So Long but not Goodbye

June 11, 2008   

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.