Wisdom In Action

These slow days at Christmas and year-end are a great time to grow some wisdom. 

An eccentric and austere prophet once announced, that ‘God was in the neighbourhood, right here among us!’ He pointed to Jesus of Nazareth, saying “This is the Son of God” 

The prophet was dismissed as crazy. 

Then the same Jesus, (there were several with that name around), was later found associating with the local riffraff. He was dismissed by some as a drunkard and friend of sinners. 

However, some people then and even today take the prophet seriously. They listened to Jesus and contrasted His teaching against their traditions and common sense. They compared Jesus with their contemporary religious authorities and trending philosophers, and His teachings with life as they experienced it. 

They found Him worthy of their allegiance and followed Him. 

Many are here among us, with feet firmly planted in the real world of today’s economic challenges, the vagaries of health and relationships common to all of us. 

I meet them among EMAS Canada volunteers and donors, and I hear of some in the villages of Haiti and Myanmar. They live as if they had the power of God to care for others. 

I have met the same sort in upmarket neighbourhoods of Harare, Nairobi, Vancouver, and Toronto. 

They prefer to live for others and not just themselves, and they are happy people. 

As mentioned in a previous blog our volunteers are generous givers who share their resources with people in faraway countries or nearby.  

Some ask me if EMAS can find opportunities where they can serve others with their medical skills. 

Not all the people at EMAS Canada claim to be or are followers of Jesus, however the common thread is living for others or at least an eagerness to find ways to do so.  Another common factor is an openness to learn about Jesus. 

When people take a closer look at Jesus, and make thoughtful inquiry about Him, they learn a wisdom proven by living for others.  

Jesus teaches and enables this.  

If you think the world is a weary place today, following Jesus with us in 2026 may be your option for bringing hope and relief by serving others.