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There are many examples in Nature, of large organisms needing very small organisms to survive. Whales need krill, for example; yucca plants need the tiny grubs of yucca moths. Some spiny trees need ants for protection. Large flowers need small flies for pollination. Humans need microscopic bacteria in their gut to be healthy. Perhaps this balance between the large relying on the comparatively insignificant is an object lesson from God? Never overlook the value of small things.

Another case in point is the douc langurs, the world's most endangered primates in the world. Whenever they are captured and kept in the best of environments, they have always languished, or done poorly. The problem is always the same: digestive disorders, and frequent episodes of vomiting. The most likely suspect is the lack of some microbe missing from the langur's gut - a bacteria it always manages to obtain when it is in the wild.

Research to find the microbe which will cure the douc langur continues, but the whole subject of interdependency has surfaced again, in the area of parasites. There is an incredibly rich field waiting to be studied, in the area of parasitical microbial diversity and symbiosis in and around endangered species. Which parasites do plants and animals need to stay healthy? There are lice which suck blood, and tapeworms that grow inside intestines, there are millions of . . .

I recently read an article that was all about buying a red purse. No, it wasn't in a fashion magazine. The woman described how, as she bought it, she ridiculed herself ? ?You?ll never have the courage to use it!? her interior voice said. And sure enough, the purse sat in the shopping bag for a long time. But then one day the woman took it out and looked at it. She really liked that purse. Why was she so afraid to use it? She concluded that she was afraid of calling attention to herself, afraid that people would think she was too outlandish, that she was showing off. But she just liked the purse. So she determined to use it. Her conclusion was that life was too short to live it by other people's opinions. She wanted to be who she was, not who other people wanted her to be. I think we can all identify.

I have an orange sweater in my closet. I liked it instantly when I took it off the rack in the shop, but I've never worn it. It's very bright. Too bright for a Canadian winter. Have you noticed how we all wear dark browns, blues, greens and black through the winter? That became strongly apparent to me when we arrived home from Papua New Guinea in the middle of December a few years ago. I had gotten used to all the tropical colours ? vibrant reds, purples, oranges ? and groaned at the lack of colour here. But what was the first thing I bought? A dark green winter coat! I think it's the chameleon syndrome. We all want to blend in. None of us wants to . . .

On Pentecost island in Vanuatu, there used to be a coming of age ritual similar to bungee jumping. In fact this is where bungee jumping originated. The elders built a tower from bamboo poles; and then using vines, they make ropes which they attach to the ankles of the young participant. The young man then makes a head-first leap from the tower and plunges about forty or fifty feet toward the ground. The vines break the fall at the last second and the young fellow is spared becoming an upside down fence post. Or they don't.
You jump and survive, and you are considered a man.
I am really glad that we don't do anything more daunting than passing a driver's license test..
Other cultures have their own process for life's transitions.

A question I am sometimes asked is, "how did you feel called into ministry?".
At times I have asked myself the same question, and all I can say is it was a building conviction inside which I acted upon and that in spite of my own questions, has been confirmed strongly enough that I continue.
Very few receive a dramatic lightning bolt of certainty, though it does happen.

The gospels tell us of the calling of several of Jesus followers, and for each of them, its a different experience.
I suppose we remember the calling of James and John best. Jesus sees . . .

It was very early on a Saturday morning and I could hear my sister, Leisha, already rattling around in the kitchen, making coffee. By the time I got downstairs she was pouring the hot liquid into a thermos. A map of the town was on the counter and a strip of newspaper lay beside it with things highlighted and circled.

My sister is a very organized garage sale enthusiast and having someone to go along that day seemed to spur her on. We set off with anticipation and it wasn't long before her early-bird-gets-the-worm philosophy paid off. We were poking around in a large garage full of interesting stuff when I spotted a large oval mirror. It was covered in a thick layer of dirt but it looked like it was about the size and shape that Leisha had said she wanted for above the fireplace in their home. I called her attention to it. She pulled it out and her eyes lit up. Then the negotiating started with the owner. I was amazed at how low the price went and Leisha was beaming as she walked away with the deal of the day.

It was some time before I was able to visit again, and when I did, Leisha immediately called my attention to the space above the mantle on their fireplace. My jaw dropped. The old mirror we'd found in that garage was beveled and the frame was solid oak. My brother-in-law had done a great job restoring it. It looked beautiful.

The great thing about the mirror was . . .