just an inkling

good news

2011-11-01T23:48:00.000-04:00

St Paul's seeks new direction and suspends legal actionBishop of London backs away from further confrontation, recalling that the cathedral had been a 'symbol of freedom'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/01/st-pauls-seeks-new-direction

99% in Israel too

2011-10-29T22:44:00.001-04:00

The 99% are on the move in Israel too! http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2011/10/29/tens-of-thousands-of-protesters-return-to-israels-streets-as-the-struggle-for-economic-equality-continues/

St. Paul’s and the tradition of excluding the poor

2011-10-29T00:13:00.003-04:00

It costs close to $24.00 (Canadian) for an adult to go into St. Paul’s Cathedral and $9.00 for a child. Some years ago I took my family there on a visit to the UK and these hefty fees came as a surprise—it it would have cost today’s equivalent of $70.00 to go in. We could not afford it so we went instead to Westminster Cathedral (a Catholic institution) where there were no fees.

I wrote to St. Paul’s and complained that charging people to go into the house of God did not seem right. I pointed out that when I lived in London as a child there were no fees. In those times during the summer holidays my sister and I spend days exploring the cathedral and I knew every part of that building; every statue, every painting, every ancient regimental flag, every story told on the arches and on the dome. The building inspired me, moved me, helped me think of God, made me dream of greater things than my own existence. In my letter to St. Paul’s I explained that my sister and I were poor kids and if there had been a fee we could have never visited the cathedral and a part of my life would be missing. Had St. Paul’s thought about the way their fees exclude poor people?

St. Paul’s replied but did not answer my question. They said that free entry only existed for a short periods in their history and so they had simply returned to tradition. I looked up the history and they were right—entrance was only free for short periods in their history—and one of those times was when I was a child. I also discovered that entrance was free hundreds of years ago when the cathedral first opened, but because rich folks did not like poor people coming in and gawking at the glory of God, St. Paul's instituted fees to keep the poor out! So there was my answer – St. Paul’s had thought about the way fees exclude the poor!

St. Paul's, therefore, appears to have a tradition of excluding the poor to appease the rich! So today’s events of St. Paul’s turning away those raising their voice about the rich exploiting the poor does not surprise me. It is a part of their tradition!

All I can say is thank goodness my faith rests on God and not on the church!

strong action

2011-10-27T20:33:00.001-04:00

In my last post I suggested that Giles Fraser, the canon chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, was caught between a rock and a hard place in responding to the occupy encampment. I urged him to stand on the rock (ie. stand on Christian principles) in making decisions.

Of course Giles Fraser does not read my blog nor take my advice in making decisions – he makes his own decision – and the decision he made was to resign!

My heart goes out to this man and his family. Being canon chancellor of St Paul's has to be a dream job for clergy. To walk away from that for reasons of faith and justice takes integrity and commitment.

In explaining his resignation Giles Fraser said that looking out at the encampment of tents outside the cathedral he recalled that St. Paul himself was a tent maker. He said that he could not support using violence against these people.

Sometimes doing the right thing is very costly – well done Giles Fraser for bearing those costs – God bless you! I find your faith and actions inspiring and you help build my own faith in a time when it needs building. I am sure God will continue to use you mightily.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/27/giles-fraser-occupy-london-st-pauls

strong advice

2011-10-22T18:54:00.004-04:00

As a Christian I am saddened that St. Paul’s has reversed the position that protesters are welcome outside their doors. The Revd Canon Giles Fraser has now said:

"…given the strong advice that we have received that the camp is making the cathedral and its occupants unsafe then this right has to be balanced against other rights and responsibilities too. The Christian gospel is profoundly committed to the needs of the poor and the dispossessed. Financial justice is a gospel imperative. Those who are claiming the decision to close the cathedral has been made for commercial reasons are talking complete nonsense."

I wonder where this “strong advice” came from given that the Tweets from Occupy LSX indicate that the Fire Brigade (Dept) and others see no public safety concerns.

The Revd Giles Fraser is Director of the St. Paul’s Institute, an ethics group with a focus on financial issues (http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/About-Us/Staff) with a Council of Reference (i.e. advisors) comprised of the very investment bankers and LSX leaders that the protesters are complaining about (http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/About-Us/Council-of-Reference). A Council like this could give strong advice indeed!

