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Imani put down her books and ran from the library. Her study buddy instinctively ran after her in alarm. “What’s wrong?” her classmate cried. “I just don’t want to anymore.” “You don’t want to study anymore?” “No, I don’t want to live.” Imani had always done well in school, but she was no on the verge of getting an B. It may seem trivial. Yet, it was the only thing that Imani had control of in her life and she desperately wanted to hang on to it. Imani was caught between her parents and their marital relationship soured. It seemed that ever romantic relationship ended with Imani feeling compromised and unworthy. Her studies seemed to be the only thing she could master and even that was slipping away from her. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people 10-34 years of age. The 10 th leading cause of death for the general population. Often people choose suicide when they don’t see a way out or they don’t see how their life matters. Others are psychotic and hear voices telling them to take their lives. In the movie Me Before You, suicide was glorified as a personal choice for someone with an illness that he couldn’t cope with. His family and close friends were expected to cope unselfishly with the pain for losing him. However, the loss of a love one to suicide is undeniably painful. In her article for the Washington Post, “Suicide is desperate. It is hostile. It is tragic. But mostly, it is a bloody mess”, Roxanne Roberts tells the heart-rending story of how her father took his own life as a seeming act of revenge against her family. Samson committed suicide at the end of his failed mission to save Israel from their oppressors. Judas and Ahithophel took their lives when they realized that their well laid strategies to procure success and even fame went in direct contradiction to God’s plan. It’s a scary thing to fight against God. Suicide may simply be a personal choice for some; however, as Christians we have better resources to cope as well as bigger picture to consider. God promises us that he will not allow a situation that beyond our power to overcome. We never know how God may need us in the upcoming battle between good and evil. We deprive him of what may be one of his most valuable warriors if we take ourselves out. This is clearly a victory for the Enemy. Imani got help that time. The next time she attempted suicide. Thankfully, she didn’t succeed. Eventually she got the help she needed. While mental illness is something like the thorn in Paul’s side for her, she is a brave survivor. My conversation with Imani started with some text on Facebook that I posted to reach out to anyone who had attempted suicide or had a loved one who had. I was overwhelmed with responses. I was able to talk to Imani and others who had come close or had family members who had love ones who had come close to or even taken their lives. SUPPORT SYSTEM A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple- braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12, New Living Translation. Imani shared that building a support system was one things that of the really help her. She made sure to build a community of people around her that could support her on those dark days. One of those people is her therapist. She is intentional about reaching out to them when she feels like giving up or doing something crazy to cope. We have become increasing isolated. Community is something that we have to intentionally foster. She stresses that there should be multiple people in that special circle so one person doesn’t burn out. She has been in the spot where she has felt responsible for “keeping someone alive” and knows how emotionally overwhelming it can be. She confides that sometimes she does worry that she is “bothering” her friends when she comes to them for emotional support when she feels depressed. However, she reminded herself that a phone call from a friend asking for help is so much more desired than a phone call about her passing. Essentially, she is giving those around her the opportunity to help instead of leaving them wondering at her funeral. We have become increasing isolated. Community is something that we have to intentionally foster. Studies have shown that community is phenomenal for helping people cope with not only mental, but even physical illness. Imani does this by getting involved in church. You can do this too! Join a ministry. Create a ministry. Start or join a small group. Start a mentorship program. Start volunteering at a local soup kitchen. What’s available in your community? Be intentional about getting involved. BEING REALISTIC Healing doesn’t stop because you relapse. Imani Jane Anderson It is easy to get discouraged when dark thoughts overwhelm and wonder if they are present because you aren’t a good Christian. And you would be right. You aren’t a good enough as a Christian. Thankfully, your ability to be a good Christian isn’t the key point. The key is that Jesus is an amazing Savior. Ellen G. White reminds us that not only is sanctification is the work of a life time, but also that man turns from God not God from man. Paul reminds us that nothing can ever separate us from the rich, boundless love of God. The process is like a plant growing little by little day by day until it yields it’s perfect juicy fruit. Be patient with yourself. Even Jesus was depressed and anxious. The more important thing is to fight the good fight and utilize the tools that that God has given you to overcome. If you don’t, then simply ask God to help you get up again. COPING STRATEGIES The goal isn’t to get rid of all your negative thoughts and feelings; that’s impossible. The goal is to change your response to them. Marc and Angel Chernoff Both my sister and Imani told me that they often get so caught up in freaking out about an upcoming situation that practical solutions evade them. Imani needs to physically relax herself before she can face the situation effectively. For Imani this means little therapy hacks such as her essential oil diffuser or her sparking bubble lamp. She even has a weighted blanket and an acupuncture mat. She may even call a trusted friend to vent and talk about the situation. When she has the opportunity talking a walk in nature or by water is also very effective. For my friend Gracie, it is listening to encouraging music and journaling. Everyone found sleeping to be a helpful hack. My trusted hack is Scripture. When I am overwhelmed by a particular situation, I’ll start to sing scripture songs quietly or in my head. This calms me down enough to then confront the situation and find a way out. RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD Do not, I entreat of you, sit down in hopeless despair and do nothing. Do not heed any further the great tempter, that it is no use for you to try. You could but perish if you came to Jesus just as you are, sinful and polluted, vile and depraved; but Jesus is amply able to save the very hardest and the most wicked and defiled sinner.” E. G. White Another huge thing that helps Imani battle her mental illness is her relationship with God. How awesome is it that we can have a personal relationship with the God of the universe who has very single resource available at His disposal. Don’t let your doubt and discouragement get in between you and God. Now is the time to cling to Him more than ever. Even if you can’t feel him or see him keep holding on. Fight and wrestle like Jacob until you figure out what works for you and grows your relationship. Pray. Listen. Journal. Spend time in the Word. Memorize Scripture. Listen to a great sermon. Listen to an audio Bible. If you are still stuck, check out Justin Khoe awesome videos on how to read the Bible and how to pray to get you started. Written By: Joneen Wilson

