Author: David Fortune

A passenger boarded a Los Angeles to New York plane and told the flight attendant to wake him up and make sure he got off in Dallas. The passenger awoke just as the plane was landing in New York. Furious, he called the flight attendant and demanded an explanation. The attendant mumbled an apology and, in a rage, the passenger stomped off the plane. “Boy, was he ever mad!” another crew member observed to her errant colleague. “If you think he was mad,” replied the flight attendant, “you should have seen the guy I put off the plane in Dallas!” Professor David Seamands says that “Anger is a divinely implanted emotion. Closely allied to our instinct for right, it is designed to be used for constructive spiritual purposes. The person who cannot feel anger at evil is a person who lacks enthusiasm for good.” So there are times when we see injustice or cruelty and it is appropriate to get angry. Even Jesus expressed anger when he saw the condition of the temple under the money changers. However, it’s important that we control anger rather than allow anger to control us. There seem to be a lot of people these days who just love to get people angry. It’s not helpful In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:21-22) According to Jesus’ teaching, it is better to live in peace with others than to live with anger in our hearts. Anger is like yeast: only a little is needed and the bread will rise. In the same way, just a small bit of anger can have a huge effect, moving into every part of our lives, changing how we see things and stopping us from knowing true peace. Jesus encourages us to settle any matter quickly with others so that our hearts will be at peace. Don’t let anger rise in your spirit; it always has a deadly effect.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to go spelunking in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Spelunking is also known as caving, basically crawling and climbing through damp and dark caves. It was a fun experience although at times the space was very small, and you had to remind yourself not to panic. Those with claustrophobia will want to avoid such activity. We were outfitted with equipment to enable us to make our way through the various crevasses and climb over different outcroppings. The most helpful thing was the light on our helmet since the main thing I learned about caves is that they are pitch black. Our group made its way to a large open cave deep under the earth. We turned off all our lights and sat quietly in the all-encompassing darkness. I thought our eyes would adjust after a few minutes, but they didn’t. There was no light at all. You couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face. Then, one by one, we each lit a candle and soon there was a warm glow inside that deep cave. It was a highly memorable experience. Scripture reminds us that we live in a dark world. We only need to watch the evening news to be reminded about how our world has fallen from God’s plan. Some days we might wonder, “How is it possible to make a difference in this world?”Paul writes: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15) We should never forget that our calling is to live simply and honestly before God, so that we might be light to those in the darkness. When we live without grumbling or disputing, it shines out in the darkness. Our presence makes a difference and helps other people see that there is an alternative to the shadows that surround us. So let your light shine. It might be the only bright spot some people see today!

A student in a biology class was given the assignment to learn about birds. He was to learn the classification, the scientific name, the common name and characteristics of all the birds. The professor said, “Learn everything about them.” On the day of the exam, the student was horrified when he looked at the test asking him to identify the birds pictured from their knees down. He knew the birds well, but he couldn’t identify any of them from their knees down. He tossed his paper onto the pile of exams on the instructor’s table and explained his frustration. The unsympathetic professor said, “Well, you’ll just have to take a zero. I told you to learn everything about them. What’s your name?” The boy reached down and pulled up his pants to his knees and said, “You tell me!” There is only one you. And there is only one me. God has made each of us unique. Scientists can tell us apart because we have our own DNA. Mothers can tell us apart because they know their own children. Dogs can tell us apart because we each smell different. Some days, we might not feel all that special or different from the people around us. But Jesus told us that the Father sees each sparrow fall. (Matthew 10:29) If he knows the birds so well, then he knows what is happening in our lives. He made us and he loves us. Some days, we just need to remember that God’s love and care are enough.

