To all of you for your love and support that has been shown to me over these past three months that I have been Director of the Sharing Place. I especially want to thank Pastor Mike Zita who has made himself available to answer questions or give advice, as well as volunteering of his time and talents.No one ever really leaves The Sharing Place, once you have been a part of this ministry as a client or volunteer you forever carry it in your heart.
During my first week back at TSP a man walked into my office with the offer of volunteering
as I handed him a form to be filled in he said “you don’t remember me?” I replied sorry I can’t place you” Its me Dominique”. I did remember Dominique but this stranger standing in front of me did not look anything like the troubled young man that I had known 13 years ago.
This man smiling and full of life, was that same Dominique? He drives school bus for several French schools is married and has three children. “I never forgot what this place did for me, I want to give something back by helping out”. Then he told me more wonderful news, he has recently bought land in Africa to build an orphanage. I never would have guessed that his life would turn out this way 13 years ago when I first met him, but God knew. You see God looks beyond the outward appearance of a man, God looks deep within the heart.
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WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?
In the parable of the good Samaritan found in Luke 10 beginning in verse 25 we find a lawyer,
asking Jesus ”What must I do to inherit eternal life?”Jesus answers with a question “What is written in the law and how do you understand it? The answer, love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and your neighbor as yourself.”Then comes the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers the question through a parable.
He tells of a man traveling through a stretch of about 18 miles from Jerusalem to Jericho
known “the bloody way” who finds himself beaten robbed and left for dead. Three other travelers on the road that day.
The priest - not unusual for a priest to travel this road there were 12,000 or more priests in Jericho who came to Jerusalem to carry out their duties in the temple. The priest looked and saw the man’s need but decided to pass by to the other side of the road.
The Levite- he also saw that the man had a need, he too passed to the other side of the road.
The Samaritan- looked, saw the need and with a heart of compassion stopped to help the man. .
It cost him his time, he stopped and took care of the mans wounds which by now were probably very caked and smelly. .
It cost him to be inconvenienced in walking in the hot sun so that the man could ride on his donkey. He only had one donkey but he was willing to share it.
It cost him financially, not just a one time gift but he made arrangements to pay whatever it took to get the man back on his feet.
Jesus summed it up in saying
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Matthew 23:23-27
We have a lot of good Samaritans at the Sharing place.
Those who are willing to take time to come and volunteer in so many ways from sorting clothes,cleaning, leading in worship, preparing meals to listening and encouraging.
Those who share their food by thinking of TSP when they go to the grocery store, sharing what they have with others.
Those who give financially and keep on giving because they know the need is ongoing.
Jesus does not tell us much about the man who was beaten, we do not know his age, his name, his financial circumstance or even his nationality. The majority of people who are helping in various ways at TSP do not know anything about our clients - you see it doesn’t really matter because they are helping a neighbor. I am so thankful to God for every church and individual that are helping to change lives through the ministry of TSP.
So Long but not Goodbye
June 11, 2008 Category: Message
The time for me to step aside as director of TSP ministries has arrived. Hence I say to you all “So Long but not good bye.” I will be back periodically but in the capacity of a volunteer. Having said all that, I want to thank all of you for supporting the ministry to the least, the lost and the left out during my years here (2003-2008). I also pray that you will continue to support TSP compassionate ministry to the marginalized of Junction/High Park area of West Toronto and that you will pray for the grace@thesharingplace congregation as they seek to reach out to those in the community. I also pray that you will pray for Pastor Gena Torres as she takes over leadership of this ministry. In doing so you will be fulfilling the call of our Lord Jesus Christ to love others. Here are some words from Scott McKnight on loving others taken from his book “The Story of Jesus.” He writes:
Love of others is visibly demonstrated in concern for the marginalized and the poor. A ‘kingdom’ society shaped by the “Jesus creed’ [Love God — Love others] is a society in which love shapes all relations, and abject poverty or marginalization drives voices from the table and out of the room, creating injustice. The ’poor’ are for Jesus then not just the ’objects’ of mercy and benevolence, but the visible indicator of how much shalom or ’justice’ Is inherent to a given society. But, because Jesus knows that the new ‘ kingdom society’ must not only be talked about but also embodied, he invites the poor to his table and centres them as agents of power in his kingdom. P. 40
So my final words to you is to remember the call to love God and others unconditionally. It was our Lord Jesus himself who said that, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Before he said these words he washed his disciples feet and prepared them by his actions for true ministry; the ministry of “serving others with unconditional love.” He also washed the feet of the disciple who betrayed him (Judas) and the one that would deny him (Peter). It is amazing how people react when I quote Dallas Willard’s challenging words, “The most natural thing for a disciple of Jesus to do is to love his enemy.” WOW! OUCH! If we fight Willard’s challenge then we must re-examine our relationship in Christ. For it is one thing to sing “I could sing of your love forever” and another thing to truly love your enemy as Christ did.
It was twenty years ago while studying in Europe that one of our teachers lent us a mini-series called AD. (We have used it for studies on Acts every since) The mini-series was about the time following Christ’s death and resurrection and the beginning of the early church weaved into the stories of the decline of the Roman Empire and the uprising of the Zealots. There has been one line from that mini-series that I have been meditating on every since and it is, “When the night comes we will be questioned about our love.” (I even wrote a song about this) The scene is based on the night the Risen Jesus supped with the two men from Emmaus.” When Jesus departed the question they asked was about love not growth. Well, I am aware that you can not find that line in Luke’s gospel but it is a good question to ask nonetheless. For when the night (end of life as we know it) comes to an end we will not be questioned on how many members joined our fellowship or on how much we gave or how many people we fed though we do need to enlarge the tents of the community and we do need generous people to give and feed the poor. The haunting question is “Have we loved?” All else according to Paul is a bunch of noise. At my final board meeting with the directors of the Sharing Place I prepared a mini-service of committal to TSP’s ministry for the year 2008 and in my search for sayings I came across this quote from St. John of the Cross. “At the eve of our lives we will be judged by our loving.” There it is again. Remember Jesus’ words, “All men will know you are my disciples for the love you have one for another.” For love is not merely our duty but our destiny (N.T. Wright — Surprised By Hope)
So long and keep on loving; yes even your enemies. I pray that at the eve of my life they can say, “ Mike loved.” Once again — Shalom2U and love unconditionally.