“Social justice is the gospel.”–Dan Jackson “There may be those who overemphasize social issues while downplaying or neglecting biblical truth and its relevance for today’s society.”–Ted Wilson These two statements served as rallying cries for both sides in Adventism’s culture wars. For years now, there have been two movements within the church that are drifting further and further apart. I’ve watched as people have retreated from diverse meeting grounds to private groups on social media. I’ve watched as long-running press staples like the Review have been discarded in favor of an increasingly polarized independent Adventist press. In many ways, Adventism has mirrored America with people picking tribes to go to battle within the culture wars. Irreducible Complexity The problem with our era is that everything gets reduced down to a single headline or tweet. Both of those statements are fiery on their own, but both men actually have quite a bit more to say. As passionate as Dan Jackson is about social justice, he is just as quick to say that accepting Jesus as your savior is part of the gospel.1 For all the criticism Ted Wilson received over his Annual Council remarks on social issues, the next line out of his mouth was, “Yes, there are appropriate social issues we need to address, but always within the context of God’s last-day warning.” Not enough? The next day he would apologize for his remarks and affirm his commitment to social issues. 2 I wonder how many problems we could solve, not with the right series of texts, or a “focus on mission” (whatever that means anymore), but rather by simply allowing complex thoughts to exist without trying to reduce them down to one-liners. The Good News The word “Gospel” comes from the word “Euangelion” in the Greek and “Basar” in Hebrew. It means “Good News.” Not just any good news, though. The word is always used in connotation to announce the good news that there is a new king on the scene with a new kingdom. When Jesus first arrives He tells people that He came to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). What does this kingdom look like? As the gospel writers tell us, the kingdom of God is where the sick are healed, the prisoners set free, the lame walk again, and the meek inherit the earth. Every time Jesus brings up the kingdom of God it is connected with an act that makes earth a little more like His kingdom. Once you are looking for it, you can’t miss the connection. To say the Gospel is just about the grace we receive from Jesus’ death and resurrection is to say the Good News is only about the King. To say the Gospel is only about social justice is to say the Good News is only about the kingdom. Neither makes sense. The king and the kingdom can’t exist apart from each other. Who would want to live eternally in a kingdom identical to our earthly kingdoms? That wouldn’t be good news at all! If we take the term "gospel" at its word—literally—we must conclude that social justice is part of the Gospel. Maybe that social justice looks a little different than how political groups view social justice, but it has to be there. The kingdom has to be there. But we can’t conclude that social justice is the gospel, because we can’t build that kind of kingdom without God as our King. Thousands of years of history show us we can’t do it without Him. So as you feel the culture warriors pulling you apart, insisting you pick which version of the gospel to accept, I suggest you answer with the following question. Why not both? 1. https://www.nadadventist.org/news/work-together-and-be-not-deterred 2. https://spectrummagazine.org/news/2018/regional-conference-leadership-meets-ted-wilson-concerning-his-annual-council-remarks 3. The idea of the king and the kingdom comes from When Helping Hurtsby Steve Corbett and Bryan Fikkert Written By: Ben Kreiter

I am charmed by Adventism. That’s why I am an Adventist. I may be biased, but I think that Adventism is the perfect religion for Millennials. Yes, I know, Adventism is considered “that weird religion” as Whitny Braun describes in her blog post for the Huffington post. But aren’t Millennials all about being different? Honestly, I don’t think we make the most of our authentically awesome features as Adventists. We certainly don’t do enough to let the transformative love of Jesus permeate our lives. If we did it right, Adventism would be the coolest and most attractive religion available to our generation. 1.   Bullet-Point Beliefs Something really cool about Adventism is that concise set of fundamental beliefs. It’s almost like a trendy blog post: “28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” Each one of them is well researched and biblically-based. Not only that, they are balanced and sensible. Our founding fathers and mothers came together with bits and pieces from their respective Protestant faiths. They all brought different beliefs to the table. Yet they went through a systematic way of deciding which of those beliefs to hold on to. If the believer could make a logical argument from the Bible to support the piece of theology, only then would it be kept in the collection of beliefs. Adventist beliefs are also really great for the skeptic. We encourage you do your research going through the Bible on your own to figure out if what we are saying is true and Bible-based. Something that Millennials love. Of course one has to be convince of the verity of the Bible, but that’s an argument for another article. 2.   Tangible Rituals Millennials love things we can touch, feel and experience. The abstract is not enough. While we keep a few of the timeless Christian traditions such as foot washing and the communion super, we also have some unique ones. My favorite is the Sabbath –an ancient almost forgotten practice. It revolves around a 24-hour space in time which we believe is sacred. It starts at sundown on Friday and extends until sundown on Saturday. We devote this time to worshiping God, connecting with family, fellowshiping with friends, and simply resting. Why resting? Because we are remembering that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. We must waiting and watch for the salvation of the Lord. 3.   Deep roots Although the organization is only a little over a 150 years old, we acknowledge our roots that go down deep past the Protestant Reformation. We are the only denomination that is still vibrantly protestant. Questioning the practices of organized religion and trading them for something more authentic and Bible-based. The Sabbath ties us to the Jewish faith –one of the oldest religionsin existence. We millennials love to ask: What’s your story? And ours is rich and well recorded. Not to mention that one of our founders and resident prophet wrote it down in beautiful collection of volumes called the “Conflict of the Ages.” Of the series, the Great Controversycovers the most recent tapestry of stories in the intense conflict between good and evil. Lineage Journeysbrings much of that story to life in their web series on our history loosely based on the book. We millennials love to ask: What’s your story? 4.   A worldwide citizenship My dad used to travel a lot for work as a software developer at a large secular company. Whenever Sabbath rolled around he would stop working, spend the entire day resting and find the nearest Seventh-day Adventist Church. Oftentimes, he spent the whole Sabbath just fellowshipping with the believers. In many cases, one of the church members knew someone he knew. His coworkers were amazed. “How do you know someone in every single country?” they asked. I have had similar experiences in my travels. No only have I always found a Adventist church, but it immediately gives me the chance to be immersed in the culture of that land. Yet, at the same time there’s this bond of connection through our faith thereby making them also feel like family. As Millennial, I love being a part of something that is so globally interconnected. 5.   Call to Action We millennials are very purpose-driven and love to be caught up in something bigger than ourselves. As Adventists—we are! We are helping God save the world. So many people are searching for something better and we want to help them find it. It’s not about force or coercion, it’s all about sharing something beautiful that we’ve found beneficial in our own lives. In the same way we take care of our bodies right here and now, we are obligated to take care of our planet and the people in it. Yes, our goal is to reach people for eternity; however, we also want to bring them a little piece of Heaven on Earth. Right here. Right now. That means relieving the suffering of the poor, healing the sick, educating minds and stewarding the planet. Like Jesus said “he who is faithful in little things will be faithful in big things.” 6.   Whole Person Unlike many religions, Adventism isn’t just about spirituality. We believe that our physical, mental, and emotional health have contributing factors in how we experience spirituality. That means part of our spirituality is eating healthy and moving our bodies. While we don’t believe this saves us, we do believe that it helps us experience God and serve the world better. Thus there is an entire Blue Zonededicated to Adventists. The only Blue Zone that’s actively growing because we are effectively sharing our secrets to longevity with others. 7.   Unique picture of God Seventh-day Adventism has a unique view of God in how He intersects with humanity. There are basically two kinds of schools of thought when it comes to what God is like: 1) The picture in which God is a overbearing tyrant, ready and eager to destroy sinners in their sin and 2) the rainbows and hearts philosophy devoid of justice which just simply turns a blind eye to injustice. In his book Why is Adventism so Weird?, Marcos Torres points out that Adventism introduces a third option. One were mercy and justice kiss. A God who pulls all the stops to save us from the cancer that is sin; yet, somehow brings about the justice this battered planet so badly needs. Making sure that injustice and evil are defeated in the end. He is a rational, yet loving being. Then there is the picture of the Great Controversy which brings character and dimension to the story of God. Revealing the battle between good and evil. Helping us understand that it’s not just black and white, but vivid with color. We quickly see that God is making compromises while he tries to make the best decisions for the universe that he rules. The story of Job is a beautiful example of this. Herb Montgomery explores this radical view of God in his book Finding the Father. Summary Seventh-day Adventism has much to offer Millennials, being just as authentic and passionate as they are. Written By: Joneen Wilson