Become wise by walking with the wise;    hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces. (Proverbs 13:20) As parents, we watch who our children hang out with. We know that peer groups are a significant factor in how our children behave or the activities they participate in. Running with the wrong crowd always leads to trouble. The same truth applies to adults. Who we spend time with matters. Our friend group has a powerful impact on us, so we must choose our friends wisely. Most of us have a desire to serve God and live a life for him. To help us with that goal we need people who share that desire so that we can encourage one another to keep moving in a positive direction. Of course, we shouldn’t cut ourselves off from people who aren’t like us. It’s not a matter of isolation. We can be salt and light to the world around us. It’s really a matter of where we invest that time and who we allow to speak into our lives. Our values and our lifestyle are reinforced when we hang out with like-minded people. As the teacher says, we become wise by walking with the wise. Evaluating our peer group as an adult is challenging. But taking stock of the influences around us is essential. Are they heading to the same destination you are?

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; … a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4) After a busy Easter Weekend, Rhonda and I went for a long walk on Monday. Spring is definitely on its way. The sun was shining, and the temperature was just right. Getting out in nature is a wonderful way of being refreshed and renewed. Springtime is the promise of something new. The colder days are passing away. The daylight hours are getting longer. Trees are starting to bud, and flowers are blooming in bright colours. It’s an amazing season of promise. Sometimes I think the talk about different seasons of life is a little overused. Some people seem to be in a different season every couple of weeks. But the truth is that the seasons change about every three months. Change can come quickly, and the seasons of life can also change quickly. We can go from laughing to crying in record time. There are seasons of parenting, seasons of hardship, seasons of friendships, seasons of struggles and seasons of grace. Each part can teach us something about the value of life and how precious each moment is. Embracing our current situation isn’t always easy. We want some seasons to last forever and others to pass quickly. God knows all about the seasons of your life, including the one you are in right now. No matter what season you find yourself in, you can take comfort in knowing that God is always with you. As you continue to grow in your faith and trust in Him, you can rest assured that He will guide you through every season of life.

You know it’s Easter in Switzerland because there are so many chocolate bunnies everywhere. Switzerland consumes more chocolate per person than any other nation. But at Christmas and Easter, the amount of chocolate for sale in the stores is ridiculous. I’m not sure how we moved from Easter being about Jesus’ death and resurrection to chocolate bunnies and eggs. I don’t blame the secular world because the majority of people in the Western world still identify as Christians. We can complain about other people all we like, but this happened on our watch. We replaced the truth with sugar and spring colors. This has left the world without a much-needed message. Most people just seem to celebrate a long weekend rather than a risen savior. Easter is about the cross and resurrection power. The cross would be meaningless without the empty tomb. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:  “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19) People need hope. The news from around the world is depressing. Evil still abounds and seeks to destroy life wherever it can. No amount of chocolate is going to ease the pain. The world needs to hear the message of hope, peace and reconciliation that is only found in the power of the resurrection. If we don’t believe in this hope, the resurrection, then how can we convince the world? It is said that the early church gathered on the first day of the week because that was the day of the resurrection. Each Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus has risen from the dead. Our reason for getting out of bed on Sunday morning is to declare that “Jesus is alive” and that the world is a better place for it. There is nothing wrong with candy and chocolate bunnies, but don’t forget what this season was intended to remind us: “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!”

This past Saturday our church was filled with the sound of children. Some of them shouting, most of them singing, talking and laughing a lot. I think it’s good therapy to watch children at play. It’s a shame God gave all that energy to such young children. Saturday was an Easter Day Camp at the church. The message and story of Jesus’s death and resurrection was reinforced in story, crafts, and games. It was a great day, and our volunteers outdid themselves. Jesus is remembered for his tender inclusion of children. They are valuable members of his kingdom. The disciples had been travelling with Jesus for some time. They were amazed by his teaching and his miracles. Wherever they went there were groups of people wanting to see Jesus. Suddenly they were in the middle of an important moment in Jewish history. As their own self-importance grew, they made some wrong judgements about the values of the kingdom. There was a mistaken belief that you had to be an adult to really understand or take part in what Jesus was talking about. When a group of parents wanted Jesus to bless their children, the disciples decided they weren’t important enough to waste time on.  There was no time for children when the world waited for a Messiah. ‘Don’t bother the master’. Jesus wouldn’t let it happen. He called them and said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. (Matthew 19:14-15) It didn’t take long but Jesus sent a message that is too significant for us to miss. We can learn from children. We need to have a childlike faith in Christ. And, we need to include children in our church activities.  If you want a place that’s clean, orderly and quiet then visit a morgue. But if you want to be where life is happening, visit a nursery.

