| Introduction |
Over the years, the Salvation Army has consistently received the highest level of confidence from our little “army” of Lazarus givers. While many individual charities capture a cause or break our hearts in a positive way, the Salvation Army attracts broader support than any other. We thought it may be useful to share with you some of the reasons why. Those who have been to the last three dinners will remember two very stirring addresses by a guest speaker, Major Greg Simmonds. The first, a compelling story of his own life and why he personally chose to devote his life to the army. The second address from Greg presented his vision concerning the meaning and power of prayer. We asked him to write down some these thoughts on prayer which we printed in the 2000 Christmas Journal. Excerpt from Greg’s Discourse on Prayer “To quote the Poet Laureate Tennyson: “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Therefore, let thy voice rise like a fountain for me night and day.” These words are an eloquent reminder of the power of prayer. Prayer is one of the great adventures of life. It’s mysterious and mighty power knows no boundaries and admits no impossibilities except that which lies outside the will of God. Prayer brings into our lives the unlimited resources and grace of God. Prayer makes a difference within us. Henri Mouwen writes: “prayer is a radical conversion of all our mental processes because in prayer we move away from ourselves, our worries, preoccupations and self-gratification – and direct all that we recognize as ours to God.” Obviously Greg and his colleagues are steadfast believers in the fact that prayer is heard and answered. Because they believe they pray and because they pray they believe! We remember one of the unique ministries of Mother Theresa. She had assigned patients in hospitals, many completely paralysed, to the task of praying for a living missionary in the field. The invalids’ prayers fuelled the hope and love of the missionary being ‘prayed for’ and vice versa no doubt. To us prayers answered, or the claim that they are, asks us to believe in a miracle. Often perhaps we don’t. To the Salvationist prayer being answered is always a joy but never a surprise. The Salvationist lives in a world of spirit to which prayer is light and air. The role of the Salvation Army is a very serious and demanding one. How can they do so much of the “hands on” dirty work most of us wouldn’t or couldn’t dream of? It is perhaps because they live a different life, a spiritual life, born and sustained by prayer, a life of love. It is a life we trust. We know we can depend upon them. Christmas is the season we choose, as well we should, to let them know that they can depend on us.
“For some reason my vision of Christmas in a big city always includes a Salvation Army woman ringing a bell. Your gift and one from my family has gone to that woman and her bell.” - Ken Hight Last Christmas one of our guest speakers was Captain Sandra Ryan, introduced by her Salvation Army colleague and husband, Captain Geoff Ryan. This couple, the first Salvation Army officers to work in Russia since 1922, has recently returned from 11 years ministering in the Soviet Union, the last 8 with their 3 kids in war torn in Chechnya. Their assignment in Toronto is a ministry in the heart of the Regent’s Park area. Theirs is an ambitious plan to create community within this problematic area. Typical features of the Regent’s Park landscape include crime, addiction, prostitution and domestic violence. So how do you make a community out of that? This investigative approach, which has led BWI’s intelligence business into some forty countries around the world, seems ideally suited to producing information clearly focused on agencies and approaches which produce highest levels of success. To do this job we need energetic missionaries who will dig hard and find the people who are doing the job best. Lazarus funds and underwrites such missionaries. As well, we ask other companies and friends to join us in doing so. Where appropriate we both fund and seek further support for scholarships focussed on studies related to advancing the wisdom and effectiveness of charity.
Sandra explained, beginning with an astounding declaration of her own faith, how she and her fellow officers saw the job, the opportunity and the answers. In deafening silence Sandra provided us an insight into the Salvation Army’s codes of battle, beginning it seems with the “dignity of the person” they serve. Sandra’s message made sense. This highly uncommon sense conveys a wisdom, extraordinary insight arising from the fact that the Salvation Army officer doesn’t see a dereliction, failure or a disease so much as they see a soul and in that soul, the presence of God. We see how they embrace the sufferer and how with their weapons of faith, hope, love and prayer they achieve the apparently impossible. Yet it makes so much sense. More recently, we visited Sandra, Geoff and some of their colleagues at their place of work in Regent Park. Rob Hines, Bob Acheson, Bruce Friesen and myself spent a couple of hours learning about the army’s “prayer walk” through the neighbourhood, asking folks if there is anything they’d like the walkers to pray for. The walk goes everywhere in the neighbourhood including bars, etc. We also met a young Salvationist, hardly twenty years old, who described a “one-by-one” program of companionship, moral and spiritual support called Starfish. I would gladly ask this youngster to help run my company. He’s got a bigger job already, I think would be his answer. Inspiration, prayer, commitment, faith, hope, love, and wisdom seem to be the reasons we trust the Salvation Army. They don’t work for a cause. They work to liberate the soul and see suffering as yet another invitation from God to make that happen |