I love the way stories begin. As characters are introduced and the plot begins to take shape, there is this delightful sense that something wonderful is about to unfold. One of my favorite story beginnings is from The Hobbit. In the first movie, there is this fantastic scene between Gandalf and Bilbo. The dwarves have laid out the plans for their quest for claiming gold and conquering a dragon, and Bilbo has been invited into this grand adventure. However, he shrinks back at the magnitude of the risk involved. Gandalf is trying to convince him to abandon his rather meaningless life, sign the dwarves’ contract, and join the quest. He tells the story of one of Bilbo’s ancestors who, although a hobbit, was also a great warrior. The scene concludes with the following dialogue: Gandalf: You’ll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back. Biblo: Can you promise that I will come back? Gandalf: No. And if you do, you will not be the same. Bilbo: That’s what I thought. Sorry, Gandalf, I can’t sign this. You’ve got the wrong Hobbit. You can feel the tension so strongly here between who Bilbo is and who he could become. In the book, it is especially clear that part of Bilbo longs for something more, and yet there is a part of him that thinks the cost is too great. So he must decide: take the risk and gain the possibility of something far better than he has ever experienced, or play it safe and accept that this is as good as it gets. Bilbo is not the only one to have faced such a decision. There was once a crippled man who lay by the pool of Bethesda hoping for a miracle. For thirty-eight years he has been waiting. Many of us, like him, have convinced ourselves that there is only one way our story can unfold. While this sick man placed his hope in the waters of Bethesda, it is important to note that he was incapable of making it to the water on his own andhe had no one to help him. In other words, his chances of moving forward in his story were zero. It is easy to get stuck in our story. We surround ourselves with people, circumstances, and thoughts that offer no way forward, but instead only feed into a negative loop of sickness and stuckness. We need some external source to step in and offer us a better way. This is when Jesus shows up and asks the crippled man a puzzling question: “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). This question has always fascinated me. It seems a little insensitive at best, and completely ridiculous at worst. It sounds akin to going to a hospital and asking a patient if they want to get better. The answer seems obvious. But, of course, Jesus always asks the best questions, not because He doesn’t know the answers, but because He is inviting us into discovery. This question is deeper than it looks at first. “Do you want to get well?” The sad truth is not everyone does. Sometimes it is safer to stay sick because to hope for healing—to seek that kind of change—is to take a great risk. You risk looking like a fool, risk getting your hopes dashed. You take a risk that the offer of a better life will not come true, leaving you more crushed than if you’d simply settled for less. Many of us do settle for less, but Jesus is always inviting us into more. Jesus enters the scene and changes the story. He changes the whole paradigm and offers a completely different way of living. Jesus opens the way for the sick man to enter into new life: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8). The crippled man takes the risk and chooses to trust in Jesus. He gets up and walks into a challenging, complicated, yet beautiful story with Jesus. He chooses to stop waiting around for chance and fate and instead accepts the gift of freedom and choice. And somewhere far away in Middle Earth, Bilbo also finally chooses the better story - partly in order to prove himself, and partly because Gandalf gives him a little nudge in the right direction. In Corey Olsen’s book, Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, he notes significantly that “Gandalf is not just a storyteller; he is a storymaker” (p. 19). Jesus is calling each of us into a better story, too. I think our questions are usually very similar to Bilbo’s: Can you promise I won’t get hurt? Can you promise it will be easy and comfortable? Can you promise it will be as I expect, with no surprises or detours? The answer is a definitive no. But you can know this for sure: you will never be the same. And you will be living a story worth telling. And whatever happens, you will be walking in the path of Jesus, the greatest storymaker ever. Written By: Jason Vanderlaan

God made me to be a fortress, standing tall against those who cling to their right to stare as I walk past. Those who cling to their right to twist my name in their mouths; those who cling to their right to assert their entitlement; their right to scare the opposite sex into submission. God made me to be outer space; my veins connect like constellations. My heart glows like the brightest star in the sky; watch how men with rock hard heads reflect me. I have been told I am an empty expanse, with nothing certain to stabilize a man; I have been told I am too easy to get lost in; I have been told that I lack gravity. Men forget, too quickly, that the rings of Saturn rest on my hips. I contain galaxies. God made me to be a garden. Do not confuse the brown of my skin for fertile soil for you to rest in. I am reserved for gentle hands willing to toil, in the pouring rain and in the blazing sun. I do not bloom for just anyone. God made me Woman. An individual. A compilation of stories, waiting to be told. A fountain of compassion and love. The next time you think I am a body, the next time you think my identity begins and ends as a daughter, or a sister, or your future wife-- know I am a monument of purpose. Know, I am a child of God. God made me Woman. I am a lullaby in a minor key; I am the light that wakes you up each morning and the dark that puts you to sleep; I am an expanse of ocean, with depths that no one but my Heavenly Father has ever seen. I am the voice that speaks when all others are silent. I am a monument of purpose. Of destiny. Of possibility. I am not the voice of the future, I am the voice of today. The voice of impatience, of restless ambition, of knowing I have been silent for long enough. Of knowing, God did not create me for tomorrow, or yesterday-- God made me for right now. God made me Woman. God made me to reclaim my time, to fight for what I know is right. To stand tall against oppression and injustice. To overflow with empathy and compassion. I am Woman. Thank God, I am Woman. Written By: Anna Gayle

Home is where you're supposed to feel safe. It is a place where you’re supposed to be able to let your guard down, where you can be open about your desires, hopes, failures, and questions. Home is something we long for because it is where we can be ourselves without fear of being unloved. It is a refuge of life-giving loyalty and love. To be homeless or to live in a home where you aren't safe physically, emotionally, or spiritually, is a profoundly disorienting and damaging experience. The scars can last a lifetime. There is hope, however, in our ability to share and receive healing. Home can be experienced outside of families of origin and outside of current circumstances. We find home in new family and friends. Some of us even find home in church. As Christians, that is the dream, right? That the church would be the source of unconditional love in the world, a home for the wanderer, the welcoming arms of the family of God. But let's be honest: is your church a safe place? But let's be honest: is your church a safe place? Did you know Jesus was very familiar with these questions of belonging? In addition to spending the majority of his ministry in homelessness, the early years of His life were also spent with His family as refugees on the run. In the Gospel of Matthew, we find that “after the magi were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you’” (Matthew 2:13). Jesus' family had to leave not only their hometown, but also the religious community of the chosen people of God. Why? Because home wasn't safe anymore - particularly because of those in power. Where did Jesus and his family escape to? Egypt, of all places! Egypt, where their people were enslaved for 400 years. Egypt, a nation that had historically been a source of bondage and oppression. This is the place that they now run to for refuge. This is the place that is now safer than home. What a plot twist! Joseph, Mary, and Jesus find a temporary, safer home among foreigners. As beautifully expressed in The Desire of Ages, God "provided in a heathen land a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus. And through the gifts of the magi from a heathen country, the Lord supplied the means for the journey into Egypt and the sojourn