• It is an innate tendency of nature and of life to manifest, grow, and become more; to produce more, and create more of everything. Scientists say that the Universe is always expanding and growing an endless number of stars and galaxies, and discovery of new sources of energy. This is bountifulness on a cosmic level.
• Bountifulness means abundance. There is abundance everywhere. The Universe is creating new things constantly which means constant growth and expansion. There is no limit to this expansion. In the physical environment, there are always new trees, new plants, animals, and various forms of life. In the production environment, manufacturers produce new cars, carpenters build new houses, and entrepreneurs create new businesses, and jobs. There is an abundance of stuff.
• Abundance can also appear in your personal life. You are living in a world where plenitude of everything is a fact: money, wealth, possessions as most people think, though not for everyone. But abundance also manifests in many other ways. It can manifest as opulence of love, friendship, knowledge, and health – as a great number of opportunities and plenty of fun and food, and good deeds.
• Thinking kinetically, it is also possible to possess plenty of energy, and you can create for yourself an abundance of time to do what you want; to have plenty of spirituality in your life, and there could be an abundance of caution, thinking, doing, or caring.
• Biblically, abundance is frequently mentioned as something God offers to those who trust in Him. Scripture says that God will provide an abundant life to those who “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Abundance in this sense means a life full of everything you need to sustain yourself in joy and purpose in Christ.
• There is abundance of everything on this planet. You might not have access to it right now, but I want to encourage you to move forward with confidence. Stop living from a place of lack and walk in the abundance that God has promised.
• Imagine that abundance is already manifesting in some area of your life. Feel it and enjoy the feeling. For the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 13:12).

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• In unbearable suffering, refrain from injuring others vengefully with unrighteous retaliation.
• In righteous boasting, refrain from senseless evil and strong drink.
• In utter happiness, refrain from comparing past and future moments with the present.
• In exuberance, refrain from comparing one friend’s body weight with another’s.
• In inconsolable sadness, refrain from violence of tongue.
• In anger, refrain from both speech and action.
• In betrayal by a spouse, refrain from dealing a whipcrack to their back with your hand.
• In dissonance, refrain from the fusion of melodious, harmonious notes.
• In failure, refrain from repetition of silly mistakes and frequent self-blame.
• In slights and putdowns, refrain from shouting and hollering. A soft answer will often do the trick.
• In adversity and failure, refrain from quitting ‘cold turkey’.
• In trials and struggles, refrain from complaining and blaming.
• In intemperance, refrain from excessive indulgence of habit.
• In deep fear and uncertainty, refrain from holding yourself back.
• In times of misunderstanding, refrain from cruel criticism and fault-finding.

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Friendship is truly one of the greatest gifts in life. The Bible says:

• “One who has unreliable friendssoon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
• “A friendloves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).
• “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel” (Proverbs 27:9).

Friendship, one of the oldest parts of our culture and our humanity, is a very powerful meaningful relationship, that binds people together into a strong emotional bond. A lot of friendly people form bonds with their closest friends early in life, be it in high school, grade school, or pre-school. My oldest friendship is over four decades long and started when I entered high school. This underscores one of the most important core facts about friendship: real friends stick around and have a powerful impact on your life.

David and Jonathan

Of all the friendships in the Bible, that of David and Jonathan stands out the most to me. 1 Samuel 18 describes their friendship: “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

While this is the essence of friendship, to love another as you love yourself, three other elements—displayed love, loyalty, and emotional openness – are essential traits that psychologists deem necessary for friendships to thrive.

Jonathan sacrificed for David, stripping himself of the items which represented his power and position, and giving them to him. Jonathan was also unwaveringly loyal to David, warning him of King Saul, his own father’s treachery and desire to kill him. The two friends also shared a close emotional bond as well, and were unafraid of sharing their feelings: Jonathan wept when it became clear to him that David had to leave.

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on for many of us, making and maintaining friendships has become even more important. Even if you’re quarantining or in isolation for a recent infection, it’s important that you find ways of reaching out to others, strengthening your sense of connection, and alleviating loneliness and isolation.

What are the benefits of friendships?

• Good friends are good for your health. They can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times.
• Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. They can also increase your sense of belonging and purpose; boost your happiness and reduce your stress; improve your self-confidence and self-worth; and help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
• Friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social support have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression and high blood pressure.
• Studies have even found that older adults with a rich social life are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.

What’s a healthy number of friends?

Quality counts more than quantity but I have heard that it is difficult to nourish and maintain more than ten friends at a time. While it’s good to cultivate a diverse network of friends and acquaintances, you also want to nurture a few truly close friends who will be there for you through thick and thin.

Focus on the way a friendship feels, not what it looks like.

The most important quality in a friendship is the way the relationship makes you feel—not how it looks on paper, how alike you seem on the surface, or what others think. Ask yourself:

• Do I feel better after spending time with this person?
• Am I myself around this person?
• Do I feel secure, or do I feel like I have to watch what I say and do?
• Is the person supportive and am I treated with respect?
• Is this a person I can trust?

The bottom line: if the friendship feels good, it is good, but if a person tries to control you, criticizes you, abuses your generosity, or brings unwanted drama or negative influences into your life, it’s time to re-evaluate the friendship. A good friend does not require you to compromise your values, always agree with them, or disregard your own needs.

Why is it sometimes hard to make friends or maintain friendships?

Developing and maintaining good friendships takes effort. The enjoyment and comfort friendship can provide, however, makes the investment worthwhile. However, many adults (including me) find it hard to develop new friendships or keep up existing friendships. Friendships may take a back seat to other priorities, such as work or caring for children or aging parents. You and your friends may have grown apart due to changes in your lifestyles or interests. Or maybe you’ve moved to a new community and haven’t yet found a way to meet people.

How can I nurture my friendships?

Making a new friend is just the beginning of teh journey. Cultivating friendships takes time so you need to nurture that new connection. To do this consider the following useful steps:

Be the friend that you would like to have. Use the golden rule and treat your friend just as you want them to treat you. Be reliable, thoughtful, trustworthy, and willing to share yourself and your time.

Be a good listener. Be prepared to listen to and support friends just as you want them to listen to and support you.

Give your friend space. Don’t be too clingy, or needy, or try to monopolize your friend. Everyone needs space to be alone or spend time with other people as well.

Don’t set too many rules and expectations. Instead, allow your friendship to evolve naturally. You are unique individuals so your friendship probably won’t develop exactly as you expect.

Be forgiving. No one is perfect and every friend will make mistakes. No friendship develops smoothly so when there’s a bump in the road, try to find a way to overcome the problem and move on. It will often deepen the bond between you.

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I am sure you have heard the term” have a cutting edge” or “be at the cutting edge”. It refers to the “most modern stage of development in a particular type of work or activity” or “the most recent stage in the development of something” that usually gives an advantage.[1] So, you often hear of companies at the cutting edge of communication technology or scientific evidence; or organizations wanting employees with skills that put the company at the cutting edge of product design or innovation.

Yesterday, as I was chatting with a friend who I admire in many ways, I was reminded of this term when she shared that she feared she has lost her spiritual cutting edge. She used to care about ministry and being involved in ministry but feels as if she has lost her effectiveness and enthusiasm for doing the Lord’s work. As this can happen to any one of us, I want to share some of my thoughts on recovering your spiritual cutting edge from 2 Kings 6:1-7.

The “sons of the prophets” (today, we might refer to them as a class of theology students) were studying under the Prophet Elisha. Many young men had joined the seminary but soon they ran out of space to accommodate everyone. So, they came up with an idea to build a new dormitory. With Elisha, the trainer’s permission, and his encouraging and inspiring presence, they went down to the Jordan river to start cutting down trees, to build their new accommodations.

Like many students, the one in this passage, did not have all the resources he needed and resorted to borrowing to fulfil his lack. He borrowed an axe so he could do his part and help with the building project. Pretty soon a problem arose. One day, while cutting down a tree, his axe head flew off the handle, landed in the Jordan river and sank to the bottom. In one mighty swing, he lost his cutting edge, and the power tool that made him effective.

Ever felt like this, spiritually? I have, at least a few times, but the question is, “What should you do when you think you’ve lost your spiritual cutting edge?”

Here are a few suggestions for recovering your spiritual cutting edge:

• Accept responsibility for losing your spiritual edge.                                                                                                                                             This young man lost his cutting edge and his effectiveness in doing the work he set out to do. He suffered the loss while he was cutting trees. He didn’t blame anyone else for what had happened! No, He took full responsibility for what had happened. Maybe, he had neglected to maintain his power tool and to ensure it was in good working order. Such neglect may also be true of your spiritual life. When you lose your “spiritual edge”, you must accept personal responsibility for it. You can point a finger at the Pastor or Elder and say “I lost my spiritual edge” because the sermons you guys preach are boring and I don’t feel engaged; or you can say “I lost my spiritual edge because the church’s programs do not meet my needs” or “I am working too hard doing church assignments and I lost my spiritual edge”. The truth is the blame lies with you and you must take responsibility for the loss. To prevent this from happening, you must constantly ensure that your spiritual connection with God is tight and firm to prevent slippage and loss.

