a kitchenette and the luxury of a double size hospital bed.
Wednesday I received the Gert Vorsteher award from the BC Rehab Foundation. Although the award is given for gaining independence, I quoted John Donne, no man is an island, and argued for interdependence, giving credit to my caregivers.
Finally, on Friday I saw Dr. Krassioukov and we intensified the search for the cause of my spasms.
Please pray that I can get these spasms under control and that the money that came with the award I will use wisely.
Now an explanation of the title. As a small boy I remember coming home at night from a long as we rounded the Brilliant bluffs and I saw the lights of Castlegar my father would exclaim, with a tone of deep satisfaction, hame and agin (home and again). That is how I feel now that I am back in Powell River