Author: Bert Witvoet

Here we are, the grateful owners of a very comfortable and pleasant townhouse. It will take several weeks now before we are almost settled in, although the ultimate finish line may be a year away.

Both Alice and I have found that the longer we were on the road to reduction, the easier it seemed to be to let go of things that earlier seemed to cling to our bodies.

Putting your hand to the plow and not looking back is all about leaving everything behind that hinders you from serving in the kingdom. And that kind of commitment to service sets us free to honour our fellow workers at a slow but steady pace.

Our son Maynard lives in greater Vancouver. He works at the University of British Columbia (UBC) situated on the far-west coast. It’s a large research university that serves about 52,000 students. He and two other labour relations specialists represent the administration, who oversee the close to 10,000 or so staff (not including faculty) at the university.

And all of this is good because we live in a universe that far exceeds our dimensions, and it is big enough and lasts long enough to give evidence of God’s plan to gather in all the treasures he has generously distributed through the ages.

There was one incident in their marriage that really challenged their relationship. It all started rather innocently.

Why did I tell you this story? Because it typifies so clearly how we as Christians sometimes come kicking and screaming into God’s new reality.

I am not a Roman Catholic believer, as many of you realize. Yet I did celebrate mass twice in my life.