It’s been a tough few weeks for all things Swiss. First, it was Toblerone. The iconic Swiss chocolate bar is no longer Swiss enough. It’s now mainly manufactured in other countries. The words “made in Switzerland” and the image of the Matterhorn will no longer appear on the packaging, in accordance with “Swissness” legislation.  There are strict regulations for Swiss-made products that aim to protect the “Swiss” brand. A lot of people are mourning the loss. That “Swiss” brand took another hit this weekend when Credit Suisse became the latest bank to fold. After a tense couple of days, it emerged that the bank, founded in 1856, will be taken over by its competitor, UBS. It’s left the Swiss sense of competence and stability somewhat shaken. It’s a reminder that things are not always as they seem. What we think is solid or permanent doesn’t always turn out to be. After 75 years of peace, no one expected war in Europe again. After the meltdown in 2008, we thought the problems with the banking system were behind us. While we had been warned about a pandemic for years, it seems like no one was really prepared for one. The fallout from the last three years has shaken our confidence in many of our essential systems and services. There are some things that cannot be shaken and will remain forever. The kingdom of God is one of those unshakeable things. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28) The stuff we really can’t depend on will be shaken away but God’s kingdom, his presence and his promises remain. The world around us is always changing and we find that troubling. When we focus on his unshakeable kingdom we are simply filled with awe. I’m grateful I can trust something that is stable.

It was three years ago this week that everything changed. The world suddenly shut down. I remember thinking it would all be over in three weeks. Boy, was I wrong.  I look forward to the day when we don’t have to reference everything as pre or post covid. While most of us would like to forget all the issues and problems associated with covid in the last few years, it is good to take time for a bit of reflection.  Here are three things that can help. What are some of the ‘good things’ which you need to keep in place as we move forward? As Jeremiah writes after the fall of Jerusalem, “Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God.” (Lamentations 3:40) It’s been hard to not consider how the last three years have impacted our relationship with God. Have we drawn closer? Have we seen how fragile our world is? Have we placed all our trust in him? I have lots of questions about the last three years but this I know, it’s a great opportunity to consider the way I’m living and make sure that my life is reordered under God.

In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. Shortly after, John Landy eclipsed the record by 1.4 seconds. In August of that year, the two men met together for a historic race to determine who was the fastest. Landy held the lead as they entered the last lap, but he couldn’t help wondering how close Bannister was. As he turned to look, Bannister took the lead. Landy later told a Time magazine reporter, “If I hadn’t looked back, I would have won!” Lot’s wife is the biblical poster child for the dangers of looking back. Her city was being destroyed. She had been warned to flee and not look back, but the urge was too strong: “Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26) It’s never easy to leave behind the things that we know and love – even when those things are not so healthy for us. In our spiritual life, there are certain behaviors – sins – which we must leave behind. God invites us to move on and to grow in holiness, yet we have a tendency to look back at something familiar and perhaps comforting. Mrs. Lot’s story suggests that is unwise. Repentance means turning away from sin. What is it you need to leave behind? What do you keep looking back at? And if you keep looking back, what effect is it going to have on where you are going? Having been freed from slavery, the children of Israel wanted to go back to Egypt. But that wasn’t where their freedom lay. They needed to press on to the Promised Land and trust God for victory. It’s no different for us today. Paul says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:13, 14) Keep looking heavenward. There is nothing behind you that is needed for this journey.