Adopt - A - Doctor

I remember my kids coming home with exciting news from the zoo...they were going to adopt a gorilla! They had seen a poster that said “Adopt a Gorilla for your Grandchild” and thought that this was a great thing to have their grandpa do for them. Our oldest two children were adopted, came to live with us and have become a true part of our family so how cool it would be if we could do the same for a Gorilla! They all now claim that they were just kidding and that they knew it didn’t quite work that way. I am not so sure about how much each child actually believed, but I do know that all of them (except my oldest daughter who does not really like animals) thought it would be cool. When I think about the culture around me, I recognize that we use that term “adopt” quite regularly, for a whole host of purposes. There is, of course, the traditional sense of welcoming in a child into your family to love, care for and support them. This is such a significant and worthy endeavour. I think about how Joseph “adopted” Jesus, who had no earthly father, to care for and support him through his youth. And of course Ephesians talks about God “adopting” us through Jesus. I recognize that it is a deeply biblical concept that reflects God’s heart. And then there is the more common use of the word that has developed, in which we are encouraged to take part in a particular cause or issue and join in taking responsibility for something. We can adopt any number of animals, either to bring home, or, as in the case of the zoo, to support financially. In Ontario we can adopt ponds and waterways and even highways! We are encouraged to participate and take ownership of caring for and supporting these various things. If you were to stop and think about it I am sure there are a number of other things you could think of that we are invited to “adopt.” With this in mind I have been thinking about “adopt-a-doctor.” My thought is that I may not become a doctor or surgeon any time soon and be able to serve in such a capacity, but I could support, pray for and encourage one who is. My family could take it upon ourselves to support one of those front line workers as they invest themselves in caring for others and battling some effects of sin in the world. We are considering “adopting” Dr. Singh, the surgeon who has cared for and operated on Liam. Our goal is to pray for her daily, to pray for her as an individual, to pray for her surgeries, to pray for her research, to pray for her family - husband and children who in many different ways share in the burden that a surgeon carries. We could encourage both her and her family in many different practical and tangible ways. I know that she has an extremely busy and tight schedule and thus I would not expect her to necessarily be in constant contact but would definitely invite her to share prayer requests whenever she felt comfortable or felt it appropriate. It may be a small thing, but I imagine it could be significant. I know that there are things that the church may be able to do on a bigger scale and even an organizational scale. I also truly believe in smaller, personal, relational opportunities to make a difference in peoples lives. There are many of these opportunities around us and if we look for them we could make a very significant impact in our communities. Let me encourage you, is there someone in your life or your community investing themselves in caring for others in some capacity, that you in turn could support? Is there someone who, in the name of Jesus, you could “adopt”?

The Long Weekend

This past weekend was the first long weekend of the summer season. Commonly known as May 2-4, the official holiday is Victoria Day, a statutory holiday in celebration of the birthday of Queen Victoria. This past weekend my family and I joined the mass exodus from the city that marks every long weekend, as we rushed to the cottage to escape the hustle and bustle of suburban living. For any of us who live in the GTA in particular, we know that it is not just hyperbole when we call it an exodus! I have been thinking about this phenomenon. What makes it so widespread and so deeply rooted in our culture. I am not much of a sociologist but there are two thoughts I had. Firstly, in Canada there is snow...I know...that is obvious but it does have a profound impact on life and culture. When a large chunk of the year is cold, dark and dreary and we have to spend so much of it indoors, when the good weather comes we want to take every opportunity to relish it! Thus, when a long weekend comes, we flee to lakes and beaches and fun in the sun. The second thing I find myself thinking about is the need for rest. Life is busy, stressful and often overwhelming. The opportunity that a long weekend presents to escape for a bit is just too good to pass up, and thus we flee from life, work, home and all the stress that comes with it for a chance to rest. Rest is a good thing, and more than just the occasional long weekend, needs to be an intentional part of the regular schedule of life. I wonder if long weekends are so popular and the traffic heading north so thick, because people have not made rest a part of there weekly priorities. It is interesting to note that God modelled a day of rest for us in the very beginning taking six days to create and the seventh to rest. It came to be called the Sabbath, and became a part of the Ten Commandments. I know that even in the church there is debate about the need for a Sabbath, that if we are no longer under the law then we no longer need to keep a Sabbath. Jesus would come under criticism from the religious authorities for healing and doing other things on the Sabbath that were considered to be breaking the command. I think, however, that Jesus was criticizing the legalistic interpretation of how to keep a Sabbath, that ironically made it even more work and a greater burden as opposed to restful. It is telling that He did not eliminate the Sabbath but rather stated that Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). God modelled it at creation (before the fall or the law) and Jesus affirmed it for us, rest is a good thing. I would never give a legalistic prescription of what it must look like, and it might look different for different people. I think it is very much worth while, however, considering which days we have off and how it is that we use them. Many of us have days off, but do we use them to rest. Do we do things that we find restful, rejuvenating and spiritually uplifting? I think that this is a good question for each of us to ask ourselves, and then depending on our answer, put some specific things in place to ensure that we get the rest we need. Long weekends may be a significant part, but hopefully they are not the full extent!

