A message from Dr. Keith
Greetings BSBC:
I am looking forward to our online service this week, and a warm thanks to Pastor Greg and the leadership team for ensuring that our series in the book of Acts can continue: even amidst the disruptions and daily developments, it is reassuring to know that the Street is committed to studying God’s word and seeking wisdom from Scripture. On our last occasion we explored Acts 10:1-23, as a dreaded Roman officer named Cornelius sees a vision about a man named Peter who will share a most important and life-changing message. At the same time, Peter himself has a threefold vision where God challenges him about the boundaries of purity. Be sure to tune in this week, because Acts 10 comes to a most startling conclusion, as Peter is compelled to reach out to a group of people whose house he would not have dared to enter just a few days before!
Like most of you, this has been a demanding and taxing week, with changes by the hour that caused confusion and created more work: along with the majority of North American professors, I had to transfer all of my university courses to an online platform, and deal with the innumerable headaches that accompany such an undertaking. I was most impressed, however, with the resilience and commitment of my students, and it provided a welcome reminder that despite chaotic circumstances, seemingly minor acts of kindness and words of life-giving affirmation can make a world of difference.
So, despite the present uncertainties and potential panic, we can nonetheless seek opportunities—in word and deed—to live out our faith and share our greater hope. This past Sunday Pastor Greg drew our attention to the storm (the Greek term is seismic!) in Matthew 8:23-27, and I was reminded that it was the disciples themselves who preserved this very account of what they discovered about the character of Jesus on those harrowing waters. As one commentator puts it, “This story is passed on by these disciples because they want to encourage all subsequent disciples to place their confidence in a Lord whose measure of help is not the measure of disciples’ worthiness but the measure of the Lord’s grace.” May the God of grace be with us all in these days, and grant each of us peace and perspective as we respond to every new situation.
Keith Bodner
