THE WESTERN HEAVENS CRY

THE WESTERN HEAVENS CRY

Rain gently wetting all that's green and dry

Celestial notice that the heavens cry,

Ending our slow summer days in the sun,

Anguishing at what humanity's done.

Drone carried missiles exclusive of sound

Spray innocent blood on contested ground;

Guiltless targets rapt with work and play.

Comes violent death on this routine day  

Inner-city violence, selfish greed,

Wanting and getting distinct from need,

Society devoid of security,

Few children survive to maturity.

Virulent diseases ravage the earth;           

No one could dream how much water is worth;

Entire nations lack necessary food;                       

Disasters transpire as the heavens brood.

Absorbed in our privilege we ignore,

How helpless other humans are offshore.

Can't bother to think, content as we live

But their brief lives measured by what we give.

© Ron Unruh, 2014

MORNING COFFEE

 MORNING COFFEE

What would I do without her?

How could I live?

Yet people do go on I know

After a loved one is gone.

She sits outside my window

Sipping coffee in the morning, pensive.

Her profile so familiar to me.

I envision that image missing and stop,

I can't bear the thought, and won't.

Even now my desktop bears her portrait

Happy, smiling in the sunshine by the water.

That's my girl, the young yesterday girl

Same person, seasoned, wiser and so lovely.

I loved her then and love her now, more deeply

With the memories of our years.

By Ron Unruh, August 22, 2014

EAGLE KING UPON A POLE

EAGLE KING UPON A POLE

Eagle sits atop a pole
in Mud Bay standing watch
on glistening water, dancing lights
mid morning of a late July day.

A breeze on grasses swaying as I watch
a catamaran gently cruising to the open water,
Canadian flag proudly flying.

Still eagle sits as sailors pass
and then lifts off, too close for comfort he thinks,
flying, turning to the sea with effortless ease.
Now both boat and bird are gone.

Wistfully my gaze returns to blue water, tide receding

I sit where water will slap sand later.
Three herons cross into the breeze.
Then surprised I find the eagle has returned,
landing on what must be a favourite spot, the pole,
from which to survey this kingdom,
and pretend that he is king.


By Ron Unruh, July 29, 2014

Composed as I sat at Crescent Beach along the Blackie Spit overlooking Mud Bay, where the shore birds feed on rich fare, the distant train trestle over which the Amtrak rides, and the Marina from which pleasure craft and fishing boats come and go.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY SWEETHEART

47 years ago this Tuesday, August 12th, Christine said that she would commit herself to me in marriage and we began a life together that has given us years of service to others, fulfillment, personal growth, contentment, memories forever, and two children and now their spouses and their children. What a great way to spend a few decades. I could not be happier. Thanks my sweetheart.

Christine, you even like to have fun, although had both of us looked something like the following characters we may have walked away from one another.


But fortunately we simply aged gracefully and didn't need to play coverup. I think we have made it.




Imagine, we are going for 50 … not so far off.

RAVI ZACHARIAS HERE IN LANGLEY

Ravi Zacharias

(Feb 18, 2021 .. at the end of this post is an update about Ravi Zacharias and the news that rocked the Christian world)

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Last evening Christine and I attended a public meeting at which renowned internationally recognized Christian apologist and author Ravi Zacharias spoke on the theme, 'Notions of Truth and Tensions in Society.' I was so glad to hear him in person once again. His daily radio program Let My People think, enable listeners to process views within popular culture that are steadily influenced by the New Age obsession with human potentiality and spirituality and also to properly appreciate the definitive person, work and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Smiths Falls Logo

At the conclusion of yesterday's meeting, I was able to shake his hand, mention "Smiths Falls Ontario 1972" and immediately his face registered recognition and we briefly chatted before his attention had to be given to the scores of others who wanted to meet him. Now I can tell you what he remembered with me.

Tyndale University and College

Ravi and I graduated a couple of years apart from Ontario Bible College (OBC) in Toronto, now Tyndale University and Seminary.