• Stop chopping as soon as you recognize you’ve lost your edge.                                                                                                                              When the young prophet lost his cutting edge, he stopped swinging as soon as he realized it was missing. He took a break. Think about it. If he continued trying to cut down trees, he would only be swinging at the tree bark, making noise, wasting time, and losing energy without making any real progress. He stopped chopping and so should you. If you sense that you have lost your spiritual edge, stop. Take a break. Rest. Pray. Study. Reconnect with God and meditate on His greatness. Reflect on who you are, what you do, and why you do it to better understand your divine purpose.

• Consider your accountability to the resource owner.                                                                                                                                    Having lost his cutting edge, the young prophet cried out for help. “Alas, my master! It was borrowed” (2 Kings 6:5). He lamented the loss of the borrowed axe head. It did not belong to him, and he would have to return it to the rightful owner who lent it to him. Likewise, your gifts, talents, and any ministries or opportunities you have, are not yours. They belong to God, the owner of everything in heaven and earth. 1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20 says “You are not your own and what you have does not belong to you. You are a manager, a steward, a trustee of what belongs to the Lord, and you will have to answer to Him for all that he has entrusted to you to manage. Always consider that.

• Seek help.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The cry of the young student was also an immediate call for help. “Alas, my master!” he said to Elisha because there was nothing he could do about the situation on his own. He needed help. I do not think he expected Elisha, the man of God, to perform a miracle, but he recognized he needed his help. You too need help. You cannot recover your spiritual cutting edge on your own. Call on the Lord, and ask Him to do for you that which you cannot do for yourself. Seek help from spiritual leaders the Lord has placed in your life for fellowship, encouragement, and support. Once you have done this, God will act to help you restore your spiritual edge.

• Examine the problem closely.                                                                                                                                                                                            Elisha responded to the young man’s cry for help with a question, “Where did it fall?” This question required the young man to reflect on what happened, to retrace his steps, to examine his situation. So should you. Take the time and trouble to examine the problem. Where and when did you lose your spiritual edge? Was it through neglect of Bible study and prayer? When you fell back into some old sinful habit? When you stopped regular church attendance, or after some controversy with a fellow believer?  Our tendency is to sink into despair, or to keep trying to work through the problem on our own without identifying where the missing ‘axe head’ is located so you could retrieve it.

• Expect God to provide help, then retrieve your cutting edge.                                                                                                                                  The story about the sunken axe head ends with a miracle. Elisha, the man of God, threw a stick into the water, and the axe head floated to surface of the water. Yes, the iron axe head floated. Then the young student retrieved it himself. God miraculously intervened to restore what the young prophet lost. Similarly, when you lose your spiritual edge, it is important to wait for God’s response, and to and to make every effort personally to retrieve your spiritual edge. Notice, although God performs the miracle of restoration, you have to retrieve your cutting edge yourself. So, if you have neglected Bible study, prayer, and regular church attendance you must recommit yourself to doing these things again to restore what was lost. Remember, only with God’s help, can you recover your spiritual edge. He assures you that when you seek him, you will find him, when you search for him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

Have you lost your spiritual edge? Take action today, and experience the miracle God as for you.

[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cutting-edge

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The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day in March was Choose to Challenge. As I pondered the words, I ask myself “Challenge what”? I answer: Challenge, inequality, poverty, bias and stereotypes; challenge exclusiveness ad discrimination; challenge racism and hate, and the list could go on and on.

As I ponder this theme, I am reminded of a story in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark that speaks to a different challenge – the challenge of women banding together to harm someone else. Their tool, conspiracy with the help of a drunken leader. Herodias, one of the Bible’s famous villains and her daughter conspire to murder John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin.

Herodias was a Jewish princess, a clever politician, and a powerful influential woman in the early Roman empire. She married her half-uncle, Herod Philip, and shortly after her marriage, she bore a daughter. It was not long before her husband’s brother, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, fell in love with Herodias and desired to marry her.

But there was one obstacle: both of them were married. Herod Antipas who played a big part in the execution of Jesus Christ, had married the daughter of the Nabataean King Aretas IV and Herodias was married to her half uncle. To solve this problem, they both divorced their spouses and married each other.

