Josiah Road

Memories from Canada, Eh?

posted by Jonathan Frank 28Oct

For several years now, I have been privileged with the opportunity to take a mission trip with my church to Saskatchewan, Canada every summer. We pay an astronomical amount of money (it translates roughly to two months of paychecks from my time frying chicken at the ol’ Chick-fil-A) to go to a campground to lead a vacation Bible school for children. We stay in the middle of nowhere and sleep in tents while constantly battling the forces of mosquitoes on steroids and biting flies—but something about the trip keeps drawing me back year after year.

The first year I went on this trip, we took a van load of people an hour down the road to the worship service at the church we partner with in Saskatchewan. The church was rather small and most of its members were senior citizens. The only musical instruments they had were an organ and a piano. Worship was led by an elderly lady with the shrillest operatic vibrato you will ever hear. Truth be told, I only went because following the service the group was going to Wal-Mart and out to eat. I needed to get my hands on some economy-size bug spray and going out to eat was much more appetizing than the granola bar I had packed in my luggage. But while my intentions for attending that church service that day were less than honorable, here I sit over four years later, and I still have not forgotten the pastor’s message.

The preacher’s name was Brother Jerry, and as he got up to speak, I checked my watch to estimate as to how long this would last and then got my bulletin ready to start reading it inside and out should things get boring. But turned out I didn’t need that bulletin. His sermon was called “The Message of the Cross.” He talked about forgiveness, acceptance, and humility; but his last point he made, was that the message of the cross is love—a simple concept, but nonetheless powerful.

There exists no stronger or more significant example of love in the history of man than Christ’s death for my sins on the cross. In fact, John 15:13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” The message of love pervades every detail of the story of Christ’s death on the cross. Such a dramatic example of unconditional love towards a people so undeserving, like myself, should inspire me to love others in a similar way. It is my prayer that this trait would become more and more of a characteristic in my life every day.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3