Season 5 - Episode 24

To listen to an audio version of this post, visit www.covenantchurch.ca/podcasts/covenant-weekly.

Good Afternoon, Covenant Family. On Sunday morning, I talked about different ways people in the story we read presume God works. I didn’t spend much time with the disciples and their perspective that God works by giving people what they deserve - good or bad. I did, however, suggest that instead of looking for simplistic explanations about who to blame for something, that we should instead look for where and how God can work. I want to dig in this morning to acknowledge the tension, and even a risk, in applying this wisdom too stringently. This is our Covenant Weekly for February 17, 2026.

On Sunday, I shared an update, as far as I’ve learned, about the situation in Cuba. It is hard, and getting harder for the foreseeable future. We will have to get creative in getting aid and assistance to our brothers and sisters there. It is frustrating, even infuriating, to watch greed, power, and revenge lead to human suffering–especially the suffering of those we know and love. And in conversation, soon after the service, I was naming the names of people in positions of power and influence who have set these things in motion. I was naming names less than 45 minutes after I said, “instead of looking for simplistic explanations about who to blame…we should look for where and how God can work.”

Since then, I’ve been wrestling with whether or not looking for God to work should lead us away from naming names and holding people accountable.

Here’s how I’m thinking about things right now.

First, I don’t think looking for where and how God can work should prevent us from holding people accountable for their harmful actions when and where possible. We shouldn’t avoid reporting an abuser because we’re focused on caring for a victim. We can’t enable harmful behaviour by ignoring it to only care for those wounded.

I think of Peter and John in Acts 3 a crowd gathered around after they healed a man. When Peter began to address the people, he called them to account. He said, “You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.” He didn’t disregard what had been done and say, “Look, bad stuff happened, but we don’t need to talk about that. Let’s look at the good that can come!”

Later, when Paul is writing to churches in conflict, he calls people out for their bad behaviour and even instructs that if someone keeps doing things unrepentantly, they should be removed from the community.

Accountability is a good thing. But, it seems to me that we shouldn’t make it the only thing. Accountability is often focused on because it is something we feel we can control. And, for many of us, there may be some baked in revenge sentiment associated with it. We can’t let pursuit of accountability hinder us from participating in God’s healing, restoring, and life-fostering work, in our lives and the lives of others.

This brings me to a second thing. Sometimes we can name names, but we lack the ability to hold someone accountable. I can name some of the names currently involved in global geo-politics that is harming Cubans. But I need to acknowledge that it is more complex than I understand. And I lack any capacity to hold them accountable. If I get consumed with accountability, I will get frustrated and angry, sad and even afraid. I could get swallowed up by those things if they become my focus.

But if I prayerfully come to the situation, bringing all those emotions to it, and consider where and how God is at work, I may find a place where I can join in that work. I might even find some things to celebrate.

For example, the desperation of things in Cuba is leading people to explore things of faith. At the same time, it is giving the church opportunities to show sacrificial love to their neighbours. As a result, I learned that the church in Palmira, Cuba (where the Hermanos en Cristo en Cuba national ministry centre is located) is holding baptisms almost every week. Many people are coming to know Jesus through this struggle. Our sister church in Santa Clara is increasingly known for its love and compassion as they walk their neighbourhood delivering food and medical supplies to those in need. God is at work. So we pray about ways we can join in God’s work. And, at the same time, we can be open for God to work among us in ways we can’t predict or plan.

Ultimately, I think this is where I’m landing. I must always be open for God to do divine work and to join in it where I can. And, while I do that, if I am called to be a part of holding people accountable (including naming bad actors) in a way that doesn’t pull me away from God’s redeeming and restoring work and doesn’t dehumanize them, I am to do that, too.

In thinking about this, I’ve been reminded of something that I think the disciples were learning through this interaction in John 9. Following Jesus and discerning the way of God can be challenging sometimes! It isn’t always cut and dry, neat and clean. It is often messy and confusing. We’re called on to obey, but that obedience isn’t just about rote compliance to rules. It is about application of wisdom in unique situations driven by Love.

P.S.
I’m excited to share that the food order we made a little over a week ago has made it to our brothers and sisters in Santa Clara. It is, again, enough food for over 200 meals. Please pray for them as they plan for sharing and distributing this tangible expression of love to their neighbours.