I am not usually critical on this blog but it was not me who said “you can’t serve mammon (money/wealth) and God.” I do not truthfully know what shapes the decisions inside St. Pauls and perhaps there are safety issues that I am not aware of, or alternatively perhaps the Revd Cannon is caught between a rock and a hard place, in which case my strong advice is to encourage decisions that stand on the rock!

fear and propitiation

2011-10-16T15:52:00.003-04:00

Today in church, still working through the series on our fears, Pastor Lane took us back to Genesis 20 and the Ten Commandments. The thing that got my attention was people being scared of God. They said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die” (Genesis 20:19).

Because of this fear people wanted Moses to mediate—to be a go-between—between them and God. Lane commented that it was a curious choice because they knew Moses had a little bit of a temper—they knew that when he was younger he had killed an Egyptian and had to flee Egypt—they knew Moses was far from perfect. So why did the people want to give a flawed person the power to mediate between them and God? I think because they understood that Moses’ flaws made him human and they wanted someone who could relate to their flaws and frailty to stand before the perfect all powerful God for them. Maybe they thought that if they did not keep God’s laws perfectly that Moses, because of his flaws, would understand them and would say a few words on their behalf.

The possibility of this meaning interests me because recently I have been thinking through the implications of Jesus’ humanity. I always knew Moses life (like so many OT characters) pointed to Jesus who is the ultimate mediator between women, men and God. Today’s sermon emphasised this meaning. Jesus was not imperfect like Moses, but He was fully human and that means He understands humanness not only from the outside in as God, but also from the inside out as a person. If we only think of Jesus as God there is a tendency to think of Him arriving from some kind of heavenly Krypton and walking the earth as some kind of spiritual Superman who was impervious to fear, doubt, and sin. But He must have been fully pervious otherwise what was the point of Satan tempting Him, and what was the purpose of His agonizing prayers in Gethsemane? I think the power of His defeat of sin was His being potentially fallible but never failing; a human who felt the same fears and temptations as us but a person who never gave in; a person who could have failed (like us) but achieved perfection so that He could do what none of us could.

So what does all this mean? I think John explains it when he said "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:1, 2). The word “propitiation” means something that makes peace, it satisfies, it appeases. I think that this is what the children of Israel hoped imperfect Moses might do for them after that historic moment when God gave them the law; and I know this is what perfect Jesus does for us after that later historic moment when He fulfilled the law.

So a great message Lane—a message that strikes at the heart of our fears.

occupy toronto

2011-10-16T09:30:00.005-04:00

Something is wrong with our world—actually a lot of things are—but have you ever noticed how the top 1% benefit from all the things that are wrong while the rest of us pay for it! Even when the 1% mess up they get rewarded while we pay. Some people are saying that they have had enough of this, I am one of them, so yesterday I helped “Occupy Toronto.”

The demonstration was peaceful and culminated in St. James Park where the protestors sang for peace and social change and at the same times the bells of St. James Cathedral (next to the park) rang out across the city!

The protesters are now making a tent city there and according to the Globe and Mail, Dean Douglas Stoute of St. James Cathedral said that the “protesters are welcome in the park and on church property.” Meanwhile in London England protesters are also gathering in a park next to St. Paul’s Cathedral, but according to The Guardian, the government ordered the police to remove them saying it was disrespectful form protesters to camp next to a Cathedral! Fortunately the Rev Dr. Giles Fraser, canon chancellor of St. Paul’s, told the police to behave and move on themselves! Apparently the St. Paul’s sermon today was about “God and money” and some of the protesters joined the congregation. Good for these Church leaders - perhaps this will be followed up by congregations joining the protesters calling for social justice and change - I know I will be continuing to go to "Occupy Toronto" and show support!

Below is a video I shot yesterday.

