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. John 1:14
“When any significant change takes place in the moral standards of a community, it is immediately reflected in a general shifting of the meanings of common words.”
Owen Barfield in History in English Words (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967) 147.
Our discussions have wrapped up in Cochabamba, Bolivia, pictured above from our meeting room at the Fundación APOYO Bolivia office. One thing we discussed, and I hear this in the USA as well, is how Bolivians need to reclaim the meaning of the word “stewardship” which refers to our responsibility before God, not a giving campaign at church.
As Barfield notes, change linked to “the moral standards of a community” which is what we at GTP are promoting with CONFIABLE America Latina, will require people to “shift the meanings of common words.”
This made me think of Jesus who was the Word and who revealed the Father to us. Without His presence, we would not understand the Father or know the meaning of grace and truth. Jesus changed our view of the Father with His visit. Pray with us that our visit to Bolivia changes how influential workers think about stewardship and standards.
Hear our prayer in your mercy, Lord Jesus, and grant negative COVID tests today and safe travel to Paula Mendoza, Ereny Monir, and me, as we have multiple flights over 28+ hours starting this evening.
For those who want to track with us. Paula flies Cochabamba to Santa Cruz (Bolivia) to Panama to Guatemala City. Ereny goes Cochabamba to Santa Cruz to Panama to San Jose (Costa Rica) to Los Angeles. I fly Cochabamba to Santa Cruz to Panama to Houston to Denver. That’s a long time with masks on. God help us.