ìHousehold incomes in Calgary and Edmonton led the country the second half of the last decade as half of the households in both cities earn more than $80,000 a year compared with only 37 per cent of households in Canada.î ñ Postmedia, Nov. 23
The reality reflected in the statement above means different things to different people. Some suggest it all depends on which side of the $80,000 figure your household income falls.
Numerous benefits accompany residing in Alberta, of course. Due in large part to the worldís insatiable thirst for hydrocarbon products, we are fortunate to live atop an ample raw supply of such. In this regard, those of us privileged enough to have called Alberta home for most of our lives have enjoyed one of the best standards of living available anywhere today.
A drive around this city yields abundant evidence that, by-and-large, cash is plenty and times are good in Airdrie.
New homes appear at an urgent pace; hockey arenas, soccer fields and swimming pools are congested with exuberant youth.
Accordingly, as we enter into another Christmas season, the air of excitability and merriment is palpable. I overhear discussions in coffee shops wherein holiday plans are enthusiastically shared. As the slogan for a popular radio station in these parts advises: ìLife is good. Sing along.î
And so we should for, let us not forget, we are a very blessed people. Letís therefore celebrate the fact that we are beneficiaries of prosperous times.
But let us also bear in mind that along with prosperity comes responsibility - responsibility to be good stewards of what we have; to invest it wisely and to share it generously. Ostensibly, such has always been a part of the Canadian understanding of what the upcoming Christmas season is really about.
The worthy entities in this city that deserve to benefit from our collective affluence are many: Airdrie Food Bank, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, The Salvation Army, Inn From the Cold, Community Links, to name just a few.
I gratefully encourage you to make your choice of organizations that support the less fortunate among us and support it/them heartily.
Tim is pastor of Faith Community Church, Airdrie. He can be reached at [email protected]
