This past Sunday was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day weekend is usually a time to give thanks for those who have died fighting for our country. It is also a time to give thanks that winter is behind, and summer is ahead.

Instead, like much our nation, I was in shock over an apparent attack upon an elementary school on Tuesday, May 24. The attack occurred in Uvalde, TX, a small town where my wife’s college roommate grew up. Nineteen children and two teachers were murdered and others wounded.

This past Sunday I preached on the assigned readings from the revised common lectionary including one about a child possessed by a spirit. As I prepared the sermon, I couldn’t help but think of the horror of the attack upon an elementary school and the poor response at the time and afterwards.

The more I thought about it the more I wondered. I have always known that there is evil in the world. It’s clear whether you are in church or not. Evil is present whenever children are trafficked to pleasure others or when children are abused by their own parents. Evil is present and clearly on display in Ukraine, with multiple war crimes against humanity.

Just as there is good, there is also evil. I preach on the good. I preach that God loves you so much that God send his only Son and that Jesus loves you so much that he talked and laughed and healed and ultimately went to and died upon the cross and rose again! I preach that the disciples grieved his loss, even while denying him, and the women visited his grave, but that Jesus rose again from the dead! I preach hope while praying against evil.

This past Sunday I could not help but wonder if the shooters in Uvalde (and Buffalo, Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland …) were not also possessed like the young person in the reading assigned for the day. Possession is not an excuse for doing evil. It is instead an attempt at understanding the presence of evil in the world.

I cannot fathom what inspires a person to do such evil as attacking a school, grocery store, theater, worksite, hospital, party, office building, or any of the other places that have been attacked.

I cannot understand how people can read or hear threatening statements made before such attacks and not report them. Lives could have been saved. Lives. I believe that not reporting threats is negligent, obstructive, and costs lives.

I cannot understand the evil that attacks people and I cannot come up with how to prevent this in the future. Simple answers and empty promises are not working. I am not writing this to advocate doing this or that, but simply to stop and really think through the possibilities, including the ones with which you are not comfortable. Lives hang in the balance.

Pastor, St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall. Chaplain, Fairbanks PD and Steese FD. Insight is sponsored by TVCC.

​Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on June 3,, 2022

I think about heroes every time I watch the news of Ukraine. I think about a comedian turned actor turned political candidate. He won the presidency by a landslide.

Fast forward to 2021, and the Russians started camping on their borders. They sent everyone, and then everyone else. Tanks, artillery, transports, trucks, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers kept gathering on the border. In February of this year the invasion and bombardments began.

The comedian president was advised to leave and offered a ride. Many expected him to flee with riches, friends and family. Instead, he declined the ride, requested military support, rallied the people and stayed in the fight.

Ukraine was predicted to collapse in a week. Terrible atrocities were alleged and committed with thousands of civilians slaughtered. It looked more like 1942 than 2022. The Ukrainians have been heroes by demonstrating incredible courage and amazing perseverance. The Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, and over two months later the fight continues.

It is easy to look to Ukraine for heroes. It is likewise easy to look to Hollywood, Seal Team 6, and sports figures for heroes. But what about right here in Interior Alaska?  We sometimes miss the heroes in our own community. I think of the people who stand in the gap to respond to crisis situations and help people.

I have met many, many heroes here. I have met people who answer the call to go into burning buildings, provide emergency medical care, and run toward the sound of gunfire. Each of these first responders goes toward danger while everyone else runs for safety.

I have also met the people who answer emergency 911 calls and dispatch first responders in times of extreme stress. These heroes hear the need of the person in crisis and send the appropriate assistance. These dispatchers are literally the very first responder with whom a person in crisis speaks.

I have also met brave men and women serving in our nation’s military. I have had the honor and opportunity to listen to soldiers and airmen and their families talk about the stresses and strains of being moved across the nation, or the world, every few years and adjusting to a whole new community. Many of these same people have deployed multiple times. Military and first responders sacrifice greatly to serve.

Stress and sacrifice are big aspects in the life of our first responders and military. Stress is an even greater factor for families of first responders and military. Many of these families simply pray that their hero will return home safely. Sadly, not everyone does.

A police memorial service will be held at Trooper Gabe Rich and Trooper Scott Johnson Memorial Park in North Pole at 11 a.m. May 13.

Take some time to thank and appreciate our heroes for the tremendous difference each one makes every day.