According to the Bible, when Herodias found out that John, the Baptist opposed their marriage and deemed it unlawful, she wanted him dead. To prevent his death, her husband imprisoned John. Antipas did not want to put John, the Baptist to death because although he liked to listen to his preaching (Mark 6:20), he feared him. Furthermore, Antipas may have feared that if he killed John his followers would riot.

Herodias, on the other hand was constantly on the lookout for a way to silence John. Her opportunity came on Herod’s Antipas’ birthday. During the celebrations that were filled with debauchery and drunkenness, Herodias’ daughter danced for Antipas and it delighted him greatly. Losing control of what little inhibitions he had, Herod took an oath, in front of witnesses that he would give her whatever she wanted.

Herodias, her mother, pulling the strings of revenge in this plot saw her opportunity and instructed her to ask for the head of John the Baptist as a reward. Although he was appalled by the request, sadly, Herod Antipas agreed because he did not want to break his oath or seem weak in front of the witnesses if he denied her request. So, the imprisoned John was beheaded and his head given to the daughter who gave it to her mother on a silver platter.

 Food for Thought: Four things we should challenge

• Challenge Wickedness

What happens when your sexual interests lead you to fall in love with your own relatives? What do we do when we notice these patterns of dysfunction around us? We need to ask the Lord to give us a healthy vision and understanding of what is His idea of idea of a healthy relationship; what is right in His eye eyes compared to what we may be getting used to seeing.

Often, we do not realize that dysfunction is going on around us because we may hear that it is normal to be a particular way do a particular thing; but it takes God giving us a godly vision and perspective of wholeness and health to set us down the path of freedom. Unlike Herodias and Herod Antipas, we should try to live decent, righteous lives. When faced with it, we should acknowledge our wrong-doing and not seek endlessly to escape the consequences of our actions. Moreover, we shouldn’t stand by passively and allow wickedness to flourish around us.

• Challenge Drunkenness

 Herod’s judgment was distorted by pride and drunkenness. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had made a mistake and was not prepared to lose face before his banquet guests. From a health standpoint, Herod got so drunk he made a ridiculous offer to a dancing girl: “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom” (Mark 6:3, N.I.V.), and he wasn’t a big enough man to admit to his folly and withdraw his promise.

 It is always foolish to make grand gestures under the influence of alcohol. Proverbs 20:1 (N.I.V.) says, “Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” That means—drink too much wine or liquor, and that drink will make a fool out of you. We must avoid drunkenness and its effects on both body and mind.

• Challenge Yourself to Trust God Always

Many have asked, “Where is God in this story when John’s head is cut off? Did he stop working to save us? The answer lies in the Mark’s sandwich stories. Immediately before the Herod narrative, we read of Jesus commissioning His twelve disciples to go, in pairs to take the good news of salvation to the villages. Immediately following the Herod narrative, we read of the return of the Twelve to Jesus.

So, what was God doing? The answer is: God was continuing to be at work to save mankind. By His Spirit and through those called by Jesus to proclaim and enact His kingdom, God was working so that others might be drawn to know Him. Then as now, while suffering is on full display for all to see, the Holy Spirit is at work calling men to repentance.  Let’s challenge ourselves to depend upon God’s leading through His Holy Spirit, and let’s make sure we are not bypassed.

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The month of February is Black History month across North America. This year the goal is to bring focus and increased awareness of racialized issues in society, and the call to us is to listen, learn, share and act to make society a better place.

Non-acceptance and devaluation of humans based on racial differences, specifically blackness, has existed since Bible times. In this blog, I reflect on one such incident from the Bible.

Sitting at a primary intersection of gender and ethnicity in chapter 12 of the book of Numbers is the figure of the Cushite woman. Meet Zipporah, the Midianite wife of one of the Bible’s most celebrated leaders – a black woman whose name means “a little bird” or “sparrow”. It was at a well that Moses met Zipporah. After killing an Egyptian in Egypt for harshly beating a Hebrew slave, he fled to the land of Midian to escape his shame.

The Midianites were a group of people, made up of different tribes – descendants of Midian (a son of Abraham and his wife Keturah), who lived in the Arabian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Gulf of Aqaba of the Red Sea. The location is considered to be part of modern-day Saudi Arabia. Some, however, also came from Nubia, and this is where Zipporah came from somewhere between Ethiopia and Sudan. Her father, Jethro (also known as Reuel) was a priest of Midian, a shepherd, and a wise man.

You would recall that it was Jethro’s recommendation that Moses select judges to help govern the people. Moses would teach the judges and they would hear the simpler cases leaving the more challenging ones for his attention.

