2 Corinthians 5:17-19: Haalapi Hawit

Presented to TSA North Vancouver Corps and the Harvest Community, 04 October 2026 (based on the message Presented to TSA AV Ministries, 26 March 2023) by Major Michael Ramsay

To read the shorter 2023 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2023/03/2-corinthians-511-21-reconciliation.html

2 Corinthians 5:17-19: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

Discussion questions: 

• What is the ministry of reconciliation?

• What role do you suppose forgiveness has in reconciliation? 

• How can we share the message of reconciliation?

This week was Truth and Reconciliation Day. On Wednesday I had the opportunity to join a walk in Vancouver. Susan and Heather and I went to events in New Westminster. I don’t know if there were events here in North Van? The Orange Shirt Day walk was always a very important event when we lived in Port Alberni. Alberni was home to one of the Residential Schools. Each TRC day we would either walk to or from that site as a community – all of us from Port Alberni, including mayor and members of council; the MLA and MP, The Salvation Army and many others. We would walk side-by-side with members of the local Nuu-Chah-Nulth nations: Tseshaht, Hupacasath, and others. We would do this as a sign of solidarity, of reconciliation.

Our scripture before us today, in part, vv.17-19, says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

A friend of mine, who was affected directly by residential schools, wrote this:

…the beatings I took when I was a little boy. I could never understand why Late Mom did this to me.  Reading about the Plint case, I began to learn and understand what happened to her in those institutions she was kidnapped and forced to attend. The Plint case, I think, was instrumental in helping her to come to terms with her own childhood; to help her begin the process of Healing... I said to Late Mom a few times, "Mom, it okay to remember the past, if only to learn from it how NOT to be - What is not okay is repeating it…. Each of us has the opportunity to halt the vicious cycle of abuse that the savages taught in them institutions."

    …My brother, Simon, remembers how I used to be tied up, when I was a little boy. I only have vague memories...

    I close this by commenting on my daughter's observations, when she was only four years of age. …[she spilled her juice] I'd grab a tablecloth to wipe it up, then explain to her it was why I put the glass in front of her. This happened three times. And, to keep this short, on the third time, she said to me, "Dad, you're not going to get mad at me, hey? " To which I would say to her, "No, daughter. I would never be mad at you (as in never belittle her or make her feel threatened and afraid). … "The vicious cycle ends with me."

2 Corinthians 5:17-19: “…if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu writes,” To walk the path of forgiveness is to recognize that your crimes harm you as they harm me. To walk the path of forgiveness is to recognize that my dignity is bound up in your dignity, and every wrongdoing hurts us all.” We are forgiven; to be reconciled we must forgive.

Reconciliation with others is important. Reconciliation with God is most important and reconciliation with God inevitably leads to reconciliation with others. 1 John 4:20: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

TRC Day was this week. I wore my orange shirt. In our previous appointment, we worked well with the local nations. We always had the chiefs at our events – Ken and Brandy are my friends - and we went to theirs. We were able to partner with them in many ways. 

This poster (on the screen) means very much to me. I used to have it on my office door in Alberni. I thought I lost it when we moved. It made me very sad. I found it, however, which caused me great joy and relief. It is now in my office in Burnaby. It was given to me by Remi Tom– he was a colleague at The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries. He works with the Army there. His brother was an hereditary Tla-o-qui-aht Chief. Remi is an elected member of council. He taught me much about Nuu-Chah-Nulth culture, tradition, government, and some vocabulary; he is a friend!

 

On Shrove Tuesday 2023, one of the other Nuu-Chah-Nulth nations, the Tseshaht First Nation, released the preliminary findings about the residential school that was on their territory.  It is very sad. Every day after that, as before, as I entered my office and as I would sit at my desk, I see this print of a painting by Roy Henry Vickers with the words 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) written underneath. I kept that picture on my glass door. Whenever someone came to my office and the door was closed, they would see it. When I was in my office with the door open, it would be facing me. I would be facing 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator), as you are today.

Shrove Tuesday was the day the findings were released from the residential school on Tseshaht First Nation. Shrove Tuesday is the day before lent begins. Traditionally this is the day to get our lives in order for Lent. It is a time of confession and absolution. I think it is quite fitting that the preliminary findings from the residential school were released on a day that has already been set aside for confession and absolution. Our nation has certainly been coming to terms with the residential school systems and many other things over the past few years. Our politicians, church leaders and others have been publicly confessing the sins and errors of the past. True reconciliation is only possible with confession, forgiveness, absolution. As Demond Tutu said in the South African context, “there is no future without forgiveness”; for it is only in forgiving others that we are truly sets us free.

1 John 4:20: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 

2 Corinthians 5:17-19: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

Lent, the season that begins after Shrove Tuesday, when the findings were released, starts on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a time for fasting and praying. Lent – the word itself – means ‘fortieth’ and it references the 40 days Jesus fasted (referencing as well Elijah’s and Moses’ fasts of that length) before commencing his public ministry. Lent ends on either Maundy Thursday or Low Saturday – the day between Good Friday and Easter: the day we commemorate Christ providing reconciliation for the whole world, all of Creation.

