An inspiring experiment

I saw a meme on social media the other day (pictured), and attended a webinar, each of which inspired me to share this with you.  Read on.

As Christians, we are called to love one another as Christ loved us. Part of that love includes praying for one another. Praying for others is a powerful way to show our love and concern for them, and it can have a profound impact on their lives.

The Bible tells us to pray for one another, to bear each other’s burdens, and to encourage one another. When we pray for others, we are demonstrating our faith in God’s power to intervene in their lives. We are also aligning ourselves with God’s will for their lives, which is ultimately for their good.

Prayer is not just a one-way street. When we pray for others, we are also opening ourselves up to receive the blessings of prayer. We become more compassionate, more patient, and more loving as we focus our attention on the needs of others. We also become more aware of our own needs, and we can bring those needs before God in prayer as well.

Prayer is not just a private matter between ourselves and God. When we pray for others, we are also building community and strengthening relationships. We are showing our love and support for one another, and we are creating a network of support that can sustain us through difficult times.

So let us commit ourselves to praying for one another. Let us take the time to lift each other up in prayer, to encourage one another, and to bear each other’s burdens. Let us trust in God’s power to work in our lives and the lives of those around us. And let us rejoice in the blessings that come from a life of prayer and love for one another.

I hope this inspired you.  It inspired me.

But I must provide full disclosure.  This was an experiment.  I did not write the piece.  I asked ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence machine available widely online, the following:  “Please write a one-page Christian devotional on the importance of praying for one another.”  Within about sixty seconds, it produced what you read above in italics.  (The webinar I attended was about how church leaders can make use of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.)

Of course, you who know my writing style will have immediately picked up on the fact that this did not come from my hand.  Nevertheless, while it may lack some of the colour I might normally include, there’s nothing inherently wrong with what it says.

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, I think.  And we will have to wrestle with how best to use it as followers of Jesus. Undoubtedly, it will have some benefits for society, if used with integrity.  But it will never replace the importance of such things as praying for each other through the gaps of life, as the meme illustrates.  AI will never replace authentic, praying community.  Who are you praying for these days?

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6.2, NLT).

A lesson for the church from the death of Tim Bosma: Reprise

The trial for the two men accused of killing Tim Bosma, an Ancaster man who was murdered when he took two individuals out to test drive a truck he was selling, began this week. I thought it would be appropriate to reprise my Encouragement message from the time of his death, almost three years ago. Time has passed, but the lesson for us – one of many, I’m sure – remains.

By all accounts, Mr. Bosma was not a typical murder victim.  He was a man of Christian faith, active in his church community, and not involved with the ‘wrong people’.  Why was he killed

The answers will, hopefully, come out in court.  What I found especially interesting about the situation as it developed, though, was the role played by the Mr. Bosma’s faith community.  After it was announced that his body had been found, and Mrs. Bosma spoke to the media, who was standing behind her?

Her family, yes – as one would hope and expect.  And her pastor.

That spoke volumes to me.

It didn’t have to be her pastor; it could have been her small group leader or a close Christian friend.  Either way, her faith community was part of her support network.  They were “there” for her in her time of trial.

Most of us, when we go through a crisis in life, don’t have it displayed before the world via the press.  Mrs. Bosma had little choice but to ‘go public’ with her grief; thanks to the mainstream media, and social media (which put up a remarkable campaign to help find her husband), her difficulties were widely known.  Most people observe their grief, their pain, their problems, without such obvious support.

Why?

This is especially poignant for followers of Jesus.  Why, when we have a whole community of love surrounding us, do we keep our troubles to ourselves?  Too often, I fear, there is a tacit culture that says, “Be happy” in the life of the church.  Or, there may be a culture that says, “We don’t know what to do when you grieve, so please keep it to yourself.”  And that’s just wrong.

The church, literally, is ‘those called out’ from the world, to love and serve Jesus Christ and his Kingdom – and to love and serve his people.  We are not isolated individuals; we are a community.  God calls us to look after each other, even when we don’t know what to do or say.  When Mrs. Bosma spoke to the media, her pastor stood behind her.  He didn’t say anything, and didn’t have to say anything.  We have no idea what he might have said to her privately, nor is it our business to know; but his mere presence spoke to the significance of a community of faith that wanted to rally behind one of its own that was grieving.

When you are going through a difficult time, do you feel safe enough to share it with your church leaders?  With your small group?   With the friends with whom you sip coffee after worship?  Of course, we do well also to ask if your church community creates a culture of safety for you to share your trials.  In an era of unprecedented connectedness via the Internet, we remain, largely, a disconnected society.  People long for a place of safety, with real people who might not have all the answers but who serve a God who is big enough to know the answers and personal enough to care.  Those real people are called the church.

How is your church doing in that regard?  Is it a safe place to share?

And are you willing to share your burdens?  Give it a try.  Hopefully, you will experience the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Spirit.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6.2, NLT).

A lesson for the church from the death of Tim Bosma

The death of Tim Bosma recently has been a sad story to hear, and to see unfold.  Bosma was a man from Ancaster, Ontario, who mysteriously disappeared while accompanying two men who had come to test-drive a truck he had put up for sale.  His body was found, burned beyond recognition, on a farm near Ayr, Ontario.  So far, one man is under arrest for his murder.

By all accounts, Mr. Bosma was not a typical murder victim.  He was a man of Christian faith, active in his church community, and not involved with the ‘wrong people’.  Why was he killed?

The answers will, hopefully, come out in court.  What I found especially interesting about the situation as it developed, though, was the role played by the Mr. Bosma’s faith community.  After it was announced that his body had been found, and Mrs. Bosma spoke to the media, who was standing behind her?

Her family, yes – as one would hope and expect.  And her pastor.

That spoke volumes to me.

It didn’t have to be her pastor; it could have been her small group leader or a close Christian friend.  Either way, her faith community was part of her support network.  They were “there” for her in her time of trial.

Most of us, when we go through a crisis in life, don’t have it displayed before the world via the press.  Mrs. Bosma had little choice but to ‘go public’ with her grief; thanks to the mainstream media, and social media (which put up a remarkable campaign to help find her husband), her difficulties were widely known.  Most people observe their grief, their pain, their problems, without such obvious support.

Why?

This is especially poignant for followers of Jesus.  Why, when we have a whole community of love surrounding us, do we keep our troubles to ourselves?  Too often, I fear, there is a tacit culture that says, “Be happy” in the life of the church.  Or, there may be a culture that says, “We don’t know what to do when you grieve, so please keep it to yourself.”  And that’s just wrong.

The church, literally, is ‘those called out’ from the world, to love and serve Jesus Christ and his Kingdom – and to love and serve his people.  We are not isolated individuals; we are a community.  God calls us to look after each other, even when we don’t know what to do or say.  When Mrs. Bosma spoke to the media, her pastor stood behind her.  He didn’t say anything, and didn’t have to say anything.  We have no idea what he might have said to her privately, nor is it our business to know; but his mere presence spoke to the significance of a community of faith that wanted to rally behind one of its own that was grieving.

When you are going through a difficult time, do you feel safe enough to share it with your church leaders?  With your small group?   With the friends with whom you sip coffee after worship?  Of course, we do well also to ask if your church community creates a culture of safety for you to share your trials.  In an era of unprecedented connectedness via the Internet, we remain, largely, a disconnected society.  People long for a place of safety, with real people who might not have all the answers but who serve a God who is big enough to know the answers and personal enough to care.  Those real people are called the church.

How is your church doing in that regard?  Is it a safe place to share?

And are you willing to share your burdens?  Give it a try.  Hopefully, you will experience the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Spirit.

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6.2, NLT).