PS I know the dancing is wild - and it is not because they are Pentecostal - and it is totally not their fault! I think it is because of the influence of the smoke the lady sitting in the front row is puffing at them! (seen more clearly toward the end of the clip).

penance or self pity

2011-09-25T22:33:00.007-04:00

Today in church the hard benches and short leg space were getting to me. If I brought a cushion it would not hurt as much, but that is hardly appropriate. If I was catholic I could think of it as flagellantism (flogging oneself) and consider the pain penance, but I am not catholic and even if I were it is hardly appropriate to consider listening to a sermon as penance (although if you had my aching bones you might think otherwise).

After the service I went to the new lounge where coffee is served. A homeless man, who I noticed in the service, was drinking coffee alone (and spilling much of it—he was either unwell or hung-over).

I wondered why he was alone. Did we as a church not learn anything from "J", the homeless man I wrote about so many times before (e.g. here), the man who God sent to teach us lessons about inclusion? So I sat with the man, I asked his name and we talked. It was really hard to hear what he was saying because whatever was afflicting him made his speech slur, but at least I kept his company for a while.

Driving home I reflected on this incident and then realized I had forgotten the man’s name. I was disappointed with myself – names are important - the thing that moved me to made this my home church was that someone remembered my name and called me by it on my second visit. Because I forgot this man's name I can’t return that gesture – this man needs to be remembered as a person with a name rather than “homeless man.” Clearly I have not learnt the lesson of "J" either! Ouch the pain of that realization hurt more than the seats – ah the self pity of realizing my weaknesses – but isn't self pity just as biblically unsound as using flagellantism as penance? So what am I to do? I think I will sit on a cushion and pray about this for a while - the issue of self pity and being penitent have to be different - the former is all about the self while the latter is about giving up the self. Hmm, this church stuff isn't easy.

Jack's Goodbye

2011-08-23T00:10:00.003-04:00

Sad news today of Jack Layton passing away. Two days ago he wrote a letter saying goodbye - I have posted excerpts below. We will miss you Jack.

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination. Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue....

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer....

Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

Jack Layton
August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Thoughts about riots from a child of the 60s

2011-08-17T18:04:00.007-04:00

I have no idea what is going on in the London riots. I listen to those from the right blame bad parents, bad youngsters and soft police, and those from the left blame bad housing, bad jobs and brutal police. I am sure that some of these usual suspects play a role, but there is more going on here than this.

In England the riots are seen as local youth causing trouble on their own “street corner.” Today, however, we live in a globalized world and what is occurring in England has to be seen in an international context. The riots pictures above are not from the UK, but are riots currently occurring in Israel (A fact that is being underreported). And as we know there have also been riots in Greece, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Lybia, Chile and Mozambique, and there is political unrest in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

I suspect that all of these riots are somehow connected. I am not saying that the exact same thing sparked the Tunisian, Israeli, and English etc rioters into action because the issues are very different in all of these places. I am not even sure if the rioters in one place are motivated by the exact same thing. Indeed, gone are the days when revolts were led by a single leader and focused on a single theme; today’s multitasking generation is more diverse and is motivated by a multiplicity of competing, intersecting and sometimes conflicting interests rather than a single cause.

Even though I say there is no single cause, because there is a global pattern here, there has to be a thread that connects it. I may not yet understand the thread, but I have an inkling. Back in the day, in the 1960s when I was a child, we had hippies, the Beatles, free love, Woodstock, and we protested against war. More importantly we had a hope about the future and we were determined that when we came of age we were going to be different from previous generations of leaders. We used to sing that there was “something about my generation,” that are going to “make the world a better place,” and we wanted to “give peace a chance.” Unfortunately we did not! And so we have to ask ourselves what kind of a world we have left this new generation.

I am not saying any of this to excuse the rioters (I think they all need to go to jail), but to simply blame it on “bad young” people is naive in the extreme. After all my generation helped make this new generation what they are, and we helped make the world that they are frustrated with what it is. So if any of us in my generation think that we are innocent in creating the problems that lie behind these riots, well then cast the first stone... ummm well okay bad analogy in this context, but you get what I mean!

in the shadow of wealth

2011-07-28T17:54:00.002-04:00

Thought I would share this poster. the shot was taken in downtown Toronto of a guy sleeping in the shadow of a building literally covered in gold!