in a land of strangers" (DA 65). Jesus knows what it is like to find home away from home. He also knows what it is like when your religious community isn't a safe place. Even when the family of Jesus returned to their homeland, they didn't return to the religious center of their nation, but instead retreated to Nazareth, which had "a much larger mixture of foreign inhabitants than Judea" (DA 66). This is the environment Jesus spent the first 30 years of his life - amidst foreigners and people who thought, believed, and lived differently than He did. I can’t help but believe this shaped His ministry. We see Jesus journeying further into the religious center of his world, breaking down barriers and drawing all people together. The further in He went, the more dangerous it became. Among the many reasons why Jesus was murdered, it was also because He threatened the social and religious safety of those in power. It is scary to think that the chosen people of God can become so hostile as to kill their own Creator and Savior. But again, are we really any better off now? Is our church any safer than the religious community who condemned Jesus? I love the insight Ellen White had when she wrote, “The Lord does not now work to bring many souls into the truth, because of the church members” who are not living the reality of a life united with Jesus (T6, 370). What a crazy thought! God is actually preventing people from connecting with and joining our churches because of church members! She later notes that “If we would humble ourselves before God, and be kind and courteous and tenderhearted and pitiful, there would be one hundred conversions to the truth where now there is only one.” (T9, 189) It is because of current church members - because of you and me - not living out the unconditional love of God, not embodying the spirit of home, not being humble and kind that our churches are so empty. Otherwise we’d have one-hundred times as many people flooding into our spaces. So you may be wondering: is my church safe? Is it a place where God can bring people into and they can thrive? Here are three questions that can help you identify if your church is a safe place: Are there certain types of people who are unwelcome?I remember watching the Enough Room at the Tablefilm and there was this profoundly simple moment when someone said, “If everybody isn’t safe, then no one is safe.” If our churches are such that we create categories of who is or isn’t welcome, then ultimately we are all at risk. Discrimination is a fickle master, and if even one group of people is excluded it sends the signal that no one is free to truly share their struggles because it could end up leading to your exclusion from the church. What is the public prayer section of your service like?What people are willing to share publicly with the people they go to church with every week says a lot about if they feel they can be truly vulnerable there. If prayer requests are generic or vague or only positive, it might be an indicator that people don’t feel safe to share the deeper challenges in their life. Also, take note of how people respond when someone does share something more personal. Is it distant or direct support that is offered? Does the support extend beyond prayer time and into the actual lives of the people in need? How does your church respond when there are disagreements?When opinions differ, when personalities clash, and even when people hurt each other, what is the result? Is there division, isolation, and alienation? Or do we seek unity amidst diversity? Do we seek to listen and understand? Do we seek conflict resolution and reconciliation? If you or your church have missed the mark on any of these, don’t panic! There is hope. How do we make our unsafe churches into safe spaces? The first step is simple but difficult: ask yourself how you can be part of the solution. Thankfully, although it isn’t easy, you don’t have to do it alone. Unite yourself with Jesus daily. Take His yoke upon you and learn from Him how to be gentle and humble of heart. Be kind, courteous, and tenderhearted. Live out the reality of our salvation in Jesus by extending that unconditional love in an embrace that welcomes all into the transforming presence of God. Written By: Jason Vanderlaan

There's a noise that comes with busy coffeehouses that’s oddly calming. Past the pretentious coffee names, wooden aesthetics, and contemporary mainstream music that passes for a “vibe,” it's a millennial type of peaceful. This setting is the busy background to a conversation I'm having with a friend of mine who's sharing his problems with anxiety and his constant, recurring panic attacks with myself and his friend I've just met. He's visibly shaky. His nervous ticks heighten as he opens up more and more, each confession of vulnerability and fear pealing back a layer of his burdened psyche. It's an intimate conversation between two people he's entrusted with his secrets. It's a therapeutic brotherhood, and three hours later, we were all the better for it. Yet the conversations impress upon my heart a burning question. The question you might ask? It's simple, really, but its implications are the reasons I'm writing this article. Do people really have people in their lives they can talk to? And what if they don't? I understand. Pastors will say, "How close are you to God? Talk to him." Parents will say, "Social Media has ruined communication." Pseudo-Intellectuals will say, "Find the voice within yourself, and let it guide you." And while they each may have a point, most people will tell you that it's hard opening up about how they feel. It's even harder to find a group of people who are consistently willing to hear you out. Many of my generation feel trapped between a desire for depth and a fear of rejection. Across the board, there aren't many therapeutic sisterhoods and even fewer brotherhoods. Many feel as though our religious institutions have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy on a lot of topics that many young people deal with. How is it that God's word expresses so much vulnerability and intimacy yet His people can be so closed-off and impersonal. Could it be that the culture we see in many churches, institutions, and educational hubs is one of hidden scars, muttered pains, and silent traumas as opposed to the healing, supportive, and transformative spirit we find in scripture? Many churches are filled with a culture of keeping to themselves and cutting themselves off from social vulnerability except in the brief and fleeting moments of a shared desire to be "whole" on one day at the breaking of each week but shared doctrine does not fill the need for shared connection. Just being a sinner isn't the same as having the bravery to speak about what that experience entails. In Acts, we are shown the experience of the famed Pentecost, yet a rarely touched thread is how they got there. The apostles first needed to have a shared moment of vulnerability. Honest discussion needed to occur among the entire group. I say, "apostles," because they were more than simply disciples; it wasn't just the twelve in that room. There were others: men and women, who had gathered to share this desire for the Spirit to fall. But for the Spirit to fall, they first needed to be empty. Prayer wasn't enough. Worship and praise wasn't enough. Shared doctrine wasn't enough. There needed to be a shared intimacy in the admittance of their personal shortcomings, insecurities, sins, interpersonal issues, and desire for positions. They needed to deal with all these things and put them aside. "Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship." AA 37.1 The answer wasn't intensity. The answer was intimacy. I'm sure you've read the statistics of how many youth are leaving the church, Heard the sermons that present them, and the arguments and solutions to solve them. I'm sure that if at some point you've gone into church and left feeling lonelier than when you entered, you've preferred to put on a"brave face as opposed to the broken one you come to terms with in the mirror every day. If you have, I want you to know that this is unabashedly against the precepts that are found within scripture. Christianity isn't about hiding how broken you are. It's about sharing that despite how broken or how lost those pieces are, there is a master sculpture who can put them together and continues to put your pieces together. The solutions for the youth leaving the church, the divide between the old and young generation, etc. isn't brighter lights, holier music, better programming, or consistent activities. The solution is simply being more vulnerable and in turn, more understanding with each other about our shortcomings and problems, because much like the busy coffeehouse, where three young men shared their doubts, their fears, their hopes, and their dreams, the setting wasn't the focus, the stories were. What does that have to do with the title you may ask? I'm a firm believer that you can't simply criticize culture; you need to create it. It is with this belief that a group of young people present "Anonymously." Anonymously is a hotline where you can text your prayers, thoughts, fears, insecurities, and problems to an automated number. How does it work? You simply text 433-499-8518 with a prayer request, hope, thought, fear, insecurity, or problem and one of our correspondents from different walks of life and experiences will answer. Best Part? You're completely anonymous. No names. No shared contact information and at the end of each conversation, the correspondent you speak with will delete your conversation. I understand this isn't for everyone, but it's something. For those who feel like they can't share anything or for those who simply want to share everything, you’re only a text away from people who want to be there for, simply because we believe the answer isn't intensity. It's intimacy...even it's it's just between two nameless numbers. Written By: Jared Pujols

