Everything we do as the church should have the call to “make disciples” at its core.

As Christians, we live in the middle of the story, between creation and redemption, waiting for the day when all is made right. Jesus inaugurated the kingdom, but it is not yet fully here. Until then, we live in the tension of an unfolding mystery, trusting God with the unknown.

What if, in 2022, we chose to be more patient, loving, forgiving, kind and compassionate?

People are still in need of the hope offered through the gift of God incarnate. We are invited to respond to their cries with the encouraging words of his goodness and light, so that we, too, can play a part in illuminating the darkness.

We do not need to buy all the things, cook a gourmet meal or lead the perfect Christmas Eve service to prove our worth.

The Salvation Army was created to reach those who wouldn’t normally be welcomed. 

Gratitude is best cultivated when we take whatever time necessary to sit with our grief, embrace suffering and resist numbing out in the face of hardship. It’s these very things that become the means to cultivating an intimate and more honest connection with God.

On this Remembrance Day, we remember those who fought and died for others, but we also remember them in the way we choose to live throughout the year. 

We live in a culture of toxic positivity that thrives off memes that quip, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and T-shirts that read, “Good Vibes Only.” Some feelings are easier to bear than others, but trying to exist in a “Good Vibes Only” world isn’t realistic or healthy. 

The Salvation Army’s Ethics Centre is facilitating a study and conversation series called “Suffering Well and Suffering With.”