%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R 24 0 R ] /Count 3 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 16 0 R /GS2 17 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250915131700+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250915131700+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1544 >> stream x}W]s۶}GgƁ!g&ܸӇ>@$(!?#޳I&݃=gςW)ͦinP7D^IU3ن*9hsx_o~JDde$$4L671}cq*m4(N.)õ/H5:Z~Tz5 gP9$M} +"KiT1^mS-GF-UTj0&;{EFz eK$@y?%jZ$APa5JuAVQ-/G35aXi9I8DK+=iG߀.u/q6\qn 9ȎĄ?r 'U숝ggEyū[p_8wH>Jgze[O]Пe{ ZAz x; Qc]FR冺5Ekl6!=z0twX9Pj㓿AMGKsrxYMQt b0pizbu؛zY潱l. җDG"ބ ?Ec'ޖ"KVlfq^c*Y]p;pO v>9Y7\mSmH8rJ`+,Cിb؂Lf[LWt<h$ )1%E|: n}H\> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 1100 /Height 381 /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /Filter /DCTDecode /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 25321>> stream JFIF``C    !'"#%%%),($+!$%$C   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$}L" <60^)fEQ(EDQ% DQEEDP@PH(9q(,QK( @̪a PE D%DQJDQEBQEDPEE D@P%H(J:\JOյʍp"( ƀ @ D((l `ȝv\W !I@("Ǔo,,"( e) YS:\m%J @(P%H(p=xc,( 2r(@%X%Ycjŗ^ƔY9rɮcoN&J!EO>wg~on]uyOMwu9;rf'g./s|F>cOC?Ux(F_/^m~J)DIDq^&LJ˳cܝUq轆m|>gy>xw4M[ [Tk_,ME9vJk0l|K/9AnEXId]G筳Ԛ]~IinK:IaB, !>p[] ], -(Q* * YeR((2ci=7{ju7G7]6N|67/Nc5÷ .{ϔw̷5z%#v?+vX E3f6qe'-Ö %K!tˍӈ>hZeMinBP,YEYE׹.˫s>&9z]gY{|9txgs[&ut\%>e_)M}/2rsᰟy|7J,,MM4t{.ut6aNW5Y@%-M8,3!ѮȮ ], -(Q(PYd([zyW>izlk{˦>KeZ":>\n~icϷ;p>{y[%XIP#b2n㫆^+74eO&XkMFƞ^[<3.s{pq{C$njNEm3d @ʥQesu  GgcΕ)uv'Mtw^VO7'p~SOYZ]W@F8d'0eL03xmݖorcRN{nuÆqhokng 83[`EJ (i(X62il7g71muǫµ/G/;-NVKi.#s,vRngſJNQsp;u; 99{m?tizM8z{Z0q%Ö=uUun<}JˌmeY ,zE1G:=JTӈ'{o}}2QӫD?]ۻwcѺY'f9iZ|6Wk}[J|xvش;-ukklmu50gj`CƽIl`.38e[iB((P%(J% @dP5v5xɌv!