Carson Samson

I find myself unsettled in the in-between as of late. I’m in-between vacation, just returning from a week, and awaiting two weeks later this month. Organizationally we are in-between leaders in search of a new national director. That’s not to say Elton DaSilva isn’t actively engaged in the role; he certainly is. Still, we are in that in-between season of change, wondering what the future holds, knowing that whatever it is, it will be different from the present. We are in Ordinary Time on the Christian calendar, the season between Easter and Advent. If you think Ordinary Time sounds boring, I don’t blame you for feeling that way. Who calls anything ‘ordinary” without expecting it to fall flat?

Yet it’s in times like these we can rediscover the presence of God in our lives. As in a comfortable hammock between two trees, we can rest knowing that the Holy Spirit is at work in our ordinary lives. God’s faithfulness doesn’t adhere to a calendar or a schedule. Ken Esau writes in this month’s Moment in prayer, “Faithfulness will in many situations mean being present to help others in need as we are able. It will, in many situations, mean providing a listening ear and honouring confidentiality.”

What if your in-between—your ordinary time—is someone else’s season of struggle and drought? Are we being called to shift our attention from ourselves to caring for a neighbour?

If we don’t know how to do this, Véronique Beudin suggests we turn to Matthew 5-7, the sermon on the mount. “Jesus told us to be with those who are marginalized,” says Beudin. “We sometimes need to learn how to interact with marginalized people, which feels hard, so we don’t.” Let’s pray that this not be our attitude. Let us pray that we have the awareness and the courage to put others first, even when difficult. Beudin and Anne Lalonde, two women making a lasting impact in their communities in Quebec, are interviewed on page 9.

My gratitude to this month’s contributors. Of note, Brian Cooper (Why do we read the Bible? Faith, focus, and Biblical authority) and Vic Neufeld (Gods of Instagram: Addicted to outrage). Thank you to our readers who support us constantly, even in the in-between times.

With respect,
Carson

This editorial first appeared in the August 2023 issue of MB Herald Digest