“Life in Pictou County Starts here,” said the message shown in a video in a large department store this past week. I was standing inside this store looking at the screen on the message board when I first noticed these words flashing by. Could it possibly be true that our beloved homeland here in Pictou County could be the beginning of not only life, but a joyous life where people are living and loving each other? Immediately my thoughts turned to a very divisive issue that has been hurting many people on both sides of the proverbial “divided highway” that runs through Pictou County.
We ask ourselves what possibly can be done that will bring peace to our families once again when it appears that the fabric has been torn or ripped apart? The situation that has long developed is the imminent closure of Pictou Landing Boat Harbour, belonging to First Nations as promised by the Government of Nova Scotia by Jan. 31, 2020.
For many decades Pictou Landing First Nations citizens and their families have suffered because of their once pristine harbour that became a dump site of effluent flowing into this harbour from the pulp mill.
On the other side of the divide there is the issue of whether or not the pulp mill will be allowed to construct a treatment plant and a pipeline that will take the effluent into Northumberland Strait where fishermen believe much damage to the fisheries will result, affecting the livelihood of many families.
The workers in forestry throughout the province, their families and employees at the pulp mill as well as many businesses throughout the province depend on the pulp mill for their continued livelihood and prosperity. There are cries coming to close the pulp mill and tears from those who will be affected by the closure should this happen.
“Life in Pictou County starts here,” read the message on the video board at the store and the reality of this life is that God loves each one of us and that God wants us to love one another regardless of our circumstances. The Apostle Paul expressed his complete confidence in the reality of God’s love regardless of circumstances. He asked with boldness, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Paul experienced firsthand what we needed to finish this life well.
Paul went through unbearable situations like trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and the sword, (Romans 8:35) but he did not give in to the troubles that faced him. He was absolutely convinced that neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) He concluded by saying that in every situation we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
So, this brings me to the same conclusion that Paul was referencing, that our situations facing us from the earlier mentioned divisive issues can be solved in the spirit of reconciliation and love toward one another. We need to reach out across the divide and show understanding and love through Christ who first loved us and gave us His Spirit to guide us through the storms. We are especially reminded of such love during the Advent season, the coming of God’s Son, Jesus Christ into the world to save us from our storms of destruction through the forgiveness of our sins.
Let us meet for prayer to support one another regardless of our concerns and wait on the mercies of a loving Father in Heaven to help us move beyond our present circumstances. Let us pray for the Wisdom of Solomon that the issues of division can be resolved, that peace and harmony with one another can flow through our hearts, that we can embrace each other in love and understanding.
Is there hope? Yes, yes and yes for one thing certain, if God is for us, who can be against us? Life in Pictou County starts here by living and loving one another through the storms. Reach out today to someone and remind them they are loved and be reconciled one to another.
Fred Jeffery is a long-time member of the Salvation Army in Pictou County.