Pride and penitence

2011-07-24T20:09:00.006-04:00

At church today we covered psalm 51; King David asking God for forgiveness when he realized how bad he had been. He already knew he had been bad by sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband, but his sin had done did not sunk in. Then the Prophet Nathan told him a story of a rich man who stole the one and only sheep some poor man had. David got mad and said “bring this man to me he deserves to die.” Nathan said, “the man is you!” Suddenly David got it!

In some ways we all relate to David’s penitence; that moment when we realize that we are "that" man or woman. This is why the Psalm speaks to us. And if ever we feel self righteous or think we are good in our own strength we should think back to those moments.

Oddly the sermon made me think back to a completely unrelated incident—a good moment in my life—not a bad one. I was in my late teens in London and I was asked to go out at night with a team of old guys preaching with “the gospel van.” I agreed but was going to feel embarrassed because this van blasted out scratchy recordings of very old hymns. So my strategy was to walk out of earshot of the hymns and then handout tracts.

Just out of earshot from the hymns I got to a bus stop on a dark street and there was a girl who looked quite distressed. I said to her, “I have come to tell you about God,” and I gave her a tract. “Thank goodness,” she replied, “I was praying that you would come!” I quickly discovered that this girl was in all kinds of trouble and had indeed been asking for God to help her. I walked her back to the gospel van and we got the church active in helping her sort out her ills. She became a Christian and continued to have troubles, but gradually as God moved in her life things came together.

I always felt good about that event because I escaped the embarrassment of those old hymns and despite the outdated and imperfect way that team evangelized I did something good in helping lead this girl to Christ. Today though, as Pastor Lane preached, I had to smile. All these years later I suddenly realized that just as I thought I had the escape the scratchy records of embarrassing hymns to do good, God had to actually deal with my scratchy record and imperfect life to reach out to another from it and do good. Ha, a lesson in humility all these years later!

But back to Psalm 51: It is quite amazing! Pastor Lane said that the Psalms are punctuated with penitential moments (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143), a bit like life I guess. Especially that even in our good moments we may find the sin of pride.

As David said:

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

(Trivia: I think it was St. Augustine of Hippo in the 5th century who first referred to the psalms above as Penitential Psalms, so I posted his picture).

imperfect blog

2011-04-22T00:21:00.005-04:00

I am still here but I have not posted for a while. Looking back over my postings I see that the blog is a bit of a mess. Links to some images are missing and there are many spelling and grammatical errors. This is all a bit discouraging - I struggle with grammar and proof reading - so although I promise myself I will one day go back to clean it all up I never do.

The Christian faith is a bit like a blog. For me faith is always "online" but at times I live it more fully than others. Then I look back and I see errors and omissions I wish were not there, much like this blog. But there the similarity between faith and a blog ends. In life one can't go back to made it right and even if we could it would not help because we are not perfect. That is why as Christians we look to the One who was perfect and rely on His work to present us complete and whole before God. This does not mean that we just give into our imperfections – being a Christian is about being in a state of change for the better not about staying stuck. At the same time, however, being a Christian is not about pretending we have become perfect, it is about understanding that we are not perfect and accepting that we are forgiven.

So maybe the time has come to post more on my blog and as an illustration about the way faith works I will not worry about the spelling errors in previous posts and will trust that readers will not judge me too hard for he spelling errors.

cultural stereotypes

2010-01-31T21:37:00.007-05:00

In church today Pastor Lane said that he likes it when the African and Latino members sit at front of the church because they move to the music and maybe the Canadian born people at the back will understand that this is what worship can be. I cringed a little because there are a number of problems with this statement – it feeds stereotypes - and lots of the “Africans” and “Latinos” are in fact Canadian born. But before I had a chance to think about these critiques there was a loud “AMEN!” shouted by one of the church members of African heritage. I had to laugh – shouting in church is not the “cultural” thing to do in Canada – okay Lane point taken!

Seriously—critiques aside—there is something in this point. Christians are all a part of the body of Christ and the more diverse the local body is the more we can see new ways of being in Christ. God bless Lane for his point so lets look forward to more dancing and more "AMENS" as we learn from each other new ways understanding and relating to God.

