Saturday 24 November 2012

This is my son whom I love.

I am on page 24 of Greg Paul’s book, Close enough to hear God breath.  Mid-sentence, talking of God, Greg refers to “His dear Son, Jesus.”

“His dear Son.”  I couldn’t help but think of my dear son, Daniel.  One needs to be a father to understand the essence of having a ‘dear’ son.  I am sure every mother has mother-feelings.  Fatherhood, though, is a distinctly male emotion.
I had a flashback to when the Spirit of God overshadowed Mary.  It wasn’t sexual in any way; it was the act of fathering.  God had a son for the specific purpose of redeeming mankind but one cannot overlook the excitement of God becoming a father, having a son who will learn to call him Dad [Abba].
Daniel is our second child.  God had already given me ‘the desire of my heart’ in our daughter, Krista.  When Wendy became pregnant a second time, I said, “God, you choose this time.”   God chose a son for me; my son in whom I am well pleased, my son who will carry my genes and my family name to the next generation, my son in whom people [I hope] will see a shadow of his father.
I believe there is a natural pride a father has in his son; regardless of intellect, regardless of success or failure, regardless of anything.  There is an overwhelming pride I enjoy in the simple fact that Daniel is my son whom I love and in whom I am well pleased.
There is all kind of theology surrounding the second person of the Trinity, the mystery of Christ’s pre-existence before the world began, but I don’t think this in any way takes away from the joy and emotion God experienced in fathering his Son.

Monday 19 November 2012

Peace? A false hope?

While everyone would like to see a sustainable peace in the middle-east is it reasonable to expect that this will ever happen?

Some 4,000 years ago God made a covenant with Abraham, “…The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Canaan then included modern-day Israel, Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan and Syria.  While God has never revoked this covenant, wilful disobedience on the part of his Chosen People has meant that the Promised Lands have never been fully possessed and continue to be contested today.
Does Israel have a moral or legal right to the disputed territories?  Trying to answer this question opens up a Pandora’s Box of arguments. Leaving God out of the conversation for just a moment - throughout history the conqueror has been the one to dictate the borders and rule over the conquered people.  Canada and the USA are no exception.  To argue that Palestinians have a right to any of the disputed lands is the same as trying to make the case that the First Nations people have rightful title to all the lands of North America.  Reality has shown that ownership becomes ninety percent of the law.
700-Years BC Isaiah the prophet foreshadowed the re-birth of Israel which happened in a single day. “Who has ever heard of such things?  Who has ever seen things like this?  Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?  Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”  When reading Isaiah 66:7-8, it is important to keep in mind that Israel's status as a sovereign nation was established and reaffirmed during the course of a single day, May 14, 1948, and that it was born of a movement called Zionism, and that its declaration of independence was not the result of a war but rather the cause of one.
It is also worth noting that the Hebrews have never been a colonial power, they have always been content to live within the borders of the lands covenanted by God.  Yet the ancient Egyptians, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persian empire, the Greek empire, the Roman empire, the Byzantine empire, the Crusaders, the Spanish empire, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union have each, in turn, tried to destroy the Jewish people.  Each one of them gone.  The Iranians and Hamas are now vowing to have their kick-at-the-can. History does repeat itself, often, and nothing is learned.
When Hagar bore Ishmael, from whom Moslems claim their [faith] descent, God prophesied that, “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” This prophecy could not be more accurate as one observes this truth, especially from radical Islamists, towards those of contrary beliefs.
Will there ever be peace?  Yes, but it’s not necessarily all good news.  The Apostle Paul prophesied, “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
Peace?  We must never stop trying.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Saturday 10 November 2012

A Time for Change

After 35-years in the audiovisual installation industry I have decided it is time to hang up my hat so that I may devote my time Bus Stop Bible Studies, the ministry I had the privilege of starting in 2006. Yesterday was my last day at First Vision.
My audiovisual career started at Black’s Cameras, having just immigrated to Canada from England in 1973.  I felt like I had landed in a land flowing with milk and honey.  After 2-years working in the retail stores I was promoted to work in Blacks’ AV division, selling 16mm movie projectors and slide projectors to school boards and the like.  During that time I remember the introduction of the first battery operated ‘portable’ colour video camera from Panasonic; the camera head weighed 16lbs. and the reel-to-reel backpack recorder 70lbs.
In 1976 I was offered a job by Multivision Electrosonic, a company who was at the forefront of the emerging multi-image market.  Multi-Image was a large-venue display system comprising up to forty 35mm slide projectors synchronized to a sound track.  This became a significant industry with the formation of The Canadian Association for Multi-Image, of which I was a founding member and treasurer.
In 1980 I and two colleagues started our own company, Integrated Systems, to further specialize in the evolving multi-image industry and system integration.  During this time the company saw the introduction of the first video projectors and IBM became one of our main customers. 
In the fall of 1987 I started by own company, David Harrison and Associates, to specialize in the permanent audiovisual system integration market.  Approximately 7-years later the company was rebranded FirstVision.  The first three years of the company were run out of my home basement office and yet during this time we were awarded a $1.2 million ($2 million in 2012 dollars) contract to design and install the AV systems for the new Glaxo Pharmaceuticals headquarters in Mississauga.  This was to be the first of many prestigious projects awarded to the Company.  The Company’s focus has primarily been serving banks, law firms and companies where the need for quality and service are paramount. This continues to be our core focus today.
There have been many exciting times in the last 35-years,  amongst the most notable of which was the Hockey Hall of Fame project awarded to us in 1993; the year in which the Toronto Maple Leafs almost made it to the Stanley Cup.  During our site meetings, towards the end of the project, the excitement was palpable as plans were being made for a parade down University Avenue.  When Don Cherry and Ron Maclean came for a walk-through with the cameras, I was caught at the top of a stepladder adjusting a projector.  Judging by the number of people who caught a three-second glimpse of me, the whole nation must have been tuned in to Hockey Night in Canada!
And, of course, there have been tremendous strides in technology.  I remember selling two of the very first 42” plasma displays in 1997 for $25,000 each ($36,000 in today’s dollars).  Now when you buy a bed they’ll give you a consumer model for free! 
There is a proverb in the Bible which says, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29.  This has been the privilege of my experience.  Indeed, the latest project First Vision completed is the new Four Seasons flagship hotel which opened in Yorkville just days ago. 
Throughout the years, though, it has been the people, the employees, customers and suppliers that have made the whole journey so memorable.  I would be remiss if I did not hold out one individual in particular, Margaret Johnston, who has been at my right hand almost from the beginning, and continues to serve with the company.  We have been blessed with highly gifted professionals who serve our customers today; many of them have been with First Vision for more than 10-years.
With eventual retirement in mind, two years ago I sold the majority of my shares in the Company, recently renamed First Vision Technology Inc. to better reflect the changing nature of the industry.  
Thanks for the memories!