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Just over a week ago my mother-in-law peacefully passed away. Her death was not unexpected. My wife and son are currently in the UK planning a memorial service. My daughter and I will travel to be there for the service.

For over 40 years I’ve been a Christian, joined in fellowship with believers in local churches in Canada and in the UK. I’ve had the privilege of giving, sharing, and receiving love and comfort with my sisters and brothers in Christ during times of stress, struggle, hardship, loss, and grief. I’ve witnessed the care and compassion of so many Christians who pray for, weep with, and reach out to one another in difficult times. This is true today as Catherine and I and our two children have been blessed with your love.

Jesus calls us to consistent and faithful compassion and care. Jesus sets the example – just look at the Gospels to see how often he shows compassion. Of course, his love is supremely, displayed at the cross, where he dies for our sin; his death opening the way for us to receive forgiveness and follow him as Lord forever.

Consistent, faithful compassion is the way of Christ. So, how do images of thawing ice and snow in our devotion relate?

In the Old Testament, Job suffers great loss. He is in emotional, physical, and spiritual agony. Three friends gather round him to provide support – except they don’t. They question Job’s integrity, faith, and relationship with God. They do not show consistent, faithful compassion; instead, they become judges of Job’s life and circumstances. For most of the Book of Job, Job responds to the false accusations of his so-called friends. It’s gut-wrenching to read.

In Job 6:15-17, he says of his accusers: “But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow, but that stop flowing in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels.”

Job’s friends are anything but compassionate. They are like rivers that overflow when ice melts but dry up in times of drought. In other words, they cause damage in one moment and in the next, cannot satisfy. They are inconsistent and unfaithful in their compassion and care.

None of us can care for everybody. But we can care for someone. Jesus brings people into our lives for us to share compassion with, to show love to, and to come alongside in times of trouble. I’ve had the privilege of being part of congregations where so many faithfully display these Christlike qualities. Thank you that at Trinity we are not like Job’s friends; we’re not like streams that overflow with thawing ice one moment and dry and parched the next.

Thank you for your love for one another.

While I am in the UK, I will take a break from producing weekly devotions. I expect to produce another in mid-February. Thank you for you patience.

視頻大意翻譯(video Chinese translation):

一周前，我岳母安詳地過世了。她的過世並不出乎意料。我妻子和兒子目前正在英國籌劃追思禮拜。我和女兒也將前往英國參加。

40多年來，我一直是名基督徒，與加拿大和英國當地教會的信徒團契。我有幸在壓力、掙扎、困難、失落和悲傷的時候，與我在基督裡的兄弟姐妹們一起給予、分享和得到愛和安慰。我見證了許多基督徒的關懷和憐悯，在困難時期為彼此祈禱、哭泣和伸出援手。今天也是，因為我妻子凱薩琳和我及兩個孩子都得到了你們的愛。

耶穌呼召我們始終如一地、忠心地憐憫和關懷。耶穌樹立了榜樣—只要看看福音書，看看他多少次表現出了憐悯。當然，他的愛，極致地在十字架上顯現出來，在十架上他為我們的罪而死;他的死為我們打開了道路，讓我們得到寬恕，並永遠跟隨他為主。

始終如一、忠心的憐悯是基督的方法。那麼，融冰和雪的圖像是如何聯繫在一起的呢？

我們熟知舊約中約伯的故事。約伯遭受了巨大的損失。他在情感、身體和精神上都處於痛苦中。三個朋友在他身邊支持他—但他們也確實沒有。他們質疑約伯的正直、信仰和與上帝的關係。他們沒有表現出始終如一的、忠實的同情心;相反地，他們成為約伯生活和境遇的法官。在大部分的《約伯記》中，約伯都在回應了他所謂的朋友的誣告。讀起來令人心痛。

在約伯記 6：15-17 中，他談到控告他的人時說：“我的弟兄詭詐、好像溪水、又像溪水流乾的河道。這河、因結冰發黑、有雪藏在其中．天氣漸暖、就隨時消化．日頭炎熱、便從原處乾涸。”

約伯的朋友毫無同情心。它們就像河流，當冰融化時會溢出，但乾旱時會乾涸。換句話說，它們在某一刻會造成損害，而在下一刻，卻又無法滿足。他們在同情和關懷方面前後不一致和不忠。

我們誰都不能照顧所有的人。但我們可以照顧某人。耶穌把人帶入我們的生活，讓我們分享憐悯，表達愛，並在困難時陪伴我們。我有幸成為會眾的一份子，這裡有這麼多人忠心地展現這些基督般的品格。感謝你，我們不像約伯的朋友;我們不像溪流，前一刻還泛著融化的冰水，下一刻又乾涸殆盡。

很抱歉，在未來幾周我或許無法錄製靈修視頻，容我日後通知何時恢復。

感謝你給弟兄姊妹們彼此的愛。

願神祝福你。

讓我們禱告。

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum