on the Pilgrimage

  A GIFT OF LOVE   Once upon a time, in a huge forest, by a city, lived a raccoon.  He looked just like all the other raccoons with his bandit-like mask and ringed tail.  And he was very curious, just like all the other raccoons.  His name was Alexander. Christmas was a happy time for all the other animals in the forest, especially for Alexander, because it gave him a chance to go home and spend time with his mother and father, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  They would celebrate and feast and tell stories for many hours. “This Christmas is going to be special,” thought Alexander.  “It will be the first time I will be home since I began my life away from the den.  I can’t wait to see everyone again!” These thoughts made him hasten his preparations.  He knew it would take him about two days to travel home, so, the sooner he got started, the better.  After all, Christmas was but three days away! Even with the few...

Peace. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.   (John 14:27) We really throw words around without thinking about what they really mean. These words, so very common to the Advent season, are words we commonly use but I wonder if we really stop to think about what they mean and how we connect to them. I've already mentally wrestled with the first three this year - hope, joy, and love. Thanks to the opportunity to view a wonderful Advent series from Village Green Church in London, Ontario, and the pastor, Jon Korkidakis, I've been able to ponder his message and reflect on it. Today, I continue this.    If I were to ask people about the meaning of peace, it likely would include something like 'the absence of war or conflict' or 'a feeling of calm'. The thing is ... this can be a fleeting feeling. Bring on a calamity, a lost job or an argument, or a heal...

This Sunday - the Pink Candle. Gaudete Sunday. The Joy Candle.  "Joy" is a word heard frequently in our environment. "Find your joy" or "does this bring you joy?" or "spark joy" are catchphrases many say. I often wonder, what does that word mean. Joy. Dictionary says - a feeling of great happiness or pleasure; however, I can't help but wonder if ... somewhere back in its history, if that word didn't originally come from the word 'rejoice'. And what does that mean? To feel or show great joy or delight. The Greek root for both? Chara: this is the word to describe a feeling of inner gladness or delight.  So, this is the same as happiness, right? Joy and happiness the same thing? It would appear ... not. It seems  we use the two interchangeably, but that, in fact, is not the case. Brene Brown, she of professorship, lecturer, author, podcast host, and researcher on many interesting topics, of which leadership, courage, and ... joy...

The second candle - the Love Candle.  (Yeah, I know that different places say different things for each of the 4 candles, but go with me on this one, ok?)  Love ... this is easy, right? We know about this, we love others, there's nothing to talk about here, right? Our world is full of love! Our songs are full of love! All stories end with love, right? We can see it by looking at ourselves and those we love, right? What else is there to say? I could end this here, right?  Well, for many, this is not easy. For many, they are empty words that don't mean much. People can say "I love you" but we know that is conditional, that love often doesn't last forever. I have gone to weddings where once the couple professes to love each other ... and now, today, the hatred is palpable. There are people in my realm that have said 'I love you' and they are now gone. That 'love' was conditional and when it was no longer convenient, they withdrew that love and w...