We learn in Numbers that one day when the Israelites were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ older siblings, blindsided him when they “spoke against Moses because of the Cushite[1] woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman” (Numbers 12:1).

The most explicit criticism is about his marriage to a black woman as the two siblings called out Zipporah’s distinct trait – her skin colour which, apart from her race, also symbolized that she was not Hebrew but a foreigner. On top of that they had the nerve to question Moses’ authority. They hinted that they deserved to be prophets on par with the unsuitably married Moses, and God “heard them”.

In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry with Moses. “His anger was kindled against them”, Miriam and Aaron. The bible says that God spoke suddenly to the three siblings, summoning them to the door of the Tabernacle where he came down in a cloud to meet them. God does not meet them inside the Tabernacle where he would customarily meet with them because, in my view, he intends to punish them and in so doing He does not want to desecrate the Tabernacle.

He then calls Aaron and Miriam forward to set the record straight. He does not tolerate them bad-mothing Moses. He tells them that Moses is nothing like them but a “servant of his household who talks to Him face to face.” God does not wait for an answer from Aaron and Miriam but departs as soon as He had given his testimony about Moses.

“When the cloud lifts from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow” (Numbers 12:10). Having criticized Zipporah’s dark skin, her punishment in the form of white, leprous skin was now visible for all to see – skin for skin. Moses, a type of Christ, intercedes on her behalf, asking God to have mercy on her and to heal her. It is important to note that God hears This prayer, and He answers. Miriam must, however, wait seven days outside the camp, returning only after she heals. “…The effectual fervent prayer of s righteous man avails much” (James 5:16, NKJV).

In contrast, God does not punish the weak-willed, traitorous Aaron possibly because leprosy was a symbol of sin’s spread and horrible consequences, and Aaron the High Priest symbolized Jesus, our sinless High Priest who would come to redeem sinful man. In a sense, he was punished when he saw Miriam, his sister stricken with leprosy for Numbers 12:10 says “… and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, [she was] leprous.”

There are a number of takeaways from this story.

• Anti-black racism exists at the highest levels – in leaders and even in family members as is shown in this story of Miriam, Aaron, Moses and Zipporah. Further, it must be rooted out because it is sin. “…when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous ….” Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this SIN on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of his mother’s womb!” (Numbers 12:10-12, NKJV).  Aaron calls his and Miriam’s act, sin. Racism is a sin and God hates it. In some form or another, when one is racist, whether they be White, Black, Asian, Latino or Indigenous and they hate another race, the Bible calls it out as There is no room for racism or hatred toward foreigners in God’s family, and He has little tolerance for it.

• The Lord hears when we criticize others based on race, and He comes down to deal with these racial situations on earth. I am sure God has taken note of all the faithful ones who have suffered because of race. Some have already received justice. All will receive at Christ’s second coming. Moreover, it is a dangerous thing to tear down the character of those anointed of God. The thing Miriam judged became her judgment, and that was skin color.

• Racism is not only a skin color issue; it is a heart issue. The only one who can root it the sin of racism is God. This happens through an encounter with him and a full transformation. After Moses pleads with God to heal his sister, God says send her outside the camp for seven[1] For her complete body and heart transformation, God makes her live in isolation with this skin disease.

• In looking at the account of Moses’ siblings’ racism towards his wife, we see that the Hebrews were held back from moving forward until Moses’ sister’s heart was sanctified and transformed. Racism does not just hold back the racist, it holds back the subjugated as well.

• God supports inter-racial marriage. The implications of Moses’ marriage to a Cushite woman are significant.  Moses is one of the leading figures in the Old Testament. As the story unfolds in Numbers 12:1-16, it is clear that God approves of this marriage, for he rebukes Miriam and Aaron for opposing it, and then He strongly reaffirms Moses as his chosen leader.

We are living in a moment of deep suffering, arising out of a history of incalculable suffering, for black people, bi-racial people, indigenous people: the modern Zipporahs. Too many, like Miriam, think and speak with bias against others because of their race or racial connections. Too many, like Aaron, go along with it, whether through agreement, laughter, shrugging or silence. Too often, people turn these thoughts and words into damaging deeds, even lethal deeds – against George Floyd and others; against 400+ years of names.

The Bible does not let us deny the problem of racism. Black lives mattered in the time of Moses and Black lives matter now. We all must work to root it out – to speak against it; to oppose it and, most importantly, to act against it. All people are created in the image of God, and therefore all races and ethnic groups have equal status and equal value before God. The gospel demands that Christians carry compassion and the message of Christ across ethnic lines. The New Testament, in particular, teaches that as Christians we are all unified together “in Christ,” regardless of our differing ethnicities.

