WRITTEN BY: BERNIE WILLOCK, PRESIDENT
2,400 years ago, the refugee girl Esther stood in her powerful enemy’s palace - young, vulnerable, alone. And yet, courageous. She saw her moment, she seized it with courage, and she changed the course of history.
For such a time as this.
2,600 years ago, the Jewish man Daniel stood in his powerful enemy’s court - thoughtful, wise, humble. And yet, resolute. He saw his moment, stood his ground, and changed the course of history.
For such a time as this.
Today, we find ourselves living in an incredible moment in time. The first advent is fulfilled - Christ is come! And his kingdom of peace is ever expanding, spreading over the whole earth bringing life to those living in the shadow of death. And Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Reconciler of all things, is inviting each one of us to partner with him in this joyful work; Jesus is calling each of us to meet our moment at such a time as this.
At Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada, we find ourselves as an organization working in this incredible moment in time between the first and second Advent - Christ has already come, but his kingdom is still coming. So I ask myself daily, what is FH’s response to this reality? Are we being faithful to announce the good news of Advent to a world in such a time as this?
To a world where darkness looks so prevalent - 65 million refugees are roaming the earth, 795 million people daily suffer from malnutrition, 65 million girls are not in school. In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, will we pursue the full, practical implications of Christ’s first advent - hope, peace, joy, and love?
Hope for a better future.
Peace with the land, with neighbour, with God, with self.
Joy in hard work, overcoming obstacles, seeing the fruit of walking together.
“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b)For a time such as this.
2,400 years ago, the refugee girl Esther stood in her powerful enemy’s palace - young, vulnerable, alone. And yet, courageous. She saw her moment, she seized it with courage, and she changed the course of history.
For such a time as this.
2,600 years ago, the Jewish man Daniel stood in his powerful enemy’s court - thoughtful, wise, humble. And yet, resolute. He saw his moment, stood his ground, and changed the course of history.
For such a time as this.
Today, we find ourselves living in an incredible moment in time. The first advent is fulfilled - Christ is come! And his kingdom of peace is ever expanding, spreading over the whole earth bringing life to those living in the shadow of death. And Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Reconciler of all things, is inviting each one of us to partner with him in this joyful work; Jesus is calling each of us to meet our moment at such a time as this.
At Food for the Hungry (FH) Canada, we find ourselves as an organization working in this incredible moment in time between the first and second Advent - Christ has already come, but his kingdom is still coming. So I ask myself daily, what is FH’s response to this reality? Are we being faithful to announce the good news of Advent to a world in such a time as this?
To a world where darkness looks so prevalent - 65 million refugees are roaming the earth, 795 million people daily suffer from malnutrition, 65 million girls are not in school. In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, will we pursue the full, practical implications of Christ’s first advent - hope, peace, joy, and love?
Hope for a better future.
Peace with the land, with neighbour, with God, with self.
Joy in hard work, overcoming obstacles, seeing the fruit of walking together.
Love for the vulnerable among us.
I am happy to report that the stories pouring out of our partnered communities abroad are not stories of hopelessness, but rather stories of light overcoming darkness - of families healing, children going to school, savings multiplying, harvests abounding, leaders rising to meet their moment - in essence, they are stories of Jesus among us, stories of the first Advent realized, the first Christmas daily celebrated.
These stories fill me with joy and excitement. They are a sign that, yes! we are on the right track. That we, at FH Canada, are meeting our moment. And such a realization is also incredibly humbling as I reflect on the reality that our faithfulness is only made possible by your generosity - your time, your gifts, your prayers.
Together, we are meeting our moment at such a time as this. Merry Christmas!
In faith, with hope,
I am happy to report that the stories pouring out of our partnered communities abroad are not stories of hopelessness, but rather stories of light overcoming darkness - of families healing, children going to school, savings multiplying, harvests abounding, leaders rising to meet their moment - in essence, they are stories of Jesus among us, stories of the first Advent realized, the first Christmas daily celebrated.
These stories fill me with joy and excitement. They are a sign that, yes! we are on the right track. That we, at FH Canada, are meeting our moment. And such a realization is also incredibly humbling as I reflect on the reality that our faithfulness is only made possible by your generosity - your time, your gifts, your prayers.
Together, we are meeting our moment at such a time as this. Merry Christmas!
In faith, with hope,
Bernie Willock
President