I was already aware of Ravi's giftedness as a communicator and his spirituality when in 1972 I invited him to be a keynote speaker for an eight day crusade in the town of Smiths Falls, Ontario where I was pastoring Calvary Bible Church. He was 26 years of age and I was 30. Mine was a small church of eighty people but in preparation for the crusade I trained spiritual counsellors there and in three other churches in the area.

Calvary Bible Church, Smiths Falls, Ontario 

Typical of crusades at the time, I had arranged for guest musicians for each of the eight dates in October. An entire college choir from OBC under the direction of Warren Adams drove from Toronto for the event. Advertisements reached surrounding communities and each evening at the local civic arena an audience from 500-700 people listened to Ravi's challenging messages that invited people to place their trust in Jesus Christ. Seventy two individuals were recorded as having committed their lives to God that week. God knows the lasting outcome of that work.

It was evident in those days that Ravi Zacharias was empowered by God with unique perceptions and oratorical skills. Not surprisingly Ravi became a global evangelist with an ability to intelligently communicate the credibility of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He began to receive invitations to universities to engage the minds of young adults and thirty years ago he founded RZIM, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Distinctive in its strong evangelistic and apologetic foundation, the ministry of RZIM is intended to touch both the heart and the intellect of the thinkers and influencers of society through the support of the visionary leadership of Ravi Zacharias.

He has authored 20 books in which Ravi has defended Christianity against atheism, Darwinism, Oscar Wilde, religious hypocrisy and world religions. In his book, Why Jesus? Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality (FaithWords, $21.99), he sets his sights on the New Spirituality/New Age movement and such prominent proponents as Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra.

I wrote a reflective blog piece in September 2009, called 'A Distant Greeting from a Former Resident,' the content of which I had sent to the town of Smiths Falls and an appreciation for the years I spent in the town gaining my footing as a young pastor, and referencing the special eight day crusade for which Ravi Zacharias was my invited speaker.

UPDATE: Ravi Zacharias died at his home in Atlanta on 19 May 2020, at the age of 74. He had been diagnosed in March 2020 with a malignant and rare cancer in his spine. For several years before his death, allegations surfaced that Ravi was involved in sexual misconduct both at home and during international ministry trips. Women began to come forward with their stories. Multiple sources accused Zacharias of serious sexual misconduct including rape. RZIM ministries and Ravi himself initially denied the allegations despite the mounting evidence. Following his death, on 9 February 2021, Miller & Martin, the law firm hired by RZIM to look into these allegations, concluded in their investigation report that Mr Zacharias had engaged in sexual misconduct. The RZIM Board issued an official public confession of their own failures as well as their acknowledgments of Ravi’s misconduct.   

The Wikipedia account of Ravi Zachias

SUMMER SOLSTICE AT THE BEACH

It was the 21st of June this past Saturday, and it was the longest day of the year. With the setting of the sun and the turn of the clock each day hereafter is progressively briefer once again. Christine and I drove in that rich Pacific air to Crescent Beach and parked our Miata on the Beach. We took out our lawn chairs, binoculars and Squires coffee to await the sunset.

A couple of yachts anchored in the Bay with friends aboard sitting, chatting and sipping vino on the water. Over our heads the periodic flight of aircraft made their arc toward the distant Vancouver airport, talking them over the ring of mountains that silhouetted the distant Burnaby skyscrapers at the skyline.

Sometimes we bring a novel to the beach and other times, like this one, we write our own. In front of us a young couple with a small child and a professional photographer and his assistant made memories. A well-chosen moment and location. Standing at a wood rail fence, they were profiled dramatically against the sea and the sunset sky. She was young and lovely and very slim, and we surmised their story. These were pre-marriage or wedding shots and this was a second marriage for him because her body had never experienced childbirth. As they moved their photo session further to the right and away from us they joined their party of friends and family.

The sky was now transformed into a canvas of sweeping theatrical brilliance as distant clouds reflected the yellows, oranges and reds. We waited, we walked, we talked and we appreciated the three-hour light display. Then packed up we drove to tomorrow and a shorter daylight. The circle of life.