I am still here

2010-01-30T23:22:00.008-05:00

Wow it was so long ago I last posted. I will post again at some point - not sure when though. Also I need to reedit some of the older posts because the picture links have vanished and the formating has problems. I will fix that at some point, but thought I would just drop in to say I am still around - and I am still Just an Inkling!

goodbye to a brother

2008-06-14T19:51:00.012-04:00

An update you on the previous post “politeness: an excuse for inaction.” Several people in the church, particularly our adult ministries pastor, befriended J who was the homeless man in that previous post. J was always smiling but had real difficulty sitting through services and he often got up and wandered around somewhat nervously. Never-the-less people genuinely loved J and I came to love him too and enjoyed talking with him even though he never really had too much to say. After several months J made a confession of faith and was baptized.

Some months later on a mid-winter Sunday I said “hello” to J and asked, as I always did, “how are you doing?” Instead of replying with the expected “fine” he said, “not that well—I have lung cancer—they told me Friday.”

It was not long before J was gone. Many people from J's extended family attended his funeral and they praised J's good points and spoke candidly about his struggles—clearly they loved him. One of the family members looked at me and asked, “who are you?” “I am from Philpott Church” I said. “J loved that church” she replied. “We loved him too,” I responded.

Some people don't have families like J who love him despite his faults, so where can they go to get help and to be treated like a brother? Hopefully to you and your church! Look out for J, because he or someone like him will come to your church soon.

politness: an excuse for inaction?

2006-11-11T22:25:00.003-05:00

Last week I noticed that a person who was homeless sitting near me in Church needed a shower and a change of clothes. Some may say that it is impolite for me to mention such things and better to ignore it, but I disagree because politeness can prevent us from addressing people’s real needs.

I am sure the lack of freshness was not this guy’s fault, after all how does a homeless person go about getting a change of clothing and a shower? If politeness means I ignore his condition then I may also be ignoring what God expects me to do. A friend sitting next to me in church said this incident made her remember how Jesus washed his disciple’s feet—how can I do any less?

you asked - and I am back!

2006-10-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

A few people have asked me to come back to blogging, some have even begged!

Okay so I am back!

I was going to move this blog to a wordpress site and I had taken all the posts offline ready to go, but then Blogger added some new features and so I am back here again and I am repopulating all the old posts as well as indexing them too (a nice new feature). This may take some time but when it is done I will go back to adding new posts once again.

Enjoy!

narnia - not a perfect world

2005-12-04T20:11:00.010-05:00

The movie “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” is about to be released and there is some debate about whether the Narnian books are racist and sexist.

Are they racist and sexist? YES - we shouldn't expect them to be otherwise! As much as I admire the author, C. S. Lewis, he was a conservative male from an elite and privileged class, he worked in a male dominated university in an age where racism and sexism were unapologetically embedded in society. Watch the movie “chariots of fire” and you get a glimpse of the racism in academia at that time, particularly toward people from the middle-east. This form of racism plays is evident on the stereotypes Lewis uses in “The Horse and his Boy,” and sexism is evident in all the books!

I don’t think that Lewis deliberately set out to spread racist or sexist ideas, instead I think his writing inadvertently produced the societal values that predominated at that time. It would be nice to think that because he was a Christian that perhaps he would be immune to adopting these values. This is not so, perhaps his faith helped him manage to avoid some of the more racist and sexist view of his time, but clearly not all. But before we judge him too harshly lets remember that even though we have learned to be more careful with our language and stereotyped today, we have still not managed to eradicate racism or sexism.

So should parts of the Narnia books be re-drafted to get rid of the racist and sexist language and ideas? I think so--if Lewis had today's insight day about the ways racism and sexism operate he would welcome this change. Fortunately the producers of the movie think the same way and have made minor changes to better represent his work for today's audience.

While I am waiting for the movie's release I think I will re-read the books and I will enjoy them even though some of the isms will make me cringe! But still — way to go C S Lewis — you remain one of my favorite authors flaws and all! And let us remember, although the Narnia stories are not perfect, the story they represent is!

da vici decoded

2005-12-04T18:06:00.004-05:00

After today’s Sunday service art scholar Bryan Wylie began a three part series on “Da Vici & Advent.” The sculpture above is not a Da Vici, it is a Michelangelo, but Bryan said we can’t understand Da Vici (who we should refer to as “Leonardo” rather than “Da Vici”) without understanding the renaissance, and we can’t understand the renaissance without understanding Michelangelo.