The symbolism of this picture is important to me. The crown of thorns on the 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator)’s head make it clear that this is a representation of Jesus. Jesus who died on the cross, Jesus is the Creator. John Chapter 1 reminds us that wasn’t just a man. He is God. He is creator of the whole world and more.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...

    ...9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

    14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth...

    ...29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.

Doctrines 2 through 4 of The Salvation Army say this about 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator):

2. We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.

3. We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.

4. We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.

'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) not only created us but He also went to the cross for us. The tears in this picture remind me how sad He must be. Can you imagine the sadness of 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator)? He created all of us, everything, the whole world and more; and we killed Him. He loves us and we killed Him. Can you imagine if those whom you love deeply wanted to kill you and you watch them as they do? In our context today, imagine you are lying in a hospital bed and your loved one comes and puts the needle in that ends everything. Now imagine that they do this NOT out of love. Imagine. This I think can cause some tears. There is more than that though.

 

'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) went to the cross for us. The tears in this picture remind me how sad He must be for the way we have treated each other in residential schools, and wars, and poverty, and other things and everything and how sad He must be at the way we continue to treat each other today.

Hebrews 10:26ff says that if we continue to sin after Christ died for us, we trample the body of Christ underfoot. 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) let His creation kill Him so that we, His creation, can be free of Sin. See the tears on His cheek. Jesus died on the cross so that sin would no longer have a hold on us. He died on the cross so that we no longer need to fall prey to sin. Look at His tears – how sad it must make Him that we still sometimes fall prey to sin; how sad it must make Him that we still do bad things to each other; how sad it must make 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) to see those He created and He loves, harm others whom He created and He loves. Those of us who are parents or grandparents, think of how we feel when our children fight; think of how we feel when our children hurt one another, think of how we feel when they bully their sibling; think of how we feel when they harm their sibling. We want them to be reconciled. We want them to be friends again. We don’t want anything to come between them ever again, because we love them. And those of us who have or are difficult siblings can make an extra effort because we love our parents.

'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) died and rose again so that we could be reconciled to 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) and 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) died and rose again so that we could be reconciled to one another. This is what we hope for in Easter. As Advent, which is quickly approaching, is when we prepare to celebrate the incarnation of Christ, Lent is when we prepare to celebrate the reconciliation that Jesus provided for us all between the cross and the empty tomb. Jesus rose from the grave leaving sin and death behind Him so that we can all do the same. And even now we have the opportunity to begin to live out that salvation; even now we have to opportunity to begin to break free from those horrible sins that are trying to drag us down; even now we have that opportunity to live out that forgiveness and reconciliation with God – and with one another.

'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator), Jesus, died and rose again so that we could be reconciled to 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator), Jesus and to one another. As 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) Jesus has done this for us, it is my hope that indeed we will all work diligently and unceasingly toward that end of living a life reconciled both with 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator) and with one another. He loves us and He wants us to be reconciled with Him with each other just like any parent desires to have their children get along.

So today, if there is anything between you and another of God’s children, another of God’s creations, I encourage you to live free from the power of Sin and death and experience love and forgiveness instead. I encourage you, if there is anything between you and 'Haalapi Hawit' (Creator), that you confess it to Him now and receive His forgiveness, His Grace, His love, and His healing and reconciliation; and when we go from here in a moment or two let us all go from here in His power, and share His love and ministry of reconciliation with all whom we meet.

 

Let us pray.

Genesis 37, 39,41: Beat the traffic.

Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries, 28 July 2024 and TSA Harvest Community in Burnaby, 27 September 2026 by Major Michael Ramsay

This is the abridged 2026 version to view the original, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2024/07/genesis-37-3941-beat-traffic.html 

Genesis 37:14-36

14 So he [Jacob] said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.

28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

These and similar things still happen today here. Jun 26, 2024, 10:18pm, I had a text from a radio announcer in Port Alberni, where we lived at the time: "Are you aware of the Vietnamese men who are about to be made homeless by San Group?"

"No. Not at all...but we can help" I replied.

I immediately set to work to try to find out what was going on: It seemed they were trafficked. I then contacted my Area Commander, and the Modern Slavery and Anti-Human Trafficking departments of The Salvation Army. I received this reply:

 

Hello Michael, …I'm the Manager of Propel Anti-Human Trafficking Services…I was asked to help support the 16 [alleged] human trafficking survivors that I heard presented to your staff yesterday. … With the information I have received so far I have secured a Vietnamese translator/counsellor who is on standby, a shelter on the island that can house all 16 survivors (at least temporarily), and I have an HT specific budget to help with whatever their needs are including transit to the shelter and clothing. I would love to…support your team in whatever ways needed! 

Our Member of Parliament then reached out to me. We went to the property. The conditions the workers were living in were deplorable. The men slept on mattresses side by side on a sewage-soaked carpet. The smell was terrible. There was no heat in the building. There was no running water. The people bathed and washed their dishes in a ditch with water from a pipe outside. 

