UBC Wed For Life

A chrysalis is a sublime symbol of the mystery of change. It’s an enchanting environment that not only provides caterpillars with a place to become butterflies but also provides thoughts with the means to become realities. This amazing metamorphosis demonstrates a renewing of the mind that leads to different behaviors and habits that then make us new creations (like a caterpillar to a butterfly). Within a caterpillar the process of metamorphosis is regulated by two hormones (juvenile and ecdysone). The juvenile hormone delays the metamorphosis throughout the larva stage. It works by blocking the genes in the imaginal discs- tiny disc shaped bags of cells that activate when a caterpillar wraps itself in the chrysalis. As people, our growth and change comes through strife and affliction. The strife we face comes when our beliefs and values clash with reality then alter our perceptions. Through this, we adapt to our situations and circumstances but can find ourselves blind to the t...

Most people that call themselves “Christian” understand that following Jesus means that we will be faced with persecution for our beliefs. The Bible itself tells us as much (2 Timothy 3:12). Our efforts to spread the truth about who Jesus is and what he has done for us will be met with resistance. Forces will try to prevent us from getting that truth to those who truly need it. Who represents the greatest foe for the Christian mission? Is it truly non-believers like the atheists or the agnostics? Or is it groups like the Jews and Muslims that supposedly believe in our God, but don’t believe in Jesus as the divine Savior? Could it be that we Christians are our own worst enemies? Such a suggestion may seem out of line, but it may indeed be the truth. It certainly isn’t unprecedented. The existence of Christianity is a testament to that itself. After all, Jesus wasn’t a Christian. He was a Jew.  The birth of Christianity came about because most of the Jews  at t...

We just wrapped up another wave of voting, and once more many of us found ourselves playing our parts in selecting leaders in a variety of positions in our governments. Some of the races will be won by candidates we selected. Others will go to the opposition. Once those winners take their positions, you can bet that the reactions to what they do once they are in office will run the spectrum from disgust to elation. This is the nature of our system of government, and at this point, there seems to be little that can be done about it. As believers, we always have a trustworthy option. We can count on our true leader, God. However, the truth is, we don’t do that nearly enough. Even when we do, it tends not to be our first instinct. This was true even in the Bible. Initially, the Children of Israel had no kings. They were either led directly by God or through a prophet that led as God’s earthly proxy. However, in 1 Samuel 8:5, we learn that Israel wasn’t satisfied with that. ...

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. - Albert Einstein In thinking about all the truths present in 2 Peter chapter 1, the ideas of maturity and complacency come to mind. Maturity can be understood as what happens when a person gains perspective through their experiences. Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses in your life; you realize everything that happens in life is a result of the previous choices you’ve made and start making new choices to change your life. - Roy T. Bennett To mature is to take responsibility. Responsibility involves accountability and commitment. In other words, you become a part of something and that something becomes a part of you. When you feel responsible you begin to operate by or act on the beliefs and values of what you feel responsible for (spiritual growth, family, career or any other group you feel that you are a part of or represent), and when that happens you want the best for wh...

At times Christians can be very self deprecative. We are born in sin, and when we give our lives to God, our awakening to the truth can shed a light on our lives that makes us feel ashamed. Often times we conflate our hatred for our past sins with a disdain for our physical lives. Some go so far as to devalue their physical lives by looking past this life and seeking only what awaits in the afterlife. While it is true that for believers in God, the afterlife will be something far greater than anything we could ever experience here on Earth, we should be careful not to devalue the lives we are given here. After all, our lives are gifts from God, and he has a plan for each of us. Even Jesus valued his physical life. For example, take his time in Gethsemane right before he was apprehended. Up to that point, Jesus had warned his disciples on several occasions that he would soon be killed. When he was on the precipice of the fate that awaited him, he did not rejoice in his coming...

We’re in the season of the Black Panther, and people are taking inspiration from the movie in a variety of ways. I’m not saying that the movie was made with any deep religious meaning in mind. However, if we keep our minds on God in all we do, HE can speak through whatever we do. The same goes with this movie. When we look at it, there are a lot of similarities between Wakanda and the Body of Christ A.K.A Christians. Wakanda is a nation made from a merging of disparate tribes united by the importance they saw in Vibranium, a “gift” sent to the earth from the heavens via a meteor. We Christians come from all walks of life, and we are united by our faith and trust in God and acceptance of HIS Great Gifts (HIS Love, Grace unto salvation, and the advent of the Holy Spirit) sent from Heaven. In the movie, Vibranium is the greatest metal in the world. It is strong and versatile and is the basis for a science that is able to solve a variety of problems, and even bring someone back fro...