This series is truly brilliant, I now know how to tell the difference between pre-renaissance and renaissance art! Bryan’s style and content appeals to the scholar in me, his humor appeals to my nature, and his message touches my heart! In other words I am being blessed!

Something else I learned, not from Bryan’s teaching but from connecting some dots. I always looked at the way western European artists cast Biblical figures in European form as colonizing, yet now I understand that it was not the artists who were colonizers but the political context in which their art existed. It is reasonable, to some extent, for each culture to portray the images of the God and the gospel in ways that fit that cultural context - it helps people feel a connection to the events portrayed. The renaissance, however, marked the start of Europe colonizing the rest of the world and in this context the whitening of biblical characters caused some Europeans to really think that white people both looked like and represented God. Consequently it is not the art of Michelangelo, Leonardo and others that is the problem when these white European biblical figures appear, but the context in which this art existed. Each of us ought to be aware of this context when we produce our own art and ideas.

goodbye george

2005-12-03T15:37:00.005-05:00

George Best (pronounced "Georgie" Best) died today. The London Times said:

"GEORGE BEST was the greatest footballer that ever lived. Let us be perfectly clear about that, no matter what other judgments we make about a life that mixed the beautiful with the banal in dreadful and ultimately lethal ways." read more

The judgments being made are critics saying that because George was an alcoholic we should not celebrate his life. For sure George's demon was drink – a habit he was never able to kick – in the end it killed him. Yet I wonder if any of George’s critics, even though stone cold sober, will ever touch as many hearts as he did. Even when hung over George could and did outplay the best in the world! Perhaps it was this apparently superhuman talent combined with his human failures that made so many of us love him.

Rest in peace George Best – let us remember you for who you were – a very human superhero!

breaking news: george best nears death

2005-11-24T11:44:00.002-05:00

Breaking News from London: George Best (pictured here in the number 11 shirt) who was likely the best ever football player to walk the planet, is sick in hospital with only hours to live. A sad day for soccer. More Pictures

goodbye rosa parks

2005-10-25T23:35:00.005-04:00

Civil right leader Rosa Parks passed away today. Rosa was the Black woman who was arrested in 1955 on a bus for not moving when the driver ordered her to give her seat to a White person.

"If you don't stand up, I'm going to call the police," the driver threatened. "You may do that" she replied.

People say that "it took Rosa to sit down for Martin to stand up," and that was so! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up and the rest is history. But the history did not stop with the bus boycott and following events, Rosa continued to play a key role in social justice issues all her life.

Rosa we will miss you! Thank you for making us a better society even though it cost you so much! May we all learn from you to see injustice and may we be inspired by you to stand up (or sit down) for what is right.

Rosa "Lee" Louise Parks, civil rights campaigner, born February 4 1913; died October 24 2005 age 92.

Click here for audio report by Gary Younge.

showing mercy

2005-10-23T22:53:00.016-04:00

To really show mercy in the way God intended you have to have experienced it—at least that was the message in church this week and last week too.

But when was I shown mercy? Well on the road to Jericho when the Good Samaritan stopped because that parable is not just about how we need to be like the Good Samaritan, it is also about how each of us has also been shown mercy like the man who was robbed. When Lane (our Pastor) shared this message it struck home and I was reminded of an old truth in a new way.

Yes it was me on that mountain road beat with no hope. There was nothing I could do to save myself, nothing I could do to get up, to make myself well, to make myself clean. I was waiting in the dirt for death. A priest and a lawyer came by, but religion and the law did not save me. But a stranger came along and showed mercy—his name was Jesus. Bandaging my wounds he took me to a safe place and paid the price for me to be healed.