Moreover, our primary concept of self-identity should not be our ethnicity, but our membership as part of the body and family of Christ. The Apostle John, the author of the book of Revelation, gives us a picture of God’s people at the climax of history – a multi-ethnic congregation from every tribe, language, people, and nation, all gathered together in worship around God’s throne. I look forward to that day. What about you? By God’s grace, let’s purpose to be there – together.

[1] A Cushite is from Cush, a region south of Ethiopia, where the people are known for their black skin.

[2] Seven is the number for completion in the Bible.

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During this COVID-19 pandemic, almost every conversation I have with someone who does not live in my home kicks off with a brief but polite consideration of sickness and mortality. “Hi!” I say. “Hi Maggie!” the other person says back. “How are you?” I ask next, out of habit.

How are we? People are sick and dying in frightening numbers all around us. I hope that we are all thankful not to be sick or dying, but any of us could be soon. Are we really going to mask these grim truths with the usual pleasantry “I’m good, you?”

The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the extent to which “How are you?” is not an honest inquiry in search of an honest answer, or any clear intention to understand what’s going on in someone else’s life and to care. Now more than ever, it is important for us to ask a different question – one of genuine concern and interest for our friends and loved ones who are ‘falling off the wagon’; or acting cruel for no obvious reason; or being sad because life hurts to the core.

The question I suggest you ask is ‘Are you okay?’ or ‘Are you all right?’ It’s a better one.

The Bible, in 2 Kings 4:18-37, has a story that speaks to the importance of asking this question. In this passage of scripture, we meet a godly and well-off Shunammite woman who was childless for many years. Through her kindness to Elisha, the prophet, and his response to her kindness, God gave her a son. The child grew up and one morning while in the field with his dad, he fell ill and died by noon that day.

In her grief, the woman saddled a donkey, and with her servant, rode to Mount Carmel to find Elisha. When Elisha saw her coming in the distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?” (2 Kings 4:26) New International Version).

Like so many of us, the woman told Gehazi “Everything is all right”. It was not until she met Elisha himself, that she fell at his feet to unburden herself and tell him about her son’s death. After all, he was instrumental in her having this son. He must care, and he did. Elisha returned with her to her home and because of her faith and persistence, she got the help she needed. God, through Elisha, performed a miracle and resurrected her son. All of this happened because Elisha asked ‘Are you alright? Are you okay?’

How many times have you pretended to be okay when you are crumbling inside? How many times have you poured out your heart to someone only to realize that the person simply wanted a ‘How are you?’ answer? How many times have you been offended when someone asked ‘Are you okay?’

Here are a few tips to help you handle this question in a way that works for you.

1) Figure out the questioner’s intention.

Who is asking? Is the person to whom you are close? Someone you believe truly cares about you or a casual acquaintance that seems to be asking the question as automatically as one offers “bless you” after a sneeze. If you are unsure this person can be trusted with your intimate secrets and/or you just feel uneasy or awkward, ask yourself, “Do I wish to discuss my situation or my emotions with this person?”

If the answer is ‘no’, do not feel obliged to offer more than a casual response. You can simply say, “I’m hanging in there. Thanks for asking. How are you doing?”

If the person persists, you can say “Thanks for your concern but I’d really appreciate it if you respect my privacy. Have a nice day!”

If the questioner is someone you know is truly concerned about your welfare, and he or she is someone you trust and want to talk to, you can be more open. You can say, “Actually, life’s  been a really hard. Would you be available  to chat about it with me?”

2) Assess how answering the question will affect you.

For some people, talking about their inner turmoil, even with a trusted person, is painful for a variety of reasons. You can reopen wounds, prolong anger and grief, or be disgusted at yourself afterward for sharing your deepest feelings and thoughts. Some feel as if they start talking, it will be hard to stop.

As you consider your feelings, know that most people who are asking about your wellbeing are likely doing so out of concern – likely family, close friends, mental health practitioners, and pastor. Remember, these people are often your main support system and the best solution is to find the right balance about who, what, and how much you want to disclose.

3. Set Boundaries.

Sometime you confide in someone about a problem or challenge once, and the person thinks it is okay to make enquiries constantly. Here is where you have to set boundaries. You can say in a kind but firm way “Thanks for asking again. However, I do not want every conversation or encounter we have to involve a discussion about my struggle. It is nice to know that if there was something I needed or wanted you would be there.”

