The Citizen, 2008-04-17, Page 15THE CITIZEN. THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008. PAGE 15.By Rev. Sandra YuleWalton Bluevale Pastoral ChargeIn one of Tina Turner’s mostpopular songs she says “What’s love
but a second hand emotion.”
I believe that this line reflects what
many people are feeling today. We
no longer live in a world filled with
optimism. That was the world of the
60s when peace, love and flower
power were heard on the lips of just
about every teenager. Young girls
handed out flowers to strangers on
the street and young boys gave
everyone they passed the peace sign.
Back then we also had high hopes
that poverty and hunger could be
overcome and that each person
would find security and peace
because we would go to war no
more. What happened? What
happened to those dreams?
Now as we find ourselves in the
year 2008 it seems all that heartfelt
optimism has given way to
hopelessness and our illusions of a
peaceful world where all are loved
are rapidly fading.
Today, love of neighbour, seems to
no longer carry the passion it once
did. Our love has become “a secondhand emotion”. But who can blame us for feelingthis way? We seem to be confronted
with a weary world, a stark reality of
a broken humanity.
This has become painfully clear to
us because we are no longer isolated
in small communities, ignorant of
what is going on in the rest of the
world. Our television sets bring this
broken humanity into our homes
everyday. We see the horrific pain of
our world as we watch the news,
drinking and eating in the comfort of
our living rooms with the security of
knowing our doors are locked
against any intrusion.
But can we keep the haunting
images behind our locked doors?
No, because many of us are still the
same people we were in the 60s and
have raised our children to think like
we do. We want to reach out and
help those in need but we are
frustrated because the task seems so
overwhelming and so we just look at
the horror and hear the cry of the
poor and those in pain on television.
Many of us feel helpless and guiltybecause so often we are caught up inour own need for security andjustifiably so. We have our own
crises to face right in our own
backyards. Never before have
families had to deal with such
rampant drug and alcohol abuse
among children, school shootings,
and teenage eating disorders.
Who would have thought in the
60s that children would shoot other
children or kill their parents? In the
sixties, when love seemed to be in
the air, who would have thought that
children and people would be crying
out so loudly for love in today’s
world. Well they are and that leaves
us with one question “what do we do
about it”?
It is so easy to change the channel
and look for a sitcom to provide a
form of distraction when the pictures
are too ghastly. Maybe this is why
we are a nation hooked on reality
TV.
There is, however, one thing we
know and it is that pictures don’t go
away that easily. They remain in our
imagination haunting us until werealize we must once again regainour hope and our resolve to dosomething about it. I believe our
hope will come when we ask
ourselves the question “what’s love
got to do with it”.
Love has everything to do with it.
If we love our neighbour as
ourselves then we will work
diligently so all can have life and
experience abundance. If we can see
the interconnectedness of humanity
and learn to love each other as our
own kin we will take care of all
children not only our own. If I see
you as my brother or sister then Iwon’t let you go to bed hungry andtired because you have worked 18hours to make my running shoes. If I
love you I will realize that if I go to
war with you I am only killing
myself. Most of all if I love you I
will see the Christ Consciousness in
you and treat you as a beloved child
of God.
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it
to one of the least of these, you did it
to me”. (Matthew 25:45).
May the love of Christ move us
back into the dreams and hopes of
the sixties!
What is God doing
in Tanzania?
You are welcome to hear guest speakers
Lloyd and Erla Koch
share their experiences in Tanzania
Sunday, April 20 ~ 9:30 am
at BRUSSELS MENNONITE FELLOWSHIP
followed by a
Noon Tanzania Meal
Sunday School for all ages
at 11:00 am
Pastor Brent Kipfer 519-887-6388
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 20th
Brussels Public School
10:30 am and 6:30 pm
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Sunday, April 20
All Welcome
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11 a.m.
308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590
B l y t h C o m m u n i ty Church of God
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
“The Church
is not a building,
it is people
touching people
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
- Christian Education
for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Mid-week Bible Studies
See you
Sunday!
119 John St., Auburn
Pastor Dave Wood
519-526-1131
This Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School &
Small Groups
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, April 20
Ethel United Church
Worship Service - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 519-887-9831
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
1st & 3rd Wednesdays - Women at the Well
Youth: Mondays - Senior 6:30 pm
- Fridays - Junior 7:30 pm
Sun., April 20: Acts 5:1-16
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
“Fooling God
a Fatal
Mistake”
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
This Friday, 7 pm at FE Madill:
FAMILY FUN GYM NIGHT
From the Minister’s Study‘What’s love got to do with it?’
It’s spring and time for another
evening of shopping,
demonstrations and relaxation with
Ladies’ Night Out at the Catholic
Church Hall in Wingham.
The event will be held Thursday,
May 1 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. There
is a $3 admission or a donation for
the food bank.
One of the organizers, Janny Fear,
said this is going to be a bi-annual
event. One was held in October and
raised $240 for Community Living
plus brought in 500 pounds of food
for the food bank.
The first 25 women in attendance
will receive gift bags. There will
also be door prizes.
Some 25 vendors will be on hand
for early Mother’s Day shopping,
spring fashion or just a little self-
indulgence.
Girls
night
out at
Sacred
Heart
BUY? SELL?
TRY CLASSIFIED