“When you forgive someone, do you have to continue to allow them in your life?” She wanted a Biblical answer not our opinion. My friend and I glanced at each other as we started to draw upon the Bible verses we had tucked away in the recesses of our minds. Later, as I pondered her question, I realized there are many myths surrounding the subject of forgiveness. It seems the ones that are so easily swallowed—yet often just as dangerous—are the ones that promote passive behavior. But first, what is forgiveness? These days forgiveness has come to mean giving up resentment against an offender, or granting relief from a payment. However, in the Biblical sense it’s deeper than that. Jesus taught some lessons which clarified what forgiveness is all about. In the parable of the unforgiving servant , we find that when the king forgives he essentialy assumes the servant’s debt. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father reinstates the son to his previous position as part of the act of forgiveness.  Jesus’ ministry focused primarily on reconciling our broken relationshipwith God. We find, then, that forgiveness is a process of giving a person a clean slate, reinstating them to a former position, and finding ways to repair a broken relationship. Admittedly, this isn’t an easy subject. Nonetheless, here are seven myths about forgiveness: Forgiveness before repentance There is a common myth that forgiveness is something we can do on our own. The other person doesn’t have to ask forgiveness, yet we are obligated to give it. However, we see from the Biblical narrative that forgiveness is a clear transaction when a person understands the gravity of their sin and turns away from it. Then, forgiveness is offered. A great example is that of the parable of the unforgiving servant. It was not until the servant understood the gravity of his wrong and begged for mercy that the king then offered forgiveness. Biblically, we are called to actively seek reconciliation with a person who has sinned against us, allowing them to see their error and encourage them to make things right so you both can live in harmony. Jesus counsels us, “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.” Forgiveness without boundaries There is a misconception that we are obligated to keep people in our lives who either willfully choose not to repent, or repent in words only. Repentance is only valid when there is an active turning away from sin. Just as Satan was kicked out of heaven, there are some people who need to be removed from the inner circles of our lives. Jesus counsels us to make an exerted effort to initiate reconciliation, but if all attempts are unsuccessful, he says to, “treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” Of course, we should always keep the door open to the possibility of reconciliation. We should keep praying for the person. When Peter asked how many times we should forgive our brother, Jesus responded, “Seventy times seven.” While this phrase has been taken mean an infinite number of times, we must remember that people can also grieve the Holy Spirit   in their resistance to change. Forgiveness is intercession As Jesus hung on the cross, he uttered a curious prayer. “Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.” Stephen shouted a similar sentiment minutes before that fatal rock struck him and took his life. "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" In her article on 5 myths about Forgiveness in the Bible, Maria Mayo points out that Jesus teaches us to “forgive boundlessly” if there is repentance. She maintains that Jesus could not forgive His attackers because there was no repentance. Instead, He asks God to do so in keeping with the Biblical teaching to pray for those who are abusing him. In any case, both the prayers of Stephen and Jesus are intercessory. Intercession is a powerful tool that can bring the redemptive power of the gospel into the lives of those who otherwise might not be receptive. It is Jesus’ work of intercession that saves us. Although we don’t know if Jesus’ prayer for His attackers was answered, but we do know that Stephen’s was. Saul later converted and became Paul, and was a powerful warrior in the work of spreading the gospel. Biblical teaching inspires us to forgive when there is repentance and intently intercede when it is absent. Biblical teaching inspires us to forgive when there is repentance and intently intercede when it is absent. Forgiveness by peace-faking In his book The Peacemaker, Ken Sande talks about the slippery slope of conflict. We may employ some tactics which we think are peacemaking strategies; however, they are really what Sande calls “escape responses.” These include denial, flight and suicide. Denial usually includes refusing acknowledge the issue and to use Biblically based techniques to resolve conflict. Flight may include ending a relationships, switching churches or quitting a job without attempting to resolve the conflict. While there are situations where offenses should be overlooked, there are times were a sin breaks down the relationship and needs to be addressed. Forgiveness is not a cop-out to avoid working toward reconciliation and unity through finding practical and reasonable solutions to conflicts. Forgiveness without redemption “But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too” Matthew 5:39, Good New Translation. We often take this to mean passively submitting to evil people. Herb Montgomery, a Bible scholar and pacifist, argues that perhaps there is more than meets the eye. Perhaps, this is an act of defiance that questions the motives and actions of the attacker begging them to think about what they are doing. As Gandhi said, “[Nonviolence] does not mean meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means the pitting of one’s whole soul against the will of the tyrant. Working under this law of our being, it is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honour, his religion, his soul and lay the foundation for that empire’s fall or its regeneration.” (Mohandas Gandhi, Young India; January 8, 1920, p.3). As Christians, we should always be asking “how can I best glorify God?’” and “how can we best reconcile others to Him?” We should always be finding ways to point others to the otherworldly way of dealing with conflict. We should be demanding that others think through their actions and question if they are the most Christlike way of going about things. [Nonviolence] does not mean meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means the pitting of one’s whole soul against the will of the tyrant. Forgiveness is unconditional The Bible doesn’t teach that forgiveness is irrevocable. There is parable after parable of individuals who got their favor revoked. Jesus counsels that if a person resists efforts to be reconciled they should be treated as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. Paul is even stronger counseling believers to not even associate with a person who disregards the teachings of the gospel. Yet, these are all redemptive strategies. Treating a person as a tax collector or a pagan means praying for themand showering them with kindness. Paul explains that not associating with a person is for the purpose of refusing to associating with the wayward brother was to make him ashamed and receptive to seeing the error of his ways. Essentially, they are at a place where they have to be re-reached with the gospel or have to be made to suffer the consequence of their actions. In his book The Peacemaker, Sande tells a story about a man who was determined to divorce his wife and move in with his lover. After hesitating, the Pastor informed the man that the church would have to remove him from church membership if he was determined to follow this wayward path. The man was shocked. He quickly recanted, broke up with his lover and made an effort to effectively reconcile with his wife. Most of the time when unbelievers are abusive, there is no way to reason with them to help them see the error of their ways. We may have to resort to nonviolence resistant techniques such as turning the other cheek or going the extra mile in a way that makes them stop and think about their practices of injustice. We can also pray for them, giving the Holy Spirit permission to soften their hearts to the gospel. Forgiveness without accountability There’s this verse in the Bible that says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” We tend to attribute this merely to an act of forgiveness, but we should rethink that. It is more closely aligned with God’s redemptive and cleansing power. God is in the business of saving us from our sins. In the same way, we should keep our brothers and sister accountable. James counsels us, “My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.” James 5:19-20, New Living Translation. Summary: There are always going to be conflicts, but how we deal with them demonstrates God’s redemptive power in our lives. It isn’t enough to say we forgive a person. We have to go the next step to foster a relationship that glorifies God and works through conflict. Forgiveness is all about redemption. Written by: Joneen Wilson