Go on and ask ‘Are you okay?’

We live in extraordinary times. Offering a hug or a handshake is no longer a polite way to greet someone. Keeping your distance from a friend you see at the grocery store, and crossing the street when you encounter another person on the sidewalk are now among the most considerate things you can do. These are good practices, but as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to go further. We need to be our brothers and sisters’ keepers.

So, when you start your conversations, do not be afraid to ask ‘Are you okay?’ Perhaps, this is one of the kindest gestures you can extend to others in a time like this to make clear that they do not have to pretend they are fine.  If someone asks if you are okay, please stop saying you are fine when you are not. Look for the right person, not a Gehazi but your Elisha, and seek the help God has already provided for you.

Go on. Ask someone today ‘Are okay?’, and by God’s grace, please be okay when you say ‘yes’.

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Racism is a very topical issue at this time: in society, churches, and even homes. In this month’s blog, I examine not only whether racism is sin but the unpardonable sin – sin against the Holy Spirit – matter of great import to Christians preparing for Christ’s second coming.

Although I grew up in racially fractured country, as a young Christian girl, I didn’t believe that God was interested in stuff like racism, and that I could speak up against it in my church, school, and society as a whole. Attending churches with large portraits of a ‘white’ Jesus on prominent display, preachers rarely addressed racial issues in general nor racialized violence in particular, although we had our fair share of it. Topics like racism, social injustice and anything viewed as being outside of the salvation story was labelled “politics”, and therefore, a ‘no-no’ for the pulpit.

As I continue my Christian journey, I’ve realized over time that my childhood view that God maybe was indifferent to racism and racial violence was far from the truth revealed in His word. We are told that in Christ’s body, there are no national or ethnic boundaries. The church, the body of Christ, is a place where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male or female, and where “all are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). I believe this ‘oneness’ refers to the unity Christ prayed for in John 17: 20-23, a unity that can only come about through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

What is racism?

Racism is a complicated and misunderstood societal problem that we can’t ignore or run away from. It can be defined as the marginalization or oppression of an inferior and subordinate people group by a superior and dominant people group based on a socially constructed hierarchical system that views the visual racial and ethnic characteristics of the dominant and superior people group as better than that of the inferior or subordinate people group, and allows for partiality or bias by the superior group toward the inferior group on these bases.

The ideology of racism has worldwide reach: prejudice by whites on non -whites (black, coloured, and native peoples); and yellow peoples (Indians) on blacks and indigenous peoples, and even higher caste Indians over lower caste Indians.

Racism in the Bible

The Bible clearly condemns all forms of racism and views every person as equally valuable in God’s eyes based on the following scriptural principles:

One: All humans were created by God. God “created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (v. 27). Every person is created intentionally by God in his own divine image, making us equally valuable in God’s sight. Racism denies the very source of humanity, the image of God in man; destroying God’s likeness in every person and separating us from God and other human beings.

Two: Every person is equally valuable to God. At a time when many Jews considered Greeks to be unclean and inferior, and Christian Jews were trying to force Gentile believers to also perform Jewish rituals, the Apostle Paul addressed racism head on. He stated that “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile …” We are all one in God’s sight. In other words, other people don’t determine our value as humans; God does. Racism assumes that human beings are not equal before God and therefore not all a part of God’s family. As such, there is no place for racism among believers.

Three Salvation is available to all through Christ: God loves all sinners and wants all to come to faith in His Son. He “shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We are also told to  go and “make disciples of all nations” (Mathew 28:19) – “nations” translated ethnos (meaning people groups) from which we get the word “ethnicity”. Racism is contrary to biblical teaching, especially the teaching about salvation., and the role of humans in this plan of God. God’s plan

Four: We must love everyone. God’s word is clear: You are to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Further, “If you show partiality [favouritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:9). Peter testified to the Gentiles who sought to hear the gospel that God “… has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean” (Acts 10:28). Racism is a blatant denial of Christian faith, and the opposite of love – which is hatred.

Is racism sin?

 To answer this question, we need to first define sin.

Situational Evil: The classic definition of sin is that “it is the transgression of the law.” Adam and Eve purposely disobeyed God’s command and their sin plunged the human race into a fallen, sinful state. Their sin resulted in situational evil – the suffering, death, and hardship that are a result of living in a sinful world.

Lawlessness: Sin is also defined as lawlessness. 1 John 3: 4 says: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” The list of sins in Revelation 21:8, lumps together all those who engage in lawlessness (murderers and liars) as unfit for the kingdom of heaven.

