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Home My WebLink AboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-10-15, Page 2russels Post RRLSSELS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 19751 ONTARIO Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.' Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario by McLean. Bros. Publishers, Limited. Evelyn Kennedy - Editor • Dave Robb - Advertising Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association • Chlk \---/ Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $6-[00 a year. Others $8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each. With money , we can go solar Harvest bow Marsh World Ducks Unlimited (Canada) NASAL SADDLES — While bird-watching or hunt- ing at your favourite pond or marsh, you just might be surprised to find that the duck appearing in your binoculars is wearing an identification tag of human design. In some recent research projects — usually behaviour studios — ducks of , various species have been live-trapped and fitted with numbered, bright-colored soft plastic "nasal saddles" so that they can be recognized at a distance, Scientists are predicting that by the end of this century as much as 20 percent of Canada's power needs will be produced by solar energy from the vast sources available from the sun. At first glance this sounds like the best news we've had in our energy-depleted planet since the Arab countries started asking a fair price for their oil. Only recently Canadiaris were told that declining natural gas and oil reserves in Canada, combined with the. burgeoning demands of our technological society would face us with serious shortages by 1980 if alternate supplies were not found.Conservation of energy is more than just good stewardship of resources it is now a serious practical necessity. Solar energy, then, would be of enormous value if the world is to find viable alternatives to oil, natural gas, hydro and coal. At the moment, however, its costs are unbelievable. Energy from this source' today costs in excess of $201.00 a watt and scientists predict that it will be nearly the year 2,000 before it can be produced at the economically feasible rate of 25 cents a watt. Government agencies, pi-ivate industry and university laboratories are now engaged in a major push to exploit solar power cheaply within a decade for possible major production by the y ear 2,000. It is like the major push back in the early 1960's to put a man on the moon. The analogy is apt, becau7se while man had the ability to reach the moon y ears before 1961 it required vast expenditures of government money -- billions of dollars -- to came up with a feasible scheme. The "same dedication and expenditures must be forthcoming if solar energy is to. be viable. Governments must be urged to spend this money so that pressure on our frontiers for petroleum can be eased, pollution lessened and stewardship of resources practised for the right reasons. (Contributed) Amen by Karl Schuessler One look at the man at my front door and knew it--He was one of those people who wanted me to hear all about the Lord God Jehovah. Those magazines in his hand clinched it. But then I looked again. lie sure wasn't all that dressed up--the way those other house callers were. This man looked just like any one of my neighbors. A farmer: With overalls, rubber boots and beat-up hat. He looked as if he came straight from the barn. I smelled. Must have been a pig barn, at that. "I'm a Christian," he said, "The Spirit led . me here-to your house-while I was driving past in the car." Now how can I deny the Spirit? And turn my back--and door--on him. It's quite an art, you know. Saying no to all those religious door knockers. Being polite enough. But firm enough. Saying no to them and' yet not getting the feeling I'm saying no to God. ' But this man seemed a bit different from my usual other house callers. I let him in. "I'd like to let you know how differennt my life's been since I gave it over to Jesus Christ." He was different alright from my other callers. But not that different after all; I'd heard it--you've heard it-- all before. A same theme with variations. "It was at 9:15 on September 24, 1967 that I found Jesus. My whole life's changed now. I'm a new man. I don't drink anymore. I live right. I'm living for Him. Jesus is my whole life now." "Did you want me to buy one of those magazines," I asked. No, He wasn't interested in the magazines in his hand. He only wanted to tell me about his life in the Lord. The Lord in his life. I listened to his words. I listened between the words. I saw the conviction in his face. He looked at me with steady eye--never flinching, never flickering. I saw a man whose faith grasped him'hOle. It made a sure and postive man out of him. I felt I was lookirig at a niari who knoWs-,otte who's experienced. Who knows what he's talking about, A Man deteremined that I should feel exactly the same was he does, True. The man has something I don't: Something I slightly admire--that I Wished I ight have. tut I know better. I'm wig' that: I've put away siMplicities. I'm into anaylizing, defining, labeling. I know life's far more coMpliCated. I know that faith isn't absolute Coriviction, faith doesn't mean saying over and over again, I believe. I believe. I believe. '64 don't Make faith necessarily sure by Saying that it is Sure. You don't necessarily pound your fist to tnake It sure. Pounding doesn't reinforce faith. Or confirm it. Or assure it. Not that the man pounded his fist or stomped his rubber boots. He just went on in forceful conviction, "I can't explain things very well. Some people call me a fool. But at least I'm a fool for Christ." I knew all the names to write him off. His zeal. ,His witness. Fundamentalist. Literalist, Obscurantist. Moralist. I could argue. Tell him he's over responding to his conversion experience. He spends too much time on that and not the source of it. He becomes the emphasis. He overshadows the God that finds him. I didn't say anything. "Often it's the religious person --the obvious religious person--that's the hardest one to reach," the man said. What could I say? How can I argue with a man's experience? His great change? Would oe it help if I told him that religious experience comes in many varieties? Not, just his variety? That he doesn't have to try to bring everyone to the same dramatic convers ion he had? That he doesn't have to flatten out religion to one single mold. That he doesn't have to steam roll everything our to same-ness and similarity? And what about his public worship? He confestied he didn't go to church that often? Then what about that? Why doesn't he return to the place where God continues to find us. To come to' us through his Word and through baptism and the Lord's Supper? - boenylyondp conversion? individual Ahd what about Where going beyond but systems arid laws needing changing too? What can I say to the man? Not to offend, Not make to defend: To amend. Nothing. OnlY I reassure Myself after he's gine. I want to call Myself Christian. With a little less sureness. A little less bravado. I like to think I've always' been a Christian—within a community of believers, At times believing. At other times, doubting. Despairing, but always upheld by the Everlasting Arms. don't have to reply on my unsteady ginis"rilY faith—to make God's goodness real to ine, Call me Call Me tittid.oisstruggling Call mer Ogrigthg b one of one Christian. Who's taking a lifetinie to Work out his salvation in fear and trembling. high I just can't do it in one grand spiritual