Note: I fully affirm holding to Biblical truths, but history has demonstrated that God works even when things aren’t fully correct. Learning to recognize God in these moments of contradiction is difficult but valuable. This is the final (for now) entry into a series. The rest of the series can be found here. Jesus Got It Wrong?! I first realized that the story of Lazarus and the rich man had far more depth than I understood when my supervising teacher corrected me while I was doing my student teaching. I had explained to the students that we were going to study the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The teacher asked how I knew it was a parable. I stammered a bit before shrugging. As I discovered when I got home, it doesn’t say it’s a parable. It’s not even strongly implied. My supervising teacher brought this to my attention because I was teaching Bible in a public school. This obviously challenges the wall between church and state. I was part of a larger program that taught the Bible purely as a piece of literature to be studied like any other piece of literature. To avoid lawsuits and controversy, nothing could be taught that wasn’t explicit in the text, and I couldn’t talk about beliefs of anyone but the people in their days. Because I made some assumptions about the story, it put the program at risk. You can’t say it’s a parable unless the Bible says it’s a parable. This whole incident led me to study more, and I realized something interesting: if this story isn’t a parable, then Jesus is making some profound declarations regarding the afterlife. The story in full can be found in Luke 16:19-31, but I’ll share a short summary. Jesus talks about two men who die and meet in the afterlife with their fortunes reversed. The first man, Lazarus, who was poor and afflicted in life, now stands next to Abraham. The rich man sits outside the gates in agony as his afterlife is spent in the fires of Hades. The rich man asks for help, but none is offered. If this is a true story, then the traditional view of eternal damnation is the correct one, right? Bad people burn forever while the good people sit in comfort. If the Adventist view is true -- the dead sleep until the resurrection, when sin and wickedness are totally anhialated -- then this story must be a parable. But if true, why would Jesus tell a parable that was so theologically wrong? “He was accessorily wrong” Here's another example to answer that question. I was having lunch with a friend a while back and we were talking about how God accomplishes His purposes through our experiences, faults, and limitations. I brought up William Miller and the great disappointment. (Quick recap: William Miller was a military man, turned farmer, turned preacher who thought Daniel prophesied that Jesus would return to earth in 1844. Since you are here reading this, you know that didn’t happen). I told my friend it’s remarkable that there was so much divine intervention into a movement that was fundamentally wrong. Jesus wasn’t coming in 1844, yet He sent prophecies to multiple people and performed multiple miracles for believers. My friend quickly countered that William Miller was, in his eyes, fundamentally right. He was accessorily wrong. (No shame in looking it up here. I did.) William Miller was right about the dating, was right that it had to do with Jesus' return, and was right that it related to the cleansing of the sanctuary. He was just wrong in what he thought the sanctuary was. It wasn’t earth; it was the heavenly sanctuary. Practically speaking, it was a big difference for the faithful believers who waited all through the night, but his theology was mostly spot on, and God was working through this movement! Correct Where It Counts Both stories, Jesus' afterlife story and William Miller's story of disappointment, contain a mixture of correct and incorrect theology. Which theology you think is incorrect probably says a lot about how Adventist you are. Either way, you should ask why God supports this conflicted theology? In the case of Lazarus and the rich man, the conflicted theology is coming straight from Jesus’ mouth! One of the beauties of God is that He works with us where we are and reveals the truths we need to receive. William Miller and his followers didn’t get every detail right, but they understood the heart of the matter. Jesus is coming soon to bring about the New Earth and God’s eternal kingdom! Miller got the "how" wrong, but people were inspired to share this message all over the country and all over the world. If he had gone around sharing, "Jesus moved to another chamber that may or may not be symbolic as typified by the Jewish Day of Atonement," do you think people would have gathered by the thousands to hear him? Probably not. God worked through flawed theology to illuminate beautiful, Jesus-centered, life-saving theology. It's the same with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus was talking to a bunch of people who couldn’t even decide if the afterlife existed or not. To read too much into the particulars misses the point. The rich man spent his whole life looking down on the poor and mistreating them. In the afterlife, he continues this same pattern. Note how he wants Lazarus to bring him water, but he won’t even ask Lazarus directly. He instead speaks to Abraham. Even in Hades, this man is still looking down on the poor. He still views Lazarus as a servant to go fetch him some water. He even talks about poor Lazarus like he’s not there! When Abraham refuses, the rich man again requests that Lazarus go and do something for him. Warn his family. Abraham replies that if his family won’t listen to Moses and the prophets (think Old Testament,) then they won’t listen to someone who rose from the dead. Jesus isn’t telling this story to paint an accurate picture of the afterlife. He is trying to get Israel to see that God has given them everything they need in the scriptures! They have been told how to treat others and how to treat God. They have been told about the Messiah and what he would do! Yet…the Messiah is staring them right in the face and they won’t believe…they won’t, even after he dies for their sins and comes back to life three days later. Jesus is trying to teach them about love, oppression, His purpose, the kingdom of God, and more. If He has to use their flawed understanding of God and the afterlife to do it, so be it. He did it again with Miller, and that certainly wasn’t the last time. Written by: Ben Kreiter

There is a pretentious and exclusive air that is usually placed with being a “creator”. In today’s society, everyone is influencer just by saying they are, and everyone with a phone, an idea, and a youtube account is a “creator”. The Irony? The market is so saturated with repetitive content that it’s hard to actually tell to the originators from the fakes. An entire generation seeking to make a quick buck off the free-market that is the creative world that doesn’t always equate to quality but quantity. There are “many” creators but how many of them are actually good? Many “creators” have made names for themselves on different platforms ranging from Youtube to Instagram. Millions of followers. Hundreds of photos. Dozens of videos yet how many of them are actually good? How many times have you been inspired? How many creators have shown you something you’ve never seen before? Or presented it in a way that feels fresh as opposed to being recycled? There is good news though!  This isn’t a problem within the Adventist church or is it? Could it be that we’ve hit a creative wall within the four walls we call church? How many creators are in church boards? How many filmmakers are in our pews? Photographers in our praise teams? Graphic designers in our equipment booths? Writers in our Sabbath schools? Could there be a wealth of innovators and originators hiding in plain sight? I believe so. I truly believe that as a people who serve the most creative being that we, in turn, should be the most creative people. We should be pushing boundaries as opposed to building them. We serve a God that lives outside of a box and our approach should one that mirrors the grandeur of who he is. I took the liberty to send out a bunch of emails to different directors in hope that they would offer me the opportunity to interview them and to my surprise, many of them agreed to be interviewed for this series. This series entitled “INSIGHT” will be focused on interviewing creators of different backgrounds but in the first installment of this series, we will be interviewing directors in order to inspire creators to do more with their talents.  