Stephen Reed is pastor of St. Paul Church, 949 Farmers Loop Road. He is also the Fairbanks police and fire department chaplain. Insight is sponsored by Tanana Valley Christian Conference.

Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on May 6, 2022

‘It’s not fair! It’s just not fair!”

How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said that?

Some respond with, “Who said life is fair? It’s not." That’s not helpful. It’s like the response, “You think that’s bad; I guarantee you there are others who got it far worse than you!” That may be true, but the thought of others suffering doesn’t really help when it feels like you’re suffering.

“It’s not fair!”

Some say, “It’s God’s will!” Is it? How do we know? And if it’s all God’s will, then what does that say about God? Sometimes bad things happen over and over. Wars have been happening in Europe for centuries. That history doesn’t make it any easier for the people of Ukraine right now. Elementary schools, maternity hospitals, apartment buildings, residential neighborhoods, and shelters housing children have all been bombed. It’s way past unfair. It’s crimes against humanity.

I don’t believe it’s God’s will. Job wrestled with this same question and in the end discovered that he was not on an equal plain with God. That is true. The first day of seminary we learned a valuable lesson with which there was total agreement: God is God and we are not.

It amazes me that in the midst of chaos and tragedy that is Ukrainian life today, people are still falling in love. That too is somehow unfair.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died from or with Covid-19 and that too is tragically unfair. Many have died of preventable causes left untreated out of fear of Covid-19.

Another annoying quote is that God will never give you more than you can handle. If only that were true. Suicides argue against that quaint expression.

In all this we’ve learned the following: life is not fair, we are not God, God’s will is more excuse than explanation, good and bad happens, and quaint expressions aren’t helpful.

I’d like to conclude this with a few thoughts. Was it fair that God sent his son? No. Neither was it fair that Jesus taught many, healed some, and raised a very few. It wasn’t fair that he was captured, tortured, and killed. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to be an early follower or disciple and see the long-promised Messiah who had done so much for so many taken away. It was not fair. Then again it wasn’t fair that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to a few and then to more and finally to many.

Although life is not fair and the unfairness can be overwhelming, things do change. The darkness eventually gives way to the light. We know this all too well. We’ve made it through the short days and long darkness of November through January. Soon all this snow will melt, and swarms of mosquitoes will rise up. Keep the faith even when it seems out of reach. We’ll get through this together.

The Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor, St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire. Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference.

Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on April 1, 2022

Does it ever seem like 2022 is another repeat of 2020? These past few years have been like this winter: relentless.

As I write this article many things are occurring simultaneously.

Russia is in Day 14 of its war on Ukraine.

Gas, oil, and inflation are all rising.

I am home in Covid-19 isolation having tested positive on Saturday.

In a normal world, the last item listed above, testing positive for a disease that has killed millions, would be the primary concern. It certainly was this past weekend when I was experiencing “air hunger.” Before you ask, yes, I am vaccinated and no, I haven’t had a fever. Despite being vaccinated and taking precautions, I caught the “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Go figure.

It began last week. I wasn’t feeling well on Thursday. I called for an appointment on Friday. Following an examination, I was referred for a chest x-ray. The next day (Saturday) I was still having difficulty breathing. I went to a Covid testing site and learned that I was positive. I have never felt so negative for being positive. Today, I am beginning to feel better.

Second on the list, inflation, affects everyone. The poor do not have the money to pay more for less. Everyone is having to make changes as costs increase daily.

Finally, the Russian war on Ukraine. Each day brings with it devastation, shock, and inspiration. Devastation in response to constant shelling, bombing, and missile strikes. Shock in response to seeing apartment buildings, neighborhoods, nuclear power plants, elementary schools, and hospitals attacked. It is shocking to see millions of women and children fleeing warfare in their community for shelter in neighboring countries. Inspiration is the amazed response at watching Ukraine’s leader refusing to abandon his nation in its time of need, instead asking for ammunition to continue the fight. It is inspiring to see the determination of so many to fight for their homeland.

How are we to respond to this trinity of calamities: war, inflation, and ongoing pandemic?

We respond with faith and with grace. Our faith is in God who remains God, no matter the circumstances. There are those who will point to these circumstances as challenges to faith in God. I believe that God remains God, no matter what we think or do. It is we who are changed by our faith, not God.