} ׍o|ZN[L5ʾଦR$K$kȤ#H`0T(U :N/\N%{}h"|fKczn5ٕ2xy;pbELLϐZπ38ܟp1@t24C1"yQ#7 =]'Zik 'F X{WT\aj2".)=iy~J޼+cUufvF6\h9~j#$mnt{e'>1S.mEu:0~c䵸ԃ~߹Rm[n/٤GD~sFQuM:*Kz1ӝpjۧ?VZXSY=ݠvwS1#.dyKil^tUflse|1ڐDcɂw ${#[߸\ 91xx<=F!v=l3.m rȦEjs+`V?ȍo`SyHh]_sRO|kTn0:Uw/ )TF&Ki0`gLW+Ɏc/]&#zN4B7"1dz/С5)JxѲTKΗ#YvO]]?0!1 2@"0AQ#P`aB3q?im})$jGw>H۝;]llf*AwJSoŽQ8T Dx'D춺.xLd 8ݏ$0WdbeU2 T2 /ͰwBT e Μ";#U%#i\GxN=V/(ٞ=SjwB(㇧u't.OQLw ZN]-du- UW9+6αBnbN\[k7) ybPg: ڦ9q bUoߙ {|ȋiQ ܀މ ߔu6YOi_qj6$k(jMLgoyhie m7cyf9dNʸ>ݡǓx_vt͢yDs+5ZӠ ØaqZVZ7;Uy>6R==8o*9ak9 U%1pʭPv\ȄZ*߲b(Mh-kФSqZO uEc%J`v鬴 ¤e h޶4y%2A@o0鎳5 ׿O9j"j))jPSר#ީEwbC# d]ΥB wyoQ ݣqE{m/ʥ5q+ h`h6RQ^= ˈUo)ZZh?r@2^:Zxad_cٓl{`ӦRMXmK}u/1Ј }slA:/QaX#>xͬ]a}Z̷I{dv#cLI9x)7J'hODj-o:z:*%_y,h倀s:*5);!1A "2Qaq0B`#3@PRprbCS?HH}0Q}CU !` Yrdծ2>@ #]~څu>]'/Exk3zt7kq"TAl/.kY66OA-ΫG~na߱:ܣ?ڻno4c/[$S3cU]gIn0L}` e"]g~:/ryޒamqnjc Ljl6)UHS.>ѻ2T TM څHnqu]k>?4+p5ԃ:]YFfշXDD23\F d=1"12>.78雽Wa7[7Mky',"%|y*FtZ``B:5 }W쩺6>tS0TDS;)!z/Ϻاw uf!hkFY- U$Hf[eT9ʤ~!4NWa}$!(] պN~! BdM)ϝ)o1bCrGE fp o`]gTvf;}t]8PqlaidFn3T{԰(TS C6 1F:6 roo6B;'Y2x{-c[V\iG5uqm+j\^w{潣KUӇlIf&i®v6l6 0J?,l2˭қΝk m3.\i=D-#LMJl6l <6С]kƳA%^w8Y_$C2qJ11 WL%"a wH9#-YTMY+ȩ?DƂ5dB#BB̕ &JOn;Q7QIΜ;jģuLq~9C<ܦNz&4w"C2!^ncu/y]dAO2Q H @]LX"(ӿ]vYykXݳfJ]l_xr~餳R~qP0Ŏi\&8J+|2;+gy1 nwuGnyi>  :шMTx#<{'C<yHG5&g“gf [G0lhf_nˌc2EG00Z}.n&TEXs#f>Z~ScWmRc &SDA";A~d\h]WTYղvO`g亨$`*Q3ވh\; cD _'h1UL rBet(p ҐTƅ,;jTx S2 Ce#k@7"VG,rQ46zBe~ !`ej5#[m ),өS!ƶL`LN!Խ!9ZoJmFQRT1V`:X{N9wUP Zd̊0;kݬ-s&J&`՞dk)V`JJvad(o pSxܻoa 晃w <чf㉵C>si`auD]Q'k:2jf[ª`)*h3g$%j"gvej8;/ٻNF)m1AۉzM ">zGҙEu=/ʢVJzܤ1!ccFetki"2H UCh_/nFB¶^:{Ї IM5lF3H&AT3t5R4 Y8"Bs8A>Hu-(}`yǪeu3~\<ݱjb7 83DklV;U SF d;ʄ@L[4nE0dgT.\JgVm2\ԗ^ 9 //3I 5v'o:y$O> e~+j@)&JV(^o{Lx/#a.9!:&xЀ8*TWs8JsSi _"C5 !7X CFRpSjMљX܄G+!1A Qa0@qP`?!