Written by J.M. BergmanI am like dust.Blown across the surface of what once was a nutrient garden.Thorns of abuse and weeds of offense have uprooted the fruit plantedso long ago. When the wind howls,I am but a tiny piece of existence,blown across what once was,with no roots to hold me down to thetru
Written by Danielle GrisnichOnce, one of my colleagues told me in the friendliest way, “I think you’re lesbian. You just don’t realize it yet.” I’m not lesbian, but I recognised that coming from her, this was likely a compliment. She was trying to communicate that she saw me as part of her crowd. De
Christ’s love expands hearts and neighbourhoodsWritten by Katherine AliyaI love riding the bus. It’s a chance to talk to or listen to people I wouldn’t run into anywhere else. One day, I couldn’t help but overhear a lady behind me. The conversation was horrifying as well as desperately sad. Her whol
Answering oppression by offering another cheek, coat, and mileWritten by Josiah Piett2020. A lot can and will be said about this year: COVID-19, political conflict, globalization, and increased awareness of racial tensions and human trafficking. There is a great polarity of opinions about each of th
Lessons learned about acceptance from non-Christian friendsWritten by Ulla MiaTwo of my best guy friends don’t currently believe in Jesus, yet we’ve maintained strong, solid relationships. I think of them as “my boys.” Whenever things get difficult or I need cheering up, I can always count on them.I
Walking the streets of Hamilton put poverty in a new lightWritten by Sarah EvangelineWhen I first moved to Hamilton, Ont., I worked at a men’s shelter. I didn’t own a car, so I also walked everywhere. For the first time in my life, poverty was right in my face. I realized how easily the separation o
Jesus turns the tables on how we view relationshipsWritten by William DmytrowI enjoy being loved by everyone. I find it quite simple to love those who invest in me and seek friendship. In other words, loving people who love me. But I get all jittery and tense when people just straight up don’t like
Baking cookies for strangers during the pandemicWritten by Abby CionaI don’t know how to stop a pandemic, but I do know how to bake. When COVID-19 started, I found that baking was an effective way to process my fear and anxiety. I stocked up on supplies and baked everything I could think of: cupcake
Written by Alyssa EsparazMaybe it’s just me, but even as the world nearly ground to a halt this year, it felt like things were still happening at a million miles a minute.Many days, my mind raced more than it rested. Keeping up with the news, social media, and the real-life opinions, emotions, and e
Written by Trent Kenney I am an overthinker way too much of the time. Often, “what if” questions about my future keep me awake at night and cause me to live in my own world during the day. As a guy in my early 20s, I think about completing my education, paying expenses, career plans, and providing f
Written by Katie PezzuttoNazareth, the town where Jesus grew up, functioned just like many places we know today. Most people in Nazareth were not rich. Many worked in masonry or woodwork. Archaeologists tell us the sewer system wasn’t well developed, so probably the air wasn’t as fresh as everyone w
Written by Cindy PalinI left the office one winter night, mourning for the broken, for one young woman in particular. As I walked, I began to talk to God about the sorrow.She was a drug addict. I found myself asking over and over again, How do I love someone who keeps hurting themselves and those cl
Written by Kristy LoewenI have a few theories. I didn’t know that I was forming these theories until I’d gone through some personal trials and was on the other side, recovering from them. First theory. We tend to judge the characteristics of others the most harshly when we see those same characteris
Written by Shawn NaylorWe’ve come to a time in history where everyone must think, believe, and act a certain way. If someone diverges, they are considered the enemy. If you don’t believe me, just look at any controversial video on YouTube and read the comments section. (Don’t get involved in the ano
Written by William JonesI sat at my desk, staring forward at the brick wall of my office. The ministry questions spinning in my mind were the same ones I’ve had for the past days, weeks, and months. What will our congregation look like moving forward? Who will come back? Who won’t? What will next ye
Written by Mike Gordon“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’” Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-48. He was speaking to a large crowd of people from many walks of life. Within this crowd, you would find people from different regions with different beliefs, worldviews, an
Written by Jamila HolderIn the chaotic hallway that follows a normal Sunday service at my church, an elder I only knew by sight asked me, “Young lady, where do you work? Retail, huh?” Slightly insulted by his assumption that because I was young I must be in retail, I readied my response. Shoulders b
Peace-seekers and agents of hope on a university campusWritten by Winnie LuiIn his 1963 sermon “A Knock at Midnight,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lamented, “Millions of Africans have patiently knocked on the door of the Christian church seeking the bread of social justice. In almost every instance th
Written by Jayda HoogeHave you ever worked with someone so different from you it seems the relationship could never turn out okay? I have.One summer, I co-ran a teen leadership program at a Bible camp with another leader who had no experience at this particular camp and who I didn’t know that well.
Écrit par Shawn NaylorAu tout début de mon ministère public, je me suis envolé vers la « ceinture biblique » du Texas, afin de prendre la parole lors d’une conférence jeunesse et d’être le prédicateur lors du culte du dimanche dans une église locale. Il s’agissait d’une très grande église et plusieu
Écrit par Shawn Naylor« Humiliez-vous donc sous la puissante main de Dieu, afin qu’il vous élève au moment voulu. Déchargez-vous sur lui de tous vos soucis, car lui-même prend soin de vous. » (1 Pierre 5.6-7)Lorsque j’étais à l’université, je suis devenu ami avec un homme qui s’appelait Louis. C’éta
Written by William DmytrowI never grew up in the church. But once I began taking my faith seriously in high school, it didn’t take me long to end up in a youth group. The experience was incredible. I was an outsider who had no cultural understanding of Christianity whatsoever, but I was embraced wit
Written by Ulla MiaI’ve never really liked Father’s Day. It’s a day I deliberately tried to push aside for years. That’s because my dad and I never had a good relationship when I was growing up. He passed away five years ago, so now it’s too late to reconcile. I carried bitterness against him, even
Sometimes, love looks like zebra prints and butter tartsWritten by Tara K. RossI walked into the twilight. A fresh dusting of snow now cleansed the surrounding yards. My sister Erin already had the passenger door open for me, Tim Horton’s tea in both cupholders and Bing Crosby crooning “Silver Bells