Healthcare and the Kingdom

Well, Liam’s posters have begun to go up on bus shelters around Hamilton and Halton. As the telethon for MacKids (McMaster Children’s Hospital) quickly approaches we have been doing newspaper interviews and getting ready for our big day on television! I have been thinking about healthcare lately, and maybe because I went to university at McMaster, I have been thinking about education as well. Healthcare and public education (which are state funded in Canada) are very important to Canadians, and in some sense have actually become a part of the national self understanding, a part of the Canadian identity. It is interesting to note, however, how many hospitals and how many schools and universities have Christian roots. Many were started by those who were followers of Jesus, responding to the needs of their community, trying to represent God’s heart and trying to fight against the darkness. They were trying to battle sickness and disease, poverty and ignorance while serving those around them. Things are different now in that the state has taken over responsibilities for these things, but I have been challenged by the historical example. I want to be inspired by the example of those who have sought to make a difference in the name of Jesus. I want to be inspired by the church who sought to be agents of community transformation as they represent the Kingdom of God. I also want to avoid complacency, which can be easy when I live in a place in which the state takes care of many of the things that the church had once been highly involved in. Ironically, many of the school and hospitals that were once started in the name of Jesus are some of the hardest places to hear about him. So, where might God be calling to church in Canada today? Into the existing institutions? or maybe to find new areas of need? It is probably both. Where might God be calling you to make a difference in the name of Jesus? Let us keep our hearts and eyes open to see the needs of individuals and communities and to allow God to work through us to make a difference in the name of Jesus. In word and deed let us represent Him well.

Don’t forget to tune into Hamilton’s CHCH television on May 31st. they will play Liam’s documentary at 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 6:30pm (approximately).

A Day At MacKids

Well Yesterday was another day spent at MacKids (McMaster Children’s Hospital) with Liam. This time, however, he was just “acting” as a brain tumour patient. We were filming scenes for a documentary that will tell his story on the MacKids Celebration Telethon that will be held May 31st, on CHCH TV in Hamilton. Liam is actually the poster child for this year’s Celebration fund raising campaign and so we have had photo shoots, radio interviews, newspaper interviews, documentary filming and will be on live television. Liam is becoming a bit of a pop star celebrity! It got me thinking about how Canada is home to some world renown children’s hospitals, and McMaster Children’s Hospital is certainly one of them. We are so grateful that MacKids is here, and for the amazing work that they do. Being in the hospital again, in the intensive care unit where Liam spent the first days following his two surgeries gave me pause to reflect. After having spent two weeks with Liam in a children’s hospital I can tell you that there are few clearer places to see the front line battle against evil. When you see pain and suffering, especially when it involves young children, it can be almost overwhelming. I know that for many being confronted with evil, pain and suffering leads to doubts about the goodness of God, or about God’s existence at all. I can certainly understand. It seems so unfair, so pointless and just so wrong. But I found myself asking why do I think it is wrong? Why do I think it is so horrible and unjust? There is something deep inside me that refuses to accept that suffering, tragedy or injustice is just a part of the natural world, just natural selection going about its course. Without my belief in God however, that may be all that I am left with. If natural selection or survival of the fittest is all their is then pain, suffering, injustice and death would be perfectly normal and I could not say that there was anything horrifying about it at all. As I stand around in the intensive care unit of a children’s hospital, however, I feel disturbed by the suffering of the children, my heart breaks for the parents who have to watch their children in pain and I feel in awe of those doctors, nurses and medical personnel who have devoted their life to fighting such a worthy battle. When I feel such things I know that I am judging the world around me by some standard that lies outside of just the natural world. I believe that it is not God’s heart, that it is not how things are supposed to be and that God has every intention of doing something about it. I have come to believe that there is evil and suffering in the world. My faith does not always provide me with the reason for all the cases of suffering I see. I wish that it did, but it does not. What it does provide me with, however, is the assurance that what I see around me is not what God intended. It gives me the assurance that God loves people and wants the best for them, despite what the circumstances may seem at any particular point. It also gives me the hope and the promise that the world won’t go on in this broken state forever but that one day God will do something about it. And in the meantime I can do my best to represent God’s heart and fight the battles against evil and suffering, and support those who are doing the same.
If you are interested is hearing the radio interview that we did I have posted in to my Myspace page, the link is below: www.myspace.com/jasonmcgibbonproject

Don't forget to watch CHCH TV on May 31st for the telethon and please consider giving to MacKids.