&tM̛BtSW_ ,K<6Jez2^yK^hue&zbRDQOo){ߙ@nM}7Lk+u]`K\ޟmsy e42wySXmj lK]H޶/ /X~ze o|/iv9%Cguxti&Xa&K3뿎_ƄaĩwMBv*mʿh0CIS#W^xVnZS7rL{peǹMEA/Ov ߝ)௦ԛ/3|mQjZcqݸwVz’3DZb]"L{w  !gs7%)A*ߔ5et$&o_sr=c7"vi]^%nZJN?x XTOvfꊭ׸P"Ji=s0[ו Ji+}3.El8>LJwSٳ;"W~e|XNNW~>~!| @4iEF,fW{bE0r/eS>^* JQV504D5xO) ^K aax G?=#:MZȕM:CSaj 똄  ~81ZDRָ<55y/.=4 ӄz̅!㞚~e݇1A~ ]%ee #%GyM}`˳:@o&_މQqj1W.(_XF* RZJIC ~JˡkmW~5mN7]XoIrz=%쿼Pi:@vì1|7{|Z?њ&'kkeqORlBO3K12` g㣬&%s z2T|[И%w`Wa4bti|(dϿ~jDFU˨ ˫W:xHA:8vxYKPGP"8]55=mN+>e0DyŇ;i?$>ɸkG9n;auN@lq ~Ϗ.#e˿]npU3׷67GFtlvwuN"jpp?<&f_xgtwcX:_x_4 v xNP {@EԲ(F|xX2XKoV~%.k ?D0qCK*^Q=%Eg"m;`XeXަj^;uǍ MYb]bߘ,v(6(ɿs\ g@J{@>n0c[2Ch͎)L0UVAOrSB%)@Vy5Qb!5kPv4f*^C~/5?Nesf iZT3m:QzClw4"3^J5?!s7y%b׎L0Wǫ=CBU='YL32M (~/KW뇙Zs8bsQlD4 L|[vsTAey3 JčB'BhE8c@^F35:p_~owW"w9xVwb =9PdlKoa ;/=k V+﬜ATj(Օ6^6b-ƨˀ߈3#> Ç[ o1KuxxWt5K%~ק=ur-Vl-m62;nCݖ]t<( ٤a [)!{1Gk\~АTj. F/Xfo-OH:ʹM8o3Q{͘n[I/=8}tBG i /] Nu5/RmjD iq"uj-$DȑzXe%-8,(x` wq}0nl~14ʟ-B^ Lg#'T=& Ej {\- Jg`f;D6Z_>h`jzYptEsZh&!d tag+0^6`d6ܴr8D[L[[R`!ej>mŔnL51tº2RVް!WYQ^&T޳j*4H|NBȘr2F]B/Gua>rstz-M 0r4\D,2 rіPL&19ՎYaDUnA*eݐd&F-따t̺yP{=%;5uApVEsh_m>|f52n`9Պlp`|][X |<.Yh2GL I.V-8Q3A Lۧ@EA#^eh['ġ׃(MiQyFiYf6m~fx3;vtnάLh^֩ώ59^NeSOhۯ@i4޳EѤS'2:AGMQUu6-ҍv;O ;ue؃sUՖ\%޼ip/!jc4[˒7pFv$4ky V3]uH {CeMw+Ru4©H>j:5(= 5YM!++t&DA47^s0_@.z|tK9-J"DUM\pƙ[3,=,jgx0VZM1RlQStGSπQqm  08D7 &i8G\r 0 3.p{{x(-oI0 0 0 0 0 po4h^#xYbZl޼rBA 0 0 0 0 0 4ۦ00K|( .TIλKn?0 0 0 0 0 0îo@ 0Ez ,+ 4 ;StF)4L80M0 8Aw{ 0 090D0ÙE%oUS+!1A Qa0@qP`?'x@i˜QgD2?rK2E+{''Bt"ПWӵ}(UFY yʳ3a WIcUYVî C@j#Z:U^*^0Q%5Rn(y77\vFܸ[of-Z(?!2󚩫U)ƷΞ`vwKh`%3:Ёw!tO3Oo&\1߅̇t~kl|:m{wVsX]~!W4W"vZ{?Wq`s=NL1[1z~` meXjm.{cm _\W\RA3|ο>0> CTUGӬ緫:K=C:T.y`C\:Ğ">[=!NL/Sϡӟ>u׬k`>1RrCධvϰ s^ՙ/eK>PRD]Q<3xMDŁp;rYQdaq-p {FȻ?kц ehp/-YlL=)M8 gZa~Vcz˫ dDK^^vmWLV.R.