Home MB HeraldColumns Letters February 2013

Letters February 2013

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Thanks, James!

Re “Last words” (Intersection, December). I wish to express my appreciation to James Toews for his writing over the years. This final column reminded me of the variety of stories and “sparks” we’ve had from him, all of which have enriched the MB Herald conversation. It was also a great pleasure to work with him editorially for a number of years.

Dora Dueck
Winnipeg, Man.

A unique contribution

Re “Last words” (Intersection, December). I’ll admit I have a biased opinion: James Toews is my father, so the fact that I’m saddened to see his articles come to an end in the MB Herald isn’t a surprise. Our family has shared our lives with readers for 20 years.
The Herald has chronicled my life: the announcement of my birth, marriage to my husband, births of my children, deaths of my grandparents. Our stories were shared in a way that others might find hope in the imperfection of our lives. God has been faithful to us even as we faced hardship. I’ve been blessed to have a father who stood by me during my struggles in school and through a teen pregnancy, helped raised my son to be the man he is turning out to be, and gave us stability by staying in one church for 25 years.
The last page of the Herald was always the first page I turned to. Love you, Dad!

Natasha Friesen
Lantzville, B.C.

The gift of being guests

Thank you for the diverse ways you explored the December 2012 hospitality theme. Special thanks for the editorial (“Have you got a light?”), a terrific modern-day Good Samaritan story.

It was gratifying to see how some of the articles reminded readers that we and our families are not just the givers in these hospitality relationships; we are often recipients. It amazes me that we almost always interpret the biblical texts about giving a “cup of cold water” (Matthew 10:42 and Mark 9:41) to refer to the generosity of Christians giving water to others, when those texts explicitly refer to “anyone” (an outsider) who will be rewarded for giving a cup of cold water to a disciple of Jesus.

God often offers us the gift of being guests rather than hosts and rewards those who provide this hospitality.

Jim Pankratz
Waterloo, Ont.

 

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