 

We spoke to the workers through a translator. They said they paid between $20 000.00 and $30 000.00 each to come here to work for a wage in excess of $30/hr. They said they never received that wage. They said they were subject to unsafe working conditions: working with toxic chemicals without proper protective gear, working long hours, many days in a row. They were afraid for themselves, and they were afraid for their family. They showed us where they lived. They explained to us how they lived. They asked us to help them flee. I told them we could get them out tomorrow.

 

On Saturday, June 29th, 15 of the 16 workers were taken out of town to a secure Salvation Army facility in Victoria where they could have their physical, emotional and spiritual care needs met and where they could get the legal and other counsel that they needed. I checked up on them. They were happy. They were free. 

 

These sorts of things happen here today. The stories of Joseph and human trafficking and slavery are not just tales from a faraway place and a faraway time. Canada’s laws are seemingly favourable to human trafficking. 

 

Canada’ closed work permit creates a dangerous state of dependency; as a closed work permit, versus an open permit, means the temporary worker’s visa is tied to a specific company. Closed permits make a worker much more vulnerable. For instance, the workers don’t qualify for MSP, so any injuries on the job are the employer’s responsibility to deal with. And we’ve got to be careful that we don’t slide or slip in that obligation 

 

Canada’s reliance on temporary foreign workers is growing. This is scary. This creates an environment where this sort of thing can happen all the time. I have heard of domestic servants and human trafficking in Vancouver. I have spoken to my Member of Parliament with another TSA Officer about human trafficking of farm workers when I lived in Saskatchewan. We have worked with trafficked, prostituted people in various cities across this country.

 

This is real life. This is happening. Here in Canada. Here in BC. This is scary stuff. So, what do we do? Well, if you know anyone who needs help let The Salvation Army know! Also, write to your Member of Parliament: tell them to stop enabling human trafficking; tell them to end unsupervised, closed work permits where an employer has that much control over a person’s life. Make the government check in on people under their care (in their own language), make them protect those they are duty bound to protect.

 

Pray for people who are trafficked in this country, around the world, and here in this community. Pray for the underprivileged: the poor, the family-less, the immigrant. Help us help them.

 

And trust God. God was with Joseph when he was a trafficked domestic servant in Potipher’s household. God was with Joseph when he was sent to a prison in a foreign land. God was with Joseph in his hour of need and the scriptures say that in that he prospered.  And then God used a cupbearer to the king to deliver him and God used Joseph to deliver many other people in turn. We remember that when Joseph was in the depths of prison, Pharoah’s cupbearer, encountered him, there and though for a long time he did nothing, eventually he did something – two full years later – Genesis 41, reading from verse 9: 

 

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. 

 

Thanks to God! Through the cupbearer, Joseph was delivered from captivity as he was earlier delivered from slavery. May we each be like that cupbearer. Even if we have been slow to help those in need thus far, even if we have forgotten, even if it has been years. Even if we have delayed in helping those in need for both now and eternity, may we be encouraged, may we now be faithful. May we now be spurred to action; so that like those workers we can be saved in the here and now. And may we at the same time be faithful in sharing the Good News of Salvation so that we and all those we meet may be saved for now and for eternity as well.

 

Let us pray.

 

Deuteronomy 6:1-7: Poison and Children

Presented to TSA Harvest Community, 20 Sept 26

By Major Michael Ramsay

 

Based on the 19 July 2081 devotion that can be read here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2018/07/devotion-350151-deuteronomy-61-7-poison.html 

 

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

The other week my daughters and I went to see Guns n Roses in Concert. I am blessed. We have seen Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Metallica, Live, Poison, Cheap Trick, Kiss, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Joan Jett and others in concert together. It is a lot of fun to be able to share these experiences with my daughters.

 

When we went to the Poison, Cheap Trick concert in Toronto years ago, it was a Father's Day present and this was a good way to celebrate Father's Day: listening to music from when I was a teenager with my (at that time) teenagers. My daughters actually like this old music! I don't know how they developed the same taste in music as I have. I think it was originally from a school (History?) assignment of Sarah-Grace's but I am not sure. I know that even though I don't listen to music a lot, they did have the chance to hear my old tapes. Some of my influence must have rubbed off on them. Rebecca even at one point had a cassette player and would play my old tapes! (They would also listen to my old music however people consumed music at that time). They must have picked up something from my influence! 

 

Deuteronomy speaks about the importance of teaching our children well. They can learn from us so easily. As much as I enjoy going to concerts and listening to music from the 80's with my teens; I even more enjoyed reading the Bible with them when they were at home and am thankful that today they read the Bible on their own and pray on their own and worship God on their own and in community. A few years ago, when all our kids still lived at home, Susan and I were unable to go to church for a few weeks in a row. My kids still went all on their own. It was a real blessing and a great encouragement to everyone at the church. 

 

Today, I encourage you to read the Bible with your kids and grandchildren when they are little. Talk to them about God and the Bible and pray as a family. That is indeed a great blessing that I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on.

 

What are other ways we can show children and grandchildren the importance of our relationship with God?