There is a hierarchy of needs in our lives. Maslow famously created this as illustrated here. He understood that before you can have enjoyment from things we might call “nice”, you must have food, water, shelter, and safety. Without those things a lovely stroll in a park, a good book, and watching a well-made movie does not have any value.

Last Friday I was in conversation with a man who is increasingly becoming a good friend. We have a working relationship for a short time but before that, we would meet occasionally for a meal and discussions. I have found him to be insightful, wise, and incredibly competent.

We ended up talking about Canadian culture, which over the past 2 and a half years seems to have deteriorated. We are increasingly pluralistic in nature but that pluralism is under attack. We have become increasingly pagan. Not that everyone is, and not everyone will agree with that term, but increasingly we find ourselves in a world where faith is less important and less put into any kind of social action.

The Church has failed in ways that are embarrassing, to say the least, and criminal in many ways. Stories of sexual abuse, the residential school saga, and the moral failure of high-profile church leaders have injured the reputation of the Church substantially.

I wonder how long it will take to recover.

Back to our conversation… my friend remarked that Canadians (sorry for the generalization of the comment) have a loss of civility. And, he went to observe, that just when people need faith the most, they are walking away from it.

Yes, I think I agree.

Not everyone of course. There are still people who trust Jesus, who would express how God transformed them, that is changed them through what the Bible calls the regeneration of The Holy Spirit. There are people who are serious about their faith, who believe that what they say, how they act are important in reflecting the values of The Bible and the teachings of Jesus.

And there are people who believe that the promise of Jesus, that He would return is still valid, is important, and should be heeded. Will He return soon? I don’t know. Many think so.

I leave you with these words from the conclusion of Revelation – the last book of The Bible. With 66 books in The Bible with a central theme that God is redeeming His creation. It gives me hope each day to know that this world is still in the hand of God and He has a timetable for us.

¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”