Village News

As we celebrated Remembrance Day this past weekend – what concerns me is not the possibility of another world war, but how as a people we are nurturing those things that can lead to it. In the New Testament (Php 4:8) we are reminded that ‘whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.’ We used to hear each other’s stories and our hearts grew. Now, we sit alone on the internet dehumanizing each other.

In the October edition of Manitoba Mennonite Historical Soceity’s Heritage Posting Glen Klassen wrote a brief, but impactful, editorial I have read:

“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” Gen 1:31.

The fundamental goodness of the world is a concept that underlies everything that is worthwhile in our lives.

What would be the point of truth, beauty, love, compassion and non-violence if the world were basically bad? Trust in goodness is a precious legacy from the first chapter of the Hebrew library, a gift of optimism and meaning for our culture.

Why then all the badness we hear about and experience? What about “the problem of evil”? I don’t think we will ever understand this but we must see, by faith, that evil is not at the core. From the anchor of goodness, the goodness we see in Jesus, we can make real changes in the world around us. We can make peace.

Glen’s editorial makes me wonder if we and our dark thinking is one of the roots of the problem of evil. Although not always so philosophical, I encourage you to sign up for Heritage Posting on their website: mmhs.org. They have better things for us to ponder, and can help us learn from our history, so we can keep nurturing our culture into the next generation.

If you ever want help in learning about your Mennonite family history or just want a good book to enjoy this winter, the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) staff at the Village Books & Gifts shop are very knowledgeable. They can often locate hard-to-find books, or a volume on the exact topic you’re researching.

May you take time each day to remember your day. To reflect on your interactions with others and see if there may be any wrong judgement, attitude, or actions you have taken. These things fester if we ignore them. Out of times of silence and meditation can come understanding, gentleness with others and ourselves, greater purpose than just living in the moment, and an active consciousness of the value of life. These things are true, noble, right, and exactly what the world needs.