We also respond with grace. Grace can be demonstrated by reaching out to people. Reach out to people who grew up in Eastern Europe, Ukraine, or Russia, or have family there. Reach out to Soldiers, Airmen, and other Active-Duty military and to their families. Reach out to the struggling with donations of time or money to the Food Bank, Rescue Mission, or the Door.  Reach out to the sick and the grieving with empathy.

We are living in interesting times. The trinity of calamities above may seem insurmountable. We have made it through hard times before and we will do so again, by the grace of God.

The Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor of St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire.

Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference
Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on March 11, 2022

Greetings! Valentine’s Day is almost upon us.
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Today I would like to talk with you about the most famous New Testament writing on love. This writing is so famously associated with love that it is often read at weddings.

I refer is the thirteenth chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. It is a chapter that, appears, to be dedicated to the romantic notion of love.

But not so fast. I fear that I will burst some well-intentioned bubbles.

Paul wrote the letter to the church at Corinth, a church that was in conflict. Imagine that, a church in conflict!

The church at Corinth was in conflict over a variety of issues mostly having to do with gifts and their exercise. It seems that people were in conflict over their gifts. Some thought that their gifts were better than all other gifts.

You may not have experienced conflict in the church. Sadly, it’s not that uncommon. Some might say that church conflict is rather routine. Sometimes church conflict is over doctrine, tradition, interpretation, and the like. Other times, the conflict is over the same (toxic) people who are always in conflict with someone.

Paul starts 1 Corinthians 13 by talking of the importance of love over all other gifts. Paul continues by speaking of the attributes of love. Finally Paul speaks of the constancy of love.

Paul even goes so far as to proclaim that “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

Paul is trying to get people to focus on love first before anything else.

Paul speaks of the importance of love over prophecies, tongues, and knowledge. Paul concludes 1 Corinthians 13 by saying that faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

What does Paul say for us today? He says that all faith is based upon love. When Jesus was asked, he said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus goes on to encourage that we love even our enemies.

This is quite powerful, especially the idea that the love chapter is written to a church in conflict with itself. As such, the chapter can speak to us in our conflict with each other and ourselves.

In our marriage and in our lives our focus is to be on love: for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our neighbors.

Love, love, love.

Love is never about who is better. Love is never about power or control. Love is about love!

Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference
Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on February 11, 2022

Yup, that's how it's spelt. Stick with me here and it'll be profound (and extremely timely).
 
Imago Dei, it's been around since the beginning. Literally, the beginning. Yet it's hard to imagine a time in which Imago Dei could be more rel­evant.
 
Imago Dei. It sounds funny, but it means so much more than one can imagine.
 
Imago Dei. What does it mean? The definition is simple. The meaning might just change your life.
 
Imago Dei: Image of God. Where does that come from? Genesis 1:26-27. Read below from the New Revised Stan­dard Version (NRSV) trans­lation: "Then God said, `Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness ...' So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
 
Go back and read it again. "`Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness ...' So God created humankind in his image, in the Image of God he created them; male and female he (God) created them."
 
God created people, male and female, in God's image. Consider what it says and what it does not say. It says that God created people in the Image of God. It does not say that God created one race or nationality in God's image. No, it says that humanity, that means all of us, each of us, every single one of us, is made in the Image of God.
 
What are the implications? If humanity is made in the Image of God, then your loved ones, family, friends and all you care about are made in the Image of God.
 
But what about the other? What about the people you know and avoid (in-laws? People you used to work, worship, and / or fellowship with). Yes, people you know and avoid are made in the Image of God.
 
What about the people you do not know and avoid without even thinking about it? What about people with a skin tone different than yours, who speak with a dif­ferent dialect or language, who worship differently (maybe even on a different day and using different words and maybe even drums!!!)? The answer is yes, also made in the Image of God.
 
Now the hard part. Imagine for a moment the person you most want to win the 2020 election - very clearly made in the Image of God. Yes, absolutely, no question about it. What about the person you least want elected? Yes, also made in the Image of God.
 
What about Minneapolis murder victim George Floyd? Made in the Image of God. The suspect charged with his murder? Made in the Image of God. The others who stood by? Made in the Image of God. The protesters, made in the Image of God. Everyone in uniform (and out of uniform)? Made in the Image of God.
 
Everyone is made in the Image of God.
 
Now imagine a world in which we treat each other as equally made in the Image of God. Today, this weekend, every day, try viewing every­one you see, think about, know, or avoid as made in the Image of God. Everyone. What a beautiful world it could be.

​Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor at St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire.

​Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference
Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on June 5, 2020

By the time you’re reading this article Thanksgiving 2021 will be history. That does not mean that one stops giving thanks. Having an attitude of gratitude is helpful year-round. Many gratitude exercises are recommended for reducing one’s stress and improving one’s mental health. You might begin by giving thanks that all the preparation and cooking associated with Thanksgiving is done.

Some reading this might be having a difficult time thinking of things for which to be thankful. That’s understandable. It’s been a hard couple of years. We’ve lost friends and family to a variety of causes including, but not limited to, Covid-19. To deny that darkness is somehow dishonest. If you know someone grieving losses, then make some calls and check in. Maybe even invite people over to share a meal and the gift of time. There are no right words to say, but sometimes simply listening and being present makes a tremendous difference.

Some friends have engaged in a challenge to list three things for which they are grateful daily, even when they’re experiencing difficult times and challenges. The lists are at times very, very basic: I woke up today (not everyone did), I am breathing on my own (not everyone is), and I am able to feed myself (some go hungry and others are on feeding tubes).

The first thing that I am thankful for is God. Not enough can be said of God, the giver of all good things. God so loves us that he gave his only son that all who believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). In some churches, the communion service is called a Eucharistic Feast; the word eucharist comes from eucharistia which is Greek for Thanksgiving.

The second thing I am thankful for is my bride and our children. We have made it through many years, long moves, life changes, and several dark cold Alaskan Winters.

The third thing I am thankful for is the outstanding work done by many through this time. Area law enforcement agencies serve and protect our community, as well as collecting food for the Food Bank more recently. In case you hadn’t heard, there was a competition between area law enforcement agencies to collect food for the Fairbanks Food Bank. Over 50,000 pounds of food was collected for people in need. I am likewise thankful for all first responders (dispatchers, fire fighters, law enforcement, and ambulance crews). We can all give thanks for the outstanding nurses and doctors who are helping our community through Covid-19.

I leave you with this thought: Thanksgiving is more than one day a year. Thanksgiving is an attitude of gratitude. Honestly, sometimes Thanksgiving can be very stressful as people try and make the turkey turn out just right and the conversations remain peaceful — that’s easier unsaid than done. Yet even when life is challenging and difficult, there are still things for which we can be thankful. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, no matter the day!

The Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor at St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire.
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Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference.

The past few weeks (and years) have been strangely difficult. We’ve experienced fluctuations with Covid, accidents and incidents, tragic shootings, road rage, a variety of holidays, increasing inflation, and decreasing sunlight.

Sadly, it would take a lot of time and space to list every recent tragic and/or traumatic event and even then, I would likely miss one (or many). Suffice to say that we have lost good people in many different circumstances.

In less than a month, we’ve gone from a spooky day of frights (Halloween) to a day to remember people for their outstanding examples (All Saints Day on Nov. 1). We remembered all who have died on All Souls Day on Nov. 2. And we honored those who stand in the gap between us and those who really scare us, with the 246th Birthday of the US Marine Corps on Nov. 10, and all Veterans on Nov. 11th.

In the same timeframe, leaves, snow, temperatures, and daylight have fallen even as prices rise. We are also quickly approaching a change in the church year from the season after Pentecost to the beginning of Advent, with Christmas just a few weeks away. It’s an interesting time to say the least.

With so many things changing in the world it can be hard to remember what is constant. What does not change when everything else does? Jesus. He does not change. He is constant, he is always there. No matter the weather, price of gas, or availability of turkeys, he is always there, and so is the need. The needs of many in this world are constant, and Jesus calls us to help. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world in need. We help ministries like the Door (24-hour emergency youth shelter), Fairbanks Community Food Bank, FYND Out Free Clinic, Love Inc, and many more. We do so as we value and care for one another, regardless of the season.

Jesus commands us to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. He further calls us to love one another as he has loved us. Jesus also connects how we forgive one another to how we are forgiven by God. Let us show love, forgiveness, and compassion to all and thereby make a difference for everyone.
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The Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor at St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire.
Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference.

I write this article with some trepidation. I hope to address such topics as Covid-19, vaccines and politics. I’m thinking that no matter what I write or how I write it, I have the potential to upset everyone. I’m writing because it really is a matter of life and death.

