More than making money

Terry Terichow

I was born and raised and lived 48 years in middle-class Canadian society. I started going to church at 11 and accepted Jesus as my Saviour at 12. I faithfully attended Sunday school and church, and participated in all the activities expected of a born-again Christian at a middle-class evangelical church. As a young person, I vowed to refrain from tobacco, alcohol, dances and worldly parties. After I married and my wife Gladys and I began our family, I focussed on having a good career, making money, owning a nice home, keeping up with the Friesens and doing the right things in my church and community. This is what I thought Christianity was all about.

But how did God fit in? I read my Bible and listened to the pastor and Sunday school teacher. Somehow these teachings and my life were not adding up. Something was missing, but what was it?

I knew I had blessings others didn't have. I knew we lived in a prosperous country and others didn't. I knew people had hurts I didn't have. Did it matter? Should I care? Was my faith active, or was I simply playing by the rules? Was I prepared to do anything about the issue or was I just going to live life as I always had? Could I make changes?

It was 112 weeks ago that I upset the apple cart and gave notice to my employer. I knew that my career as an accountant/loans manager might be over forever, that I would no longer make a normal living, that our house would be sold and that my friends and family thought we were crazy.

On October 31, 1994, I began a Mennonite Central Committee voluntary service position at Winnipeg Harvest, an inner-city food bank. Finally I began to feel God in my life. I began to understand more fully the reality of God's purpose in this world and in my life. I know God cares, and I started to learn to care. I had carried into this assignment all my prejudices toward Native people and other minorities, as well as my pieties and religiosities. Within weeks, my negative attitudes began melting away as I began to see those I met as real people with real problems, loved by God even though they didn't follow all the rules of Christian piety.

I wish I had known all this 30 years ago and had lived my adult life as one who really cares, as one who can really love, as one who can feel God in everyday life. I wish I could have taught my children and extended family by example a set of values other than the importance of following rules and making more money to buy things we don't really need.

Winnipeg Harvest recently offered me a paying job--at half my previous salary. Now that I'm no longer a volunteer, my hope and prayer is that I don't fall back into old habits and patterns.

Terry Terichow, originally from Morden, Man., is a member of Morden EMMC Church.

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