35 under 35
Something amazing happened on Friday. I've been thinking about it all weekend, and what it means to me.
On Friday, ChristianWeek newspaper (along with a few large Christian organizations) named me one of Canada's top "35 under 35" young Christian leaders. There were more than 220 nominees from across the Canada, and I am one of ten British Columbians on the list--including my old friend Joyce Rees (nee Heron, a former pastor at Christian Life Assembly).
Seeing my name on a list like this has been both flattering and humbling. First, it meant a lot to me that my friends Karen and Scott would take the time to nominate me. As I read the biographies of the other 34, I see many who are in full-time ministry, running large organizations and charities. Joyce, for example, is on the frontlines of serving the poor and marginalized on the Downtown Eastside. She has given her life to that cause, sacrificing the usual luxuries that a mid-thirties woman might expect. Another nominee, Katherine Bentham (who is on staff with North Langley Vineyard Church), has done the same in Whalley. It is humbling to share a list with people of that calibre.
What people like Joyce and Katherine do is a far cry from my work as a writer and Township Councillor. They get their hands dirty. They go to the places others ignore. Sharing this list with them inspires me to do better in the tangible things of taking care of those on the margins of society.
At Council's inaugural meeting in December 2005, I spoke about the responsibility that comes with being the first of a generation to hold public office. Every day, I count it an honour to serve the residents of the Township of Langley as one of your councillors. I've learned a lot from my first 19 months on Township Council and have much more to discover.
I know some folks are leery--or even openly hostile--toward religion, and I understand that. I don't throw my faith in people's faces, but I don't think I should hide it either. It's an important part of my life--and a part that continually prompts me to be a better man than I was yesterday. In the past 18 months, I have realigned several things in my life (including finding a much simpler, community-focused, and more effective church) to make sure my wife and kids remain my top priority. Jenny and my beautiful girls come first, then council and everything else. This prioritization is a natural outflow of my faith.
Politically, my faith focuses me on my responsibility to be fair, balanced, honest, ethical and kind. It prompts me to treat people the same way I would like to be treated. and it reminds me that I need to seek out the voices of those who are traditionally ignored by those in power--the poor, the homeless, the marginalized, the weak.
This 35 under 35 list is a fine honour, but also a reminder of the responsibility to make the world a better place. I'm fortunate I get to do that in this incredible community.
On Friday, ChristianWeek newspaper (along with a few large Christian organizations) named me one of Canada's top "35 under 35" young Christian leaders. There were more than 220 nominees from across the Canada, and I am one of ten British Columbians on the list--including my old friend Joyce Rees (nee Heron, a former pastor at Christian Life Assembly).
Seeing my name on a list like this has been both flattering and humbling. First, it meant a lot to me that my friends Karen and Scott would take the time to nominate me. As I read the biographies of the other 34, I see many who are in full-time ministry, running large organizations and charities. Joyce, for example, is on the frontlines of serving the poor and marginalized on the Downtown Eastside. She has given her life to that cause, sacrificing the usual luxuries that a mid-thirties woman might expect. Another nominee, Katherine Bentham (who is on staff with North Langley Vineyard Church), has done the same in Whalley. It is humbling to share a list with people of that calibre.
What people like Joyce and Katherine do is a far cry from my work as a writer and Township Councillor. They get their hands dirty. They go to the places others ignore. Sharing this list with them inspires me to do better in the tangible things of taking care of those on the margins of society.
At Council's inaugural meeting in December 2005, I spoke about the responsibility that comes with being the first of a generation to hold public office. Every day, I count it an honour to serve the residents of the Township of Langley as one of your councillors. I've learned a lot from my first 19 months on Township Council and have much more to discover.
I know some folks are leery--or even openly hostile--toward religion, and I understand that. I don't throw my faith in people's faces, but I don't think I should hide it either. It's an important part of my life--and a part that continually prompts me to be a better man than I was yesterday. In the past 18 months, I have realigned several things in my life (including finding a much simpler, community-focused, and more effective church) to make sure my wife and kids remain my top priority. Jenny and my beautiful girls come first, then council and everything else. This prioritization is a natural outflow of my faith.
Politically, my faith focuses me on my responsibility to be fair, balanced, honest, ethical and kind. It prompts me to treat people the same way I would like to be treated. and it reminds me that I need to seek out the voices of those who are traditionally ignored by those in power--the poor, the homeless, the marginalized, the weak.
This 35 under 35 list is a fine honour, but also a reminder of the responsibility to make the world a better place. I'm fortunate I get to do that in this incredible community.