At some point, Covid-19 and the vaccines became political. Neither are political for those on the front lines of this battle: health care professionals, patients and families.

A video was released recently in which an FMH nurse describes the life and death struggles with Covid in which some recover while others experience air hunger and die. Her video is not political, it’s reality. If you haven’t seen it, I suggest you do: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/fairbanks/2021/10/01/watching-themselves-die-fairbanks-nurse-describes-panic-and-air-hunger-among-covid-patients-in-video-encouraging-vaccination/

Many, many people have tested positive for Covid and recovered. Many have tested positive for Covid and died. The vast majority survive, but those who do not are gone leaving behind grieving friends and family. There are also issues distinguishing between dying from Covid vs. dying with Covid. Just to be clear, Covid is not good, no matter how you count it.

We’re at this strange point in history in which the vaccine is viewed as either a miracle cure and thus our salvation or as the mark of the beast and therefore evil.

I don’t think the vaccine is either savior or devil. Instead, I think the vaccine is simply a vaccine. Remember when the big controversy about the vaccine was how long it was going to take to be produced?

What do Presidents Trump and Biden have in common? The same thing that Presidents Obama and Bush have in common. Each has received the Covid-19 vaccine. They don’t have much else in common.
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Some fear people who aren’t vaccinated while others fear the vaccine itself. I think everyone, to some extent or another, experience some fear about catching Covid-19 or catching it again.

In the past year, I have had friends test positive for Covid-19, seriously struggle and recover. I have also had friends test positive for Covid-19 and die. I have had friends line up at the first opportunity to get vaccinated and others refuse to do so for a variety of reasons. None of my vaccinated friends experienced any serious side effects from the vaccine and none has died of Covid-19.

What about my family and I? We are all fully vaccinated. We all see this vaccine as any vaccine: a part of healthy self-care.

Some think they are better for being vaccinated and others think they are better for not being vaccinated. Self-righteousness is never a good thing, no matter the reasons.

Some would say that I am out of my league to be writing on Covid-19 and vaccines. I am a pastor and chaplain, not a health care professional. Consulting me for your health care decisions makes as much sense as consulting Google. Whenever I have a medical concern, I speak with a health care professional. I suggest you do the same.
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Cast all your worries upon God who cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

​Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor at St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire.

​Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference
Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on ​October 8, 2021

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

The above two Biblical verses come to my mind as I think of friends, neighbors, and strangers who served in Afghanistan over the past twenty years.

Following 9/11, U.S. forces were sent to Afghanistan and elsewhere in the global war on terror. Given the events of this past weekend in Afghanistan, I want to write this article specifically to our veterans. This is a time, in the face of recent events, to call out our veterans and active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard to give thanks.

There is a quote that states, “a veteran is someone who, at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America,’ for an amount up to and including their life.” The author of the quote is unknown.

Veterans (and active-duty personnel) are people who enlisted to serve our nation for a variety of reasons. Many were deployed to Afghanistan over the past 20 years, some repeatedly. 2,448 were killed. Brown University estimates between 66,000 and 69,000 Afghan army and police were killed in the same 20 years.

Now, the US is in the process of evacuating. I’m writing this as I try to come to terms with our sudden departure from Afghanistan coupled with the total and sudden victory of the Taliban forces, we fought for 20 years. Some are experiencing a whole mixture of emotions ranging from frustration, anger, depression, failure, relief, and much more. I remember when Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals on a mission in Pakistan. At our home we would end every night with a time to hear our kids’ favorite part of the day, lessons learned, and what they wanted to pray about. When it came to prayers, they often wanted to pray for a friend at school whose dad was in Afghanistan or Iraq. When Bin Laden was killed their friends were relieved because that meant the war was over and dad was coming home! That was 10 years ago, May 2, 2011.

To all who served in Afghanistan I want to say thank you. You made a difference. You fought terrorists and saved countless lives. You made a difference for the Afghan people and for people around the world. You held the line and accomplished all that you were ordered to do and much more. You can be proud of your service. Thank you!

I have had several conversations with Veterans who served in Afghanistan this week. If you’d like to talk, you can reach me at (907) 479-7998. Please pass this article along to Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

Rev. Stephen Reed is the Pastor at St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall and the Chaplain for Police and Fire.

​Insight is sponsored by the Tanana Valley Christian Conference
Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on ​August 20, 2021