׊ɼF}!.%`fWOf^nќY. ?"V+(eeP\VV4 j9AfX(D Pю0*5`ijeAnۄ@AF)"lV{9Foʚ%\DQ}3Cr`䏵5hz4b$Z f&&`A"_(FQwxoV<j;ߣ ee4Ő!KpBPT )Dtg?(bf 2\Z,Nk9j0p̕8 V00gY""f"2< 2*!1A 0@QPaq?=y 4? 9xj 3VO j[tEJTvkW^xo>'{Gm+д]r{O8.m,ljU=X `Q]fq1<-A6hނ [ Lį,b9I/M:?x7,QMJeiQ@+AExbw /\#`(hST*A&? QQ,;Í4ʺ=0z~ Q肍f΀P1ԣ/[z8t#)};9]j LES횽x8"_}įeYЃ*W`U}أG+=GRߐ:QQ7S(9#45`ZV)Ӟ'[!8f=]Ҁ 0nչM}D\DA 6F8tzQa0.G!uc芈pƀ0AnP= z]<(}POL&l "T L#gT$ 57M6ΨҖN#3$7z!r X("b.%4hlJ`Z[w6lG i]BShиz+!1AQaq P0@`?ԭkPԩRA9wIRiZez+Z6{?R\NBkLjTEJWJ֥JJֵekysiRTZTRk$SiYx.1b] /Z*V*mT+Z=ߝ6QL&kJJ*VJRJW³jw|B~`;@` RJ֥JTJZΕzMkCZԕz f]T"U^6]i^Joy~teJN{|qTA8Dj\yrX9eM_}/?:[4SJC=NQKcZ:T8~ck[s8l>ZV*+W*TZԩRJ6J+FT*mJ>G8ҴjvveZ*T4ZVTJTRpҫhS!zʬ*TRJJ+Ԓ1ĩZ?ZWҥMhJ֡+RAl[݊tϸ9*TZԩZVWL3~c7]+6;TҴUBV**VNvta,dQ50 veJҥhzCvg+)*j%J *+@*V97{ W*;_3w8HЩRD+J+JJ+Gi?1%DΕ+WƵT%g@+P1*T P%Jҡ> @xR4ژ|yuxd6GgZTʉ*V]iZ:Wm="vtOoh*T **V*T5 1-tY)J=}*T8 Ȑc:ʕ*V*&%zҢiQҽ,{_N4 kJʹ*C:Lҥ@4%..ڔ;%*V+Q%J*&6A:ZV F*ez*j07f[W*TR"XKxktIRuIH ?=r_XṱkGGzMA$*PTY涜BsU4kjC`;Oǣ1@M[7qS4eO%N 11v-CK!׾GF.+ŷu@@dpz?*n1EQrT_M!yCt u[6ܝ}2vʺxtRee+tohD]g!5}cPM̮c]ThoeևwȺyn\/bT#@Sz fi= wj~JhVñm` -p{8i2C"d$"rD:VtH(T ֆTtV9lt`8FR}@CZhhx[uP̀0:XH:h)˅ݱsmR +ؿ;A*ϻPڒsc:cj(ZT%ExQؿU*z˃(Fe1.1Su) urA Ta# S߁vc8#w(Ü*TgJTaj+Jю; Pv5-6R1ӫJ@2xc9ʼXuy@ (͙<=Uʷp 2l@P Ҵ R*T PI4Z|J1I[^YRDnΌҖ?TeiS}*V ngJC+WmZ>`?izrJHt&8="3+c:Rr.uBZ!%+l!K~; PҴ4Z.oz֎)zTAZ+1+GFt2Fyݑnb2}U3f0n!tv5sE#Y4>8JَZW2.G3X7|4G^4e:6_o=D1w-6heFS8ʕBY[p*4MSFqz;@tt};zYN20Mh3̾Z9&*V ?K57ІޑWW/|ΩG9kFW> WZcx8>K c0i[NKWldcH0ӗ't*S6v/uĬP77RRРЍ8Z xr~cj֣Yüxw{yNң`[?r ~5Ty.?x>JЛJ=b0VIQFWWᶩ9`VW8f|NLV/L&tȼ0J ik oc DJ;'RSR@<#>T2pzBC2J.|/q^,tvLIQ%JTKfyѶx<[9;QҴttg>gO mBVDQ m```)S+ţz eqN̖e%dIqOfocֳce,CKLJo%h$!U:?ˈ E"R1.9kRDyb^#, VYZVRK"u*+CRϰve\Qz>gO hNu=$J~)fQeF/ /<X쫶k)6>e&F gHBk<^g )@DZ@(!SLM FT$;]Sd@-W`!