Sermons by Darryl G. Klassen

WHEN CHRISTIANS FIGHT   There will always be conflict between people, even between Christians. Big surprise! How we handle conflict reveals a lot about what we value as a community. When people disagree, when tempers boil and emotions run high, words are thrown like knives and damage is often seemingly irreparable.               How do we handle interpersonal conflicts?              A proper Englishman happened to find himself seated on a train between two ladies arguing about the window. One claimed that she would die of heatstroke if it stayed closed. The other said she would expire of pneumonia if it was opened. Being at an impasse, the ladies called the conductor, but he didn’t have a clue as to how to resolve the conflict. Finally, the proper gentleman who had been trying to read his book throughout the verbal battle spoke up. “First, open the window. That will kill the one. Then close it. That will kill the other. Then we will have peace.”               So that’s one way to resol

DO YOU WANT TO BE WISE?   Not too long ago, Sharon and I became friends with a family from Texas. They are devout Christians and very proud Texans. We even had two of their adult children live with us for several months. There were a few learning curves in this experience, but we managed to provide these children a safe space to finish their college degrees at Providence.               One piece of parental admonition stood out for us: the parents of these children would not tell them to “be safe” when they went out into the world…no, they would tell them to “be wise.” I’ve never forgotten that “blessing” and now use it myself.              As parents, we want our children to be safe when they leave the house. Nothing wrong with that. But the caution to be safe is limited in its scope. It encourages taking a defensive posture with life and protecting oneself from the risks that could potentially harm us physically or emotionally. Being safe is also inward focused; it’s about “me,” and