what if it all ended tomorrow?

i was just reading something, and a thought came into my mind....

if the kingdom of God was going to come tomorrow, would we be living differently?

im sure we would, so why aren't we living like that.... why aren't we living with a sense of urgency? are we living the ways a modern Jesus would be living here in Canada? are we living the way we would if we only had a bit of time left on this earth? if we knew Jesus would be coming soon... what would we be doing instead? what should we be doing instead?

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anyway, i recently came back from a weeks' worth of kids camp in Paris, Ontario, at a place called Braeside, where it's like a little village of cottages and trailers, and cabins, with like a small community consisting of a tabernacle, a tuck shop, a dining hall, a ministry center, some first aid stations, a pool, a skatepark, a basketball court, a big field with baseball, and a zip line, and much more.

it was a fun camp... with a bunch of kids from windsor, etobicoke, brampton, and from the jane and finch area. i was one of many camp counselors, each looking after 4 or 5 kids, totalling up to 200 kids, and though at times it was chaotic, and tiring, it was still fun.

i met some really cool kids from the different inner cities, just so intrigued and curious about many things. over the summer, im learning how to just bust out scripture and bible stories with kids randomly, in a relevant way, and it's a pretty cool thing, when the kids are so curious about it.

one day i was sitting by the pool, reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistable Revolution, and they were intrigued by the unique-looking book cover, and that turned into questions about the book, then questions about the bible, then questions about how we should sell our possessions and give to the poor, then to questions about the story of the widow's offering, who puts in only two small copper coins, which was all she had.... and how these kids actually listened and understood it, gave real life examples and stuff, it was truly encouraging.

overall, the camp was a different but cool experience, and at the end of the day, it was pretty fun.

now back at the jane and finch internship program, we've been working in a different cycle. In May and June, the ministry comprised more of the after school program, and stuff like that, but now that school's out, we're in a more flexible, unstructured phase, where pretty much each day we meet up with people and use these small group/1 on 1 settings to minister or disciple. every morning, we, the intern team, come and have some quiet time and prayer time, then we schedule and arrange to meet up with seniors, located at the seniors home next to the church. after lunch and time to read the bible, we arrange times to meet up with kids in very small settings, whether it be a couple kids, or just 1 on 1 mentoring, and with this framework, it allows for more flexibility, and enables a deeper connection between us and these kids, because they can see us on a more equal, and personal level, and hanging out just brings about a more casual atmosphere, a lot easier to disciple and teach these kids and for them to see us living the ways of the bible, and as role models. i, personally, find that this works... and sometimes the structures of a day camp or a VBS, can sometimes have its limits and inefficiencies, where the kids would see you as a camp leader or counselor, and that creates different levels, and creates an authority figure, rather than a friend. it also may limit the ability to connect with kids on a deeper level and give them attention, because at a camp, one leader may have to look after a bunch of kids and have to lead activities and whatnot, and the right amount of attention may not be given.

of course, there are the pros and cons, and im not trying to hate on camps or those structures or anything like that at all, there are lots of good things about camps and all those fun activities. i'm simply just trying to explain what we're doing now in the summer months in relation to mentoring and discipling kids without programs and camps, though we have a weekly basketball houseleague program on thursday nights which includes an awesome devotion, and we'll be starting basketball camps in August, which i'm looking forward to.

we're still doing tuesday York University outreach and bible studies, every tuesday at York at about 1:30pm, we still do community bbq's on friday afternoons, we still take a bunch of kids on trips on saturdays, and we still do DEEDZ every friday night, where we go downtown and just hang out with the homeless and the broken, and those dealing with addictions, and the lost and the hurting, however many of the people we encounter are those that are on their turning point.

so that's the update. im excited for the fall, and going back to university, though im really loving it here in this community, and starting to feel a bit sad that this internship program is slowly coming to its end.

keep praying for these kids, that they may just have a breakthrough in their lives, a deep conviction and an ultimate realization, that life isn't about makin' money, or becoming rich and having it all, or the life involved with gangs, trying to find your identity and loyalty in that, but it's about denying all of that and living in the ways of Jesus and being a peacemaker and loving others as yourself.

peace and love.