<4,߫+J*&EO=Jй}c- vgC߼THFVkmCfԄc溯GE/,bIf.v9=G)rD*M %UUyv)0"RF1\vߘ`:xj l߉Z>>QU#_23t`o4c]C6y~FڛCRhN-w ܳ.Ħ3Ǻ?ĶMUh d7OToD=^"!GGlj@. W1'PY"oǹYccCC6y~FIVȔ+GeWj_kDAu7 USvqD6_}kPѨ^ 7ҥMtv_K1*&*:&ue;7pX@܃]1mYrӦhuMa>/ƻf߄6Q ZpYyWY8$ܱOum}t FGL`IKGx@^36'# kC^cNoZԯEj;t3y?bݭ{/{ceGGoC6y~Fҡm0/b̤0lk7z' 42 :;3 NTw/kEkJЕ*T1V;$iYyQ:Tc*Vb`r)rD:Wh2LyLT1::;h aFіK4=4! ZbUUOvfHLu>-RifN&Gb6F"N=[Q=Ct\B^x$uc&і~5%8XՌutc:s6y]v!Ԅ%q|;>bQ–{2l-Cv3ݿF)PG,a9?`z*1J)'vŸҥJ+yWg5ѸS>anWg)t7KKJc7S;ML8jvC7>gio},Е iP'X-\v/LTyFԿ֋ؐڸӞ7iZ$W6O\CɥbÜ1!+;䩌{O@hr9cn7Q'_d{ӹ;̬ju`'1]Y%W#l/ZM0 /"o[$ l 6CfUBe ~R/roq0pTxШz}ϾoĢuA"Vȱ):⁚}A,Nٝ*17atݛ3]U Wx['=_mZ\ j:3 ^%1VѫKDBJ{?WhF0Zѳpt|$s7'B4)b⹆Q ^3[(yJ A'~7d;K8\C6n[ӀuvWF $e]ܬ+wE;3(gӼ +yP7ZX8tcXx 8 0mu iƤ3T6SPs`ikyQ~7'[Di_87(JmZL{!@7`zC(q<)_x]DxQ^M7caB) /THz9X+QnɀU tovdUOmuK=ӍIu-'z1fݲ9wo/ӧK0!arĶb'm.̡@EMae{z{"43,YImg]πː]nDdDCn#X~̿ZP Lg#[=2wwk2hB0OqzP.%"-1lLt0=e!7yJ0x}v<1*mCojM|"UWHƚ~ez7BnҚtB^{ (y4_ "Oǘ4CbyP7|[Y۬͝PZ ۧVk~KdK:120S\tt2H!ՃeJBn̪1.r94,aM;̍ ݱk? P$uVbVL,Qv&bPodSPK oKq^F'Q5/0Io .i1֍zͣcgmw(;]#rWˬ"o걚Nj'smV I0 1UVޏy)fr'\Ļ#abPPčՋE3o3q ٕq6w{ ulC8q,4:)н{˒1GlhnKynj wй T[̍ۈ Pwfؤ@ e+H|.> F͓sZB444! #N?C1{C3O!/> cc΄5 Uizo8q~U%WT<=x-v7XFkΖZJv ~gJ~Vؔ4!.b~ qע_PNvA!uӴ XCMm09OQ݄]N,eСӤ`#.z",<`bt_XP&΍3qxԏ[ Ta5?TNwew9B.j)k>M/3:={v7]WWZNN[m54tn>!C%rPќ6&"a8@)OyN6W<X JuxUT]tFc46pbFP.gQ^: &Q[QI叱QŻtY.ZKD_ 9B+#e]-*Y=ݛ̕/sFHs.h3ƕbxFWFʩ8(;i;)W6 n\ {3V)_bdgNJa~0!%ձ}Y@^iu$m`|xȅ{_zh cKrc2ckle b^٨ZAճY]ҳ3z%}7ARfZٱ({]e*SIJ^X([k}8`%H x ܽ]do{G?VԎmsGg!Kz.o iEz/{G#+l֏B>L beTC1Zo2rw ]CO=eiXݏ/nWX(Dgb4> `  (̕xo0ʁ*HqMn>LB2#kye3MBF'jR-AÙv%5|:pE|WMp|9w^,=ImpV1PG-gJe{ǬuK@ ::R R}+lDZoE.wDRz#ԲѲ,F@M endstream endobj 15 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2191 >> stream x}XM6ϯ]}O6;!DB"$0ڟ5@ʗׯ_Ż.rIW&]&fK)4Kp 'IФHA5zӒ%̠+)OS%6J4a;Sh +]J6I, ?