The hope of this series is that by reading from creators who have gone out and made their dreams a reality, you may do the same with yours. This is Part 2 of INSIGHT: “A Series for Creators” Part 2 will be focusing on Jacob Defour. For those of you unfamiliar with Jacob Defour he is the Jacob Dufour is a multi-award winning Christian actor and screenwriter based in Southern Indiana and managed by Treasure Coast Talent. He is most well known for his work in “Andy’s Rainbow” (2016), “Sinjar: Valley of the Shadow” (2017), and “The Redemption of Benjamin Black” (2014). Jacob also co-owns and operates Amor Domini Productions LLC, a faith-based film company, and is married to his lifelong friend Rachel Casey. The following transcript is the interview and answers personally typed out by Mr. Defour Intro: Please introduce yourself to the readers. Who are you? My name is Jacob Dufour. I co-own and operate Amor Domini Productions, an independent Christian film company in Southern Indiana. What you are/have been involved with creatively? We have produced two feature films, “Andy’s Rainbow” and “To Be a Soldier”, and are currently in pre-production for a third. What do you feel is the hardest part of staying inspired in your craft? The hardest part about staying inspired is probably the foreboding knowledge of how difficult it is to see a film project through. For instance, I may have a good idea for a story, but is it really worth spending months writing a script for it, then a month of filming, and then another few months of editing/music, just so that we “might” get a decent distribution deal out of it? It’s a huge gamble of time and money, and having all that stress looming over you can really have an impact on your inspiration and creativity. When you first started exploring your talent what was your biggest obstacle? When I first became interested in filmmaking, I was about 8 years old. My friends and I would make these horrible short films, usually with no storyline and loaded with grade school bathroom humor. It wasn’t until I was 15 that my father Adam and two of our friends (who now make up Amor Domini Productions) decided to get into the Christian film ministry/business that it became anything more than just a hobby. The biggest obstacle was and still is today, a limited budget. It takes a lot of money to make quality films, and that has always been something we’ve struggled with. How did you get over that obstacle? The only way we’ve been able to make the films that we’ve made, and the only way we’ll be able to make this next feature, is through nothing short of God’s provision. 1 John 5:14-15 says that “this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” We figure that if God wants our films to be made, He’ll make a way for them to happen, budget or no budget. And so far, He has not disappointed. What’s your advice for people who want to start film-making? My advice for people who want to start filmmaking? … Don’t do it. Haha. No, I’m kidding. I wouldn’t trade the past several years for anything, but it has been hard. My advice to anyone who wants to get into it is, make absolutely sure that it’s what you want to do, and make sure that it’s what God wants you to do. And be prepared for it to completely take over your life. Also, don’t hire the producer’s reps. Even in the faith-based world, I have yet to meet an honest producer’s rep. Name me your biggest creative failure and what you learned from it? Our company’s biggest failure has probably been settling for a sub-par distribution deal. Make sure that you always exhaust your options before settling. It could mean the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars. What’s the worst advice you’ve heard in your field and why? The worst advice I’ve ever heard… I don’t know. Probably “trust me”. Even in the faith-based world, there are tons of scavengers who are just out to make a quick buck off you and your labor of love. In a world where creatives have so many platforms to succeed, why has the Christian world fallen behind? What’s the solution? Probably because for the most part, Christians seem to be really afraid of new stuff. Which I get to a degree, of course, there are many things changing in our society that are obviously very wrong and unbiblical. But many Christians take it too far, where they get stuck in their comfort zone and traditions. For instance, several Christian groups abhor rock and rap music. To them, any music with drums or electric guitars is the devil’s music. By being weighed down by their traditions, these Christians are missing out on massive potential of spreading the Gospel through music ministry. Just because they’re afraid to try new things. Until recently, most Christians have been the same way about filmmaking. They just didn’t want to step outside their comfort zone. What is your advice for young aspiring directors, writers, content creators who want to make relevant Christian content but don’t feel supported? Find support. If your own family, friends, and church won’t support you, then first you should probably find new friends, and dare I even say a new church. Whatever you do in life, as long as it is not against the word of God, your church and friends should support you in it. If the people you are surrounded by are tearing you down and not encouraging you to do the Lord’s work, then you need to be around different people. There is also a huge database of fellow Christian filmmakers on different Facebook groups that you can get support and encouragement from. Bottom line, don’t give up just because some people are unsupportive. What’s the most underrated part of God’s character that to you as a creator is important to you? That’s a tough one, but I’ll go with the first thing that pops into my head. Honestly, salvation. The actual Gospel. Believing on Jesus Christ and accepting His free gift of salvation. Many Christian films shy away from the Gospel message because they are afraid it will take away from the artistic quality of the film if they include it. As a result, most faith-based films have become lukewarm and not nearly as powerful (and important) as they could be. What the biggest obstacle for Christian Creators in this generation & What needs to be done to overcome that obstacle? Going back to question #8, the biggest obstacle for Christian creators nowadays has got to be a lack of support from other Christians. I know Christians who have driven 45 minutes to the nearest theater to see the newest Deadpool movie on opening night, but they won’t come to a local showing of one of my movies. Christians have GOT to start supporting each other, not just throwing money away at Hollywood’s giant money making machines. If we don’t support and help each other, we are stunting the furthering of the Gospel to those who need to hear it. Points to Highlight: Find Support. Mr. Defour highlights the importance of finding and having support. Many times the very thing stopping you from going out and creating is the people in your circle. Maybe you’re scared of what they’ll say or maybe you’re like me and never really had the confidence to go out on a limb because of what others might have said. Ignore all that. Support will find you when you truly seek in the right places. Find it and hold on to it even if it means leaving your current circle of friends. Step outside your Comfort Zone: Nothing great has ever been done from the safety of a comfort zone. Being a “creator” isn’t about the title. It’s about the courage to take a risk. “Just Start”: Stop making excuses and waiting for the right moment to start on your dream. The best time is always in the present! Start now! We hope this interview helps inspire you in some way, shape, or form as a creator to do more and be more! Special Thanks to Jacob Defour for his time. If you want to know more about his work, you can visit: https://www.amordomini.com/?fbclid=IwAR3Ndc4EZbR-fz4vkcZ2R5oKkDxWpJuqAq-If you have any questions you would like to see asked in the future or people who you would like to be interviewed for the series email me at jpbarca86@gmail.com If you missed part 1 and wish to read it the link is here:http://thehaystack.tv/dee-knight-insight-part-1-a-series-for-creators/