Moral evil: The Apostle James says we sin when we don’t do the right thing. James 4:7 says ^“Therefore, to him who knows to do good [right] and does not do it, to him it is sin.” This could be called moral evil, the evil that people believe and do.

If we use these Biblical definitions, we sin when we engage in racist behaviours or actions because we know or should know that such behaviours are not right in the sight of God, our Heavenly Father. Racism or hatred for someone is sin because it separates us from God. Jesus reinforces this idea in Mathew 5: 22 when He said this: ”But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

But there is another side to sin. While it is true that any sin is an abomination to a perfect God, meriting eternal death and requiring the blood of Christ for repentance and restoration, all sins are not equal on earth. This may be because each sin carries different consequences for the perpetrator from those affected by the sin. Murder, for example, causes more immediate physical pain than lying.  I would also argue that racism leads to physical pain and death. Just consider the centuries of unjust treatment, (whipping and lynching), enslaved people suffered at the hands of their owners.

Solomon, in the book of Proverbs identifies seven sins that are an abomination to God – deeply hated by our Heavenly Father: “a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6: 16-19). Not only does racism fit into this list but it’s born out of several of these sins, and chief among them is the division that it causes in the body of Christ.

Racism and the Unpardonable Sin

I want to say at the outset that whatever the sin, if a soul repents and believes, their guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ. However, when someone rejects the work of the Holy Spirit, s/he is placing himself/herself where repentance and faith cannot reach them.  This is known as the unpardonable sin, the sin that God cannot forgive.

We are introduced to this concept in Matthew 12. In verses 22-32, we find Jesus casting out a demon by the Spirit of God, and the Pharisees claiming He did it by the power of the devil. He Jesus, then informs them that they can speak against the Son of man and be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. According to this passage, the unpardonable sin and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit did not happen when the Pharisees insulted the Son of Man but when the work of the Holy Spirit by whose power the demon was cast out was attributed to Satan.

What does this have to do with racism?

It is by the Holy Spirt that God works upon the sinner’s heart; when men wilfully reject the Spirit, and declare His power to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. Unless we become vitally connected with God, through the Holy Spirit, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin.

We may leave off many bad habits, and for a time we may part company with Satan. But without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.

It is clear that Jesus regards blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – permanently rejecting His identity and power as attested by the Holy Spirit’s transforming works as the worst of sins.  So, if anyone permanently rejects Christ’s identity in his creation, whether black, white, brown, or yellow as confirmed by the Holy Spirit’s power to change their lives and make them worthy in the sight of God, that person is in danger of committing the worst sin.

Ellen White, one of my favourite writers, provides some more food for thought on the unpardonable sin. She writes: “The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not lie in any sudden word or deed; it is the firm, determined resistance of truth and evidence.” — Manuscript 30, March 1890, par. 16.

Also, “The unpardonable sin is never a sin committed out of weakness, by mistake, or out of sheer ignorance” but “is a continued and wilful attitude of hostility against the Holy Spirit; the proud, continued resistance against His guidance, the “persistent refusal to respond to the invitation to repent.” “For if we persist in sin after re­ceiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacri­fice for sins remains (Hebrews 10:26).”

If over time, a person refuses to obey the entreaties of the Holy Spirit to surrender and abandon a racist ideology and to be transformed, the danger persists. The Spirt of God will not always strive with man.  Unless, we are willing to work to love our neighbour as ourselves, to declare that racism, and any kind of hate is evil, we may be at risk. Remember, to deliberately refuse the grace of God, preferring to call good evil and evil good, is a sin that is irredeemable.

The good news—the Gospel—doesn’t just mean that we’re brought near to God. It also means we’re brought near to the people we once considered so different from ourselves. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). It is God who removes prejudice from the heart, and restores our relationships with people and groups we’ve mistreated. That’s called reconciliation.

God is a reconciling God and the Gospel is, at its core, a message of reconciliation.  God brings peace where there was once strife, and kindness where there was once animosity. He’s done it in us and He can do it between us and our neighbours—whether black, white, Latino, native, indigenous, or otherwise.

In addition, if we belong to Jesus, we are part of His movement to bring more reconciliation between people and God. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 – 20, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. As His representatives, we have the opportunity to share how the life-changing message of the Gospel creates a healthy relationship with God and healthy relationships between people, no matter who they are. Your job and my job, as we learn to follow Jesus step by step, includes reconciliation because the message of Jesus is that we all belong to God, together—no separation, no difference in status or worth.

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