>\ޭu#~p°`o%Պ\ƌ ?S8ϰ7ñ&l¿*I]w:ugLv"zzs쥅)MVҩ*C`>?iZߥϽişP[Bvy;4r#rH%"pqHpIՓ\d<$vpK֛e7_tú28j4kw{n(+ڛJI(g/AlN jaQ'jsEehT#\>v(QXL-TaWv Y]BљJ ewiv/mW3Fmf(-zxGei*8CoXVMG9*]4w.ẁzS:%rW8M7ؾ~p肤n+xd wA.N" ]*{1Ů ,ױ]ЗhUFkǀ.#ek}Uz2tkxLi$¾Ș+" TG@֨GWiė |(qA?dt앓@W0 !~5W!l%jSLdʇ`zP.k9pġ5]Ɛb;#Zc׻$]Ű X4Cnjs53 {CmZpٱ7N>|÷Et/eeoD_IvV]=s}}e2x)K] *u(̃phiDi V Asf6!`~TMs -be+`VtwdD91ۛbpCt>7'bŀpskmP8?Ԛ2<4vR]t#9Hzfr*݄+`Jepe*г Ieu f\c9$jOB?Edݫ=A= O^{ss cʲdUlkd +u4Z g}_ZXBD0_nbvh4<$\]v̖A4)@ȮUjq*V1EITsC,^ʎJ HߦDf_<&‡O15f #J$/WW^}my8azЈyKd+* V€d=f-GD3~d$l.5C9ꪈ;𜠸H4Lnfl'F=z8*D|ߡsvrA2̱bCt !\:iѪΞTʖ ^R9X/E(~s~QٰN3Eцwk?nj 6_s,\[$ 1MDEN;cYh䬂h ٻ-b> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj [19 0 R /Fit] endobj 24 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 25 0 R >> endobj 25 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 192 >> stream xmM1EwB?Z$ ѝXL%0zͻ{'6_+9L) d!rX-~6lz9]e(_:-SJ1|#ƪs0nBItr`ٮT* :LIV"jj{b*+K endstream endobj xref 0 26 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000424 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000610 00000 n 0000000713 00000 n 0000002330 00000 n 0000002437 00000 n 0000002545 00000 n 0000002655 00000 n 0000002768 00000 n 0000002884 00000 n 0000002913 00000 n 0000028404 00000 n 0000028433 00000 n 0000028492 00000 n 0000028551 00000 n 0000028580 00000 n 0000028685 00000 n 0000030950 00000 n 0000031007 00000 n 0000031064 00000 n 0000031094 00000 n 0000031199 00000 n trailer << /Size 26 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<39477e6d1297a18966f0552c7654e042><39477e6d1297a18966f0552c7654e042>] >> startxref 31464 %%EOF A theology of caring | Caring Magazine
Painting of person looking at heart

