Wisdom of the Wise: Fear of the Lord

Fear can be both good and bad: it can protect us from danger and doing wrong. But fear can also stop us from doing what is right, stop us from being bold and render us incapable. Sometimes our fears can just be irrational; and yet they hinder us in a very real way. No mater

Learning to wrestle Pt.3

Not everyone is comfortable with fighting: most of us want peace; we long for positivity and comfort. The western world itself is very individualistic, but we also want to get along with our neighbours. At the same time, many of us like to be right; we want people to understand and even accept our viewpoints.

Learning to wrestle Pt.1

America, Canada and a number of other countries in the world are considered ‘Christian countries’. They are known for a church culture, where young and old attend church on a Sunday, celebrate what is seen as ‘Christian holidays’ (Christmas, Easter etc.) and most will say they ‘believe in God’. Churches, for the most part, are

Childhood Expectations

Childhood can be a great time in life: the world is new to us and seems as wide as the ocean, with endless possibilities. As with many children, I would receive the classic question of ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ In truth, I wasn’t always sure. Not until I was

Absence of War

Everyone desires peace: the silence that assures us that all is right. There are no arguments or estranged relationships. No conflicts surrounding us nor disputes that interrupt our lives. All mankind desires peace: in families, friendships, communities and countries. Without peace there is only conflict, hardship, anger and sorrow. When there is war, anxiety and

Ancient places

There is no doubt that Europe and the Middle east are full of ancient and historical sites. Specifically in Europe, castles dot the landscape and I’ve heard in the past that one the top attractions that Canadian and Americans want to see, is castles. In my Canadian mind, this makes sense. Who doesn’t want to

Light & Darkness —

Our world is becoming increasingly tolerant and intolerant. While that may sound like a contradiction, it is true that society is becoming tolerant of all sorts of darkness, and intolerant of those who go against them. In the Bible, God is described as Light, having no darkness (1 John 1:5; Daniel 2:22): because God does […]

Why Worship?

When we think of the term ‘worship’ images might come to mind of people bowing to an idol, offering gifts and prayer. This is done in many parts of the eastern world but it isn’t uncommon in the West either nor is it limited to only these acts. The definition of worship is to ‘show

Medieval Period Pt.2: Fire & Brimstone

“Fire and Brimstone” was the theme for many churches in the Medieval ages. The people were ruled by fear as is seen in many images from that time. Purgatory was a prevailing belief however, so was hell which was seen for those who did what was deemed the ‘worst sins’. There were many depictions of

Medieval Period Pt.1: Deeds & Merits

It is recorded in history that many who served the church especially in the Medieval period would do acts of service and penance in order to ‘gain merit’ from Christ and the Saints. The Catholic church at the time taught that Jesus and the apostles ‘gained an overflow of merit’ that the church could then