Daily Archives: September 5, 2017

On! Achieving Excellence in Leadership

05 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by in book review, Psalms

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Character and personal values: Do they matter? John Weston certainly believes they do.

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A guide to values that are personally transformative

As a west coast Member of Parliament, Weston’s values and character were put to the test in government over a seven year period. This 177 page book reflects the values or guiding principles that kept him on track, running his race throughout that hectic period of his life and beyond.

So what are the values that Weston sees as essential for achieving excellence in leadership?

“Eight powerful values are waiting to turn you and others On. Integrity, responsibility, compassion, courage, freedom, equality, fitness and resolve are nothing new. What is new is the need to awaken them.”

Chapter by chapter Weston discusses these values and how they have animated his daily life and work. I found the chapters on fitness and resolve particularly challenging on a personal level. This is a book that calls us higher. It calls us to live out values that are transformative personally, nationally and globally.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants to improve their performance in the game of life. As a bonus, those with an eye on the Canadian and international political scene will find many points of interest within these pages.

A book review by David Kitz

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

05 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 35, Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 35

(Verses 22-25)
LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent.
Do not be far from me, Lord.
Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God;
do not let them gloat over me.
 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up” (NIV).

Reflection
There’s an old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That certainly is true of the conflict in the Holy Land. About 3,000 years ago, in David’s time the Kingdom of Israel was in a struggle for survival. Chief among its enemies were the Philistines along the Gaza coast. On the day when I originally wrote this post, Israel’s chief enemy Hamas was firing rockets into Israel from the Gaza coast.

2017-08-13

Peaceful Petrie Island morning — photo by David Kitz

David’s words from Psalm 35 have a present day resonance. LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. Many in present day Israel are praying this prayer with the fervour of those who are being attacked.

But the residents of Gaza could pray this prayer with equal fervour. Their homes and businesses are also under bombardment. Where is God in all this suffering? Whose side is He on? Many in the Christian community affirm with great confidence that God is on the side of Israel. Does that make God complicit in the deaths of innocent children in Gaza?

Jesus gave this counsel to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:38-39). Present day Israel (and America for that matter) has a well-established policy of hard-hitting retaliation when attacked. What are the long term consequences of this policy? Is the conflict resolved or is it inflamed?

Jesus’ admonition to turn the other cheek goes unheeded. Most feel that turning the other cheek implies weakness. In reality it requires far more strength, but in the end it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness—not a righteousness that insists on its own way—but a righteousness that sees both sides of an issue and works hard for peace and reconciliation.

Jesus asks us to do the far harder thing. Retaliation is easy. It’s the natural response. Forgiving when we are wronged, that requires far more effort. Whose side is God on? He is on the side of peace. That’s something worth fighting for.

Response: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9). LORD God, help me to be a local peacemaker in my world today—someone who builds bridges between people and communities. Amen.

Your Turn: Forgiveness and turning the other cheek works on a personal level. Can it work on an international level as well?