This is the fourth topic I’ve attempted to write on. I can’t seem to stay focused on anything. It probably doesn’t help that my wife is timing her contractions a few feet away, trying to determine if we might be headed to the hospital sometime tonight. After three different doctor’s visits telling us the baby would arrive any day now, all of which started before Thanksgiving at 36 weeks, we’re trying to find some humor in the fact that this baby may end up being late. I think I’m having an easier time with that. When we first found out that we would be having our second child near Christmas, I groaned. Once a birthday gets close to Christmas it seems like it just gets swallowed up. Sure you get a mention at Christmas dinner and your present is a little bigger, but everyone knows that’s not why people are gathered. More than just the Christmas thing, I was fighting feelings about bringing a child into this world. My Adventist inclination to believe the sky is falling isn’t sitting well with our current national climate these days. I know my fears are slightly ridiculous, but I think we all know something is rotten about the world in ways that it wasn’t not that long ago. It’s easy to get swept up in all the horrible things taking place in this world. Our hearts weren’t meant for this. Do I really want to introduce a sweet and innocent child into all this? What if things get worse…not better? Peace On Earth In my work I design Bible courses for online students. Lately I’ve been working on the nativity story. It’s been fitting that this has come around the Christmas season and as the birth of my son approaches. One of my goals is that students strip away all the tradition and myths about the story, and see it as it really was. What a story it was. The circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth were brutal. King Herod was so evil that killing babies who threatened his rule wasn’t abnormal behavior. The Romans ruled an increasingly hostile Jewish population. Militant groups would arise every so often only to be squashed out by the unstoppable Roman army, that would eventually wipe out the entire city of Jerusalem. The religious leadership didn’t provide any hope for the people. Instead they provided heavy chains which burdened them as much, if not more than the taxman. Ultimately, Jesus’ life would bear testimony that the solution to these difficult times was not a mighty king, an armed rebellion, or strict religious rituals. This child, Jesus, would become a man whose incredible love transformed not only the nation of Israel, but all of mankind. Jesus confronted the great wickedness of His day by wandering throughout a small corner of the world, on the edge of the Roman Empire, loving the poor, the oppressed, the sick, and the broken. Time for Love I don’t know what the future holds for my child, but it doesn’t bother me that he will be a Christmas baby anymore. The Christmas story of the Bible is the story of a world full of hatred, corruption, and all sorts of evil. When read in that light, Jesus’ birth becomes a story of a daring assault on darkness. God, displeased by the state of affairs, chooses not to withdraw from our wretched planet but to shower it with His love. Jesus’ birth signifies that evil will not go unchallenged, and that love will triumph. Whatever unrealistic expectations I end up placing on my son, being the savior of the world isn’t one of them. But perhaps, if I raise him as Jesus has called me to, his pocket of the world will be a little brighter, a little kinder, a little more like the kind of world Jesus came to build. If I can raise a child to do that, then Christmas is the perfect time for him to be born. Update: Shortly after writing this, my son was born. He hasn’t changed the world, but he’s changed our family already.

The self-help movement seems to be taking over the world. If you are into reading of podcasting, then it is likely you have come across some self-help content at some stage. Of the top 10 most popular books on Amazon in 2018, seven books focus on the topic. Personally, I read 5 self-help books in 2019 and I do not read that much (weird flex, I know!). I’m not entirely sure what to think of such a movement because there are obviously positives and negatives attached to it. However, as a self-diagnosed addict to self-improvement, I have some thoughts to share. I would love some feedback as well so make sure to comment below what you think about the self-help movement. So, without further ado, here are some thoughts regarding the self-help movement. Society Wants More One of my favourite Bible commentators writes about the God-shaped hole in the heart of every person that, until filled, leaves emptiness being the undercurrent of one’s life. Self-help seems to be the latest remedy to this emptiness with significant implications. One natural implication appears to be an unintentional (or perhaps intentional) shift towards playing God in our own lives. Whether or not you are religious, self-help is a humanistic notion that says ‘you can be your own hero’ and make yourself better. It can either be empowering or discouraging depending on your self-understanding. The self-help approach to personal improvement can either fuel our own egos to the point of narcissism or discourage us into deep insecurity. Either way, our self-esteem is determined by our performance, and dependant on us. I do not know you, but if you’re anything like me, that is neither a stable nor reliable place to secure our worth. It would not be fair to focus solely on the negatives of society’s craving for more, because there are significant advantages as well. Evidently, many are discontent with where they and society are at. Surely it is a good thing that the world around us wants to be better people. This desire for a better future is an open door to the Christian tradition, which has—in my experience—the greatest help ever readily available to anyone who wants it. In Jesus, I have found a friend that loves me so much that He met me where I was, but did not leave me there. The irony of the Christian approach to self-help is that the first step is to stop trying to help yourself. The Bible calls for us to die to our own ambitions and desires so that Christ can begin a work in us, which will be brought to completion at His second coming. Clearly, this is a counter-cultural approach to self-help. The Undercurrent of Insecurity Comparison is one of the most efficient ways to fuel your insecurity. Many self-help books lead us to reflect on where we currently are, and speak life into the notion that who we currently are is not enough. It is this sense of self-depreciation that many authors use as a mechanism to motivate the reader to want to improve. The source of this motivation, in my experience, is unsustainable because talking down to oneself is never a reliable motivator for change. People only change when they want to or when they have to. Coercion is never a good motivator. God takes a different approach that is riskier and requires much more effort. He chooses love as a motivator for self-improvement. It is out of the overflow of His love that God’s spirit convicts His followers to grow into His likeness and to live like the hands and feet of His son, Jesus. God loves us as we are and speaks life into what we can become by His grace. For me, that is a far more powerful motivator to change than any self-depreciation. Whether we like it or not, the undercurrent of the self-help movement is ‘you will never be enough’. It seeks to motivate us towards a perfect version of ourselves that doesn’t exist on this side of eternity. Worse, the perfect self we are working towards is not truly perfect if we can achieve it on our own. Living in the unknown and insecurity is the safest way to ensure you are relying on God’s strength rather than your own. It is not wrong to try and improve yourself. In fact, it is Biblical to work with God as He brings transforms us into the person He desires for us to be. We are not to sit in silence once we are saved and wait for God to fix every part of our life. Growth takes action and faithfully walking in the promises God has given us. What a follower of Jesus must be careful of, is making self-help the God they worship. At times, I have been guilty of this; taking advice from authors and trying to implement it into my life without prayerfully considering if it aligns with God’s plan for me. This might seem pedantic to some, but I believe God always funds His ideas. Whether that funding is financial, relational, or equipping us personally. And that might be through something we learn from a self-help book, but we need to consider God’s plan for our lives before trying to ‘improve’ ourselves by our own methods and research. Destination: Success. Perhaps the most significant impact the self-help movement has had and is having on society is that it feeds into the ‘made-it’ mentality. This approach to success is defined by setting goals and believing that by achieving them, success and contentment will also be achieved. The problem with such an approach is that we may never become the best at anything and end up spending our lives working for the approval of people that don’t actually matter to us. Why do we insist on striving to be enough when God has already called us enough? No ‘success’ or achievement can add to or take away from the value He gives us. For God, success is not a destination on this side of eternity. Rather, His followers must live in the unknown by faith and make sanctification a daily pursuit. As we find the pace of grace God has for our lives, may we walk in it and experience the peace and joy that comes with walking alongside our saviour.