SURREY DOORS OPEN EVENT

‘Surrey Doors Open’ was the title of the Saturday event for either City Centre, Bear Creek, Newton or Cloverdale. We drove into Cloverdale and spent some hours doing a walkabout on a lovely sunny day.

Outside all shops, proprietors were displaying products or inviting visitors inside for a look around. Fraser Downs had a tractor pull. There were free bus rides and the Cloverdale train was operating and we took a wee ride. 

The Museum, RCMP main Office, the Archives Building, and Kwantlen College were open to spectators. Cloverdale Branch No.6 celebrated Legion Week by showing authentic military equipment. A tank rolled over a car to show its weight and power, then motored past us, with exhaust spewing out fuel oil that splatted our clothes with oil spots that were permanently converted into work duds. Costly day despite one-dollar hot dogs, yet a day to remember for next year, when we must bring the grandchildren. There is so much to see and to do. JUNE 21 2014

Christine even got to sit in the front seat of the cruiser with Special Constable D. Prakash of District 6.  

FATHER'S DAY 2014

Father's Day was held two weekends ago. I think of it now because of photos that I took at the time.
Father's Day is no longer about me. Within the small circle of our family are two other families, Jeff's family and Cari's family. Jeff & Gina have Kale and Kadence, and Cari and Tim have Kailyn, Ryan and Jayden. Jeff and Tim are the dads that the children honour. Of course Jeff and Cari speak kindly about me too. This year, Cari invited us all to her place for Sunday lunch. The five grandchildren love being with each other and that makes these occasions special for us all.

The t-shirt is one which Cari printed for me, which honours my role in this grand escapade and names the five amigos.

At Cari's town home in a strata environment, most landscaping is taken care of by contracted gardeners. There are however, two rose bushes in Cari's garden, a rich yellow one which I gave to her when we moved from our beloved Rose House in 2012, and a purple hybrid that I have to her on 'my' birthday. Isn't that a neat way to celebrate? Both are fragrant.

A LASTING WASAGA BEACH LIFE LESSON

This is a public letter for my brother Murray. Other readers may chuckle but only he can truly appreciate the shades of this brief biographical episode. It was a hot Ontario summer Saturday. We were kids. Dad worked in a factory all week. Wasaga Beach was and is a popular attraction, both for the great stretches of white sand and the foody nightspots. It was a 2.5 hour trip from St. Catharines. My dad and mom decided to take Murray and I and my uncle Bill and aunt Ruth for the day. Uncle and Aunt were newly weds. Change rooms were a distance from the car that was parked as they all were on the sand. Murray and I were out of our street clothes and into trunks within seconds. After some adult discussion, a decision was made, and I watched as Uncle Bill and Aunt Ruth entered the rear car doors and pinched towels at the top of each window, and changed together. My juvenile mind tried to grasp the notion of them squirming to undress and redress in the back seat of dad’s car. That was a modest lesson in my primer for life. Riding in the back seat of dad’s car was never without that flashback, made more amusing today as I think of my dignified uncle and aunt now in their early eighties.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

The 13th day of a month, falling on a Friday as it does today, and paired with a full moon, whose exceptional appearance earns it the designation of strawberry or honey moon, is very rare and it won’t happen again until 2049. I will be 107 years old. I don’t believe I will thrive and stay alive until then, and I don’t believe there is anything spooky about Friday the 13th. But many people do. I would prefer that people abandon superstition and believe this. The creator of everything that is visible and invisible anywhere, came to live here among us. Jesus was the image of the invisible God. By the time he came, his creation including humanity had been estranged from him through the pollution cause by human sin. He came in order to reconcile all of his creation to himself. He himself determined that such reconciliation required atonement. Jesus became that. He died on a Friday. His promise to a thief dying beside him was that the two would be united in paradise. God’s promise to us all is that whoever places exclusive faith in Jesus Christ will enjoy life that lasts forever with God. (based on scripture such as Colossians 1:15-19; John 3:16)