A theology of caring

Listen to this article

Care: (n.) a strong positive emotion of regard and affection;
(v.) to be concerned or solicitous; have thought or regard
(adj.) feeling and exhibiting concern and empathy for others.

Caring. What is it, really?

Sure, we see outward expressions of caring all around us, but what motivates these? What is this thing that pushes us to take others into account, and ultimately drives us to roll up our sleeves and serve in Jesus’ name?

We must first note that ever since the breath of God said “let there be” (Gen. 1:3), existence has been a steady movement of events falling like dominoes to the final victory of every knee bowing before the throne of God (Phil. 2:10). Like crisp autumn leaves being blown in gentle succession as the afternoon’s breeze travels along the length of the branch, so too does this fleeting life dance to the breath of God’s will.

Therefore all movement can be traced back to the Lord (Neh. 9:6; Rev. 4:11). Just as ultimate truth is traced back to the God who is truth, and true love is traced back to the God who is love, so too is the ultimate definition of caring traced back to the God who cares perfectly. Authentic caring is a clean mirror to the image of God. And because we see that he takes humanity into account, even while we consider the sheer vastness of all that he has made, we know that God cares (Ps. 8:3-5).

If he didn’t care then there wouldn’t be a plan, and Christ wouldn’t have fulfilled any prophecies let alone come at all. The autumn breeze would never have hit the first leaf. But the Lord said, “let there be,” because he cared.

Scripture is very blunt about that fact, and then not only instructs us to cast our burdens to him because of the simple truth that he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7), but we’re then given the commission to care for others around us with that same theology of caring that he’s shown us (1 Jn. 4:19-21; Js. 1:27).

Caring and perfect love

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

We can now build from the foundation that authentic caring comes from God alone. Since then it’s an attribute from God and thus from his image, allowing his care to flow through us is dependent upon our progress in sanctification (Rom. 6:19) and holiness (1 Thess. 4:7-8). This is what John Wesley and Samuel Logan Brengle were getting at in their teachings on perfect love.

To love perfectly is to be the best image of God that we possibly can be while in these flawed bodies of ours. Ultimately, it has very little to do with us and all to do with how much of God we’re allowing to be expressed through us today (Phil. 2:12-13; Eph. 4:15-16). In contrast to this, according to C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, enmity with God and others is grown from the great sin of pride. It is that one foundational sin that so many other sins are nourished within, but whose absence opens the floodgate to living the theology of caring.

Lewis writes, “The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether.” There’s a reason the theme of selflessness permeates every page of Scripture (Phil. 2:4; Jn. 15:12-14; Gal. 5:14).

Now couple that thought with what Thomas Merton wrote in New Seeds of Contemplation: “As long as we are not purified by the love of God and transformed into him in the union of pure sanctity, we will remain apart from one another, opposed to one another, and union among us will be a precarious and painful thing, full of labor and sorrow and without lasting cohesion.”

Caring and our identity

“Christianity is a social religion; and to turn it into a solitary one is to destroy it.” –John Wesley

We in The Salvation Army find our identity in the expression of our care for others grown out of our love for the Lord. Because we know who God is, we know whom we are and what we need to do as we look out into the world from Christ’s vantage point. The quality of our relationship with the Lord is directly connected to our self-perception. We are children of the living God (Rom. 8:16), who alone “do the most good” through his people (Phil. 2:13).

Until we know how Jesus cares for us, our caring for others will always have an element of superficiality to it. Sincerity of outward application spawns from an authenticity of devotion to the heart of Christ (Eph. 3:17-19).

From our personal submission to this identity and to the depths of Christ, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us for the spiritual regeneration of the larger community. We see it in Leviticus (Lev. 19-20, 20:7-8), in the group dynamics of the disciples (Acts 2), and in the future kingdom that awaits us at the close of the age (Rev. 19:6-8).

When all is said and done, a biblical theology of caring will be one that points to the creator and not to the created. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Ethics, “What is of ultimate importance is now no longer that I should become good, or that the condition of the world should be made better by my action, but that the reality of God should show itself everywhere to be the ultimate reality.”

You May Also Like