So when we as Christians help the poor and the destitute it is not because we are better than they, it is because we have been shown mercy, and we want to do likewise in His name.

poverty: day of action

2005-10-12T09:06:00.004-04:00

Monday October 17 is a Canadian National day of action to “make poverty history.” The Campaign 2000 Website has useful Canadian information and also has report cards that detail the ongoing extent and causes of children living in poverty in Canada. This campaign is not just about helping the poor through charity, but about tackling some of the causes of poverty in society. Just as the campaign 2000 WebSite gives details about structural causes of poverty in Canada and suggests some solutions, this BBC news report provides an analysis of the inequalities that cause poverty on a global scale and suggests solutions too.

ministries of mercy

2005-10-06T19:44:00.006-04:00

My church is working through the book "Ministries of Mercy" by Timothy J. Keller. The book examines helping ones neighbor, the sub-title is "the call of the Jericho road" referring to the story of the Good Samaritan. So far I have read the first chapter.

What I like and don't like
I like the central point of this chapter, which is that the poor are not simply lazy people who do not want to work. Keller challenges popular ideas that the poor are lazy and this is a good place for the book to begin. Although Keller’s challenge of dominant thinking about the poor is sound, his statistics are flawed. For instance, Keller says the idea that most of the poor in the USA are Black is a myth and he cites the US 2003 Census saying 25.3 million of the poor are White while only 10.1 million are Black. This statement is problematic for several reasons. First the figures are wrong because in 2003 the US census showed 15.9 million of the US poor are White and 9.1 million were Black source. Second, while it is true that there are a higher numbers of Whites in poverty than Blacks, we have to remember that there are more White people in the USA than Black people. The figure that shows what is really going on is the poverty rates as a percentage of population. The poverty rate among Whites in the USA is 8.2% which means if you are a White person in the USA there is a 1 in 12 chance of living in poverty. Among Blacks the rate is 24.3% which means you have a 1 in 4 chance of living in poverty.

Poverty, therefore, is not random. There are structural inequalities in society that effect some groups more than others and a part of our job as Christians interested in social justice is to go after these structural inequalities and stop them happening. In other words we don’t only say to the poor guy on the corner “oh shame you are poor - it is not your fault - here is a dime.” Instead we say, “lets find out what made you poor and lets fix it together!” Black people and those from other minority groups (I don’t like Keller’s term “ethnics”), single parent families, the elderly, people with disabilities, people who do not get the opportunity to finish high school etc., are all at higher risk of poverty because of the ways we structure our society and because of prejudicial attitudes (including racism) that push these groups to the margins and keep them there. In Toronto for instance, where we like to think there is less racism than in the USA, a study in the early 1990s showed that White job applicants recived 3 times the job offers of equally qualified Black applicants. In the same study 100% of "head hunting" companies reported that they had at various times received requests by corporations not to send them Black candidates. Little wonder that Black people do not fair so well in the labour market. Consequently, a ministry of mercy is not simply about feeling sorry that the poor could not get jobs and wanting to help them - a ministry of mercy is about us feeling sorry that society unfairly disadvantages some and unfairly advantages others - a ministry of mercy it is about wanting to deal with these inequalities at the root.

Conclusion
So what does all this mean? Well so far it is not a bad book, but it is not a great one either. The central themes are okay but the statistics are all wrong and the arguments do not go far enough. But at least the book is talking about the sort of issues we need to address.

more than okay

2005-09-25T13:04:00.002-04:00

Today's sermon was the best ever! I was spoken to in many ways but mostly by being reminded that despite my shortcomings I am still God's child and nothing can separate me from His love. Of course I knew that already in my head, but my heart needed to be reminded and I also needed to feel it again. Interesting that I had asked a trusted friend to pray that God would speak to me in today's message and the fact He did was very encouraging - for anyone having the Father remind you that you are their child has to be more than okay!

Apart from speaking to my heart in a spiritual way the message also spoke to my head. We examined Leviticus and looked at verses I have always thought were crucial from a social justice perspective but I wondered why I had never heard a Christian a minister spell out the meaning of these texts. Today that changed and the message confirmed the conclusions I had come to examining Leviticus myself - for any member of the church having ones own understanding of scripture reinforced by the pastor has to be more than okay!

Also today a good friend I asked to come to church came - and that also has to be more than okay!

liberty bell

2005-07-24T21:12:00.001-04:00

Do you ever hear Christians say that paying taxes for social security systems is un-biblical? This view predominates primarily in the USA where many Christians claim that God's laws are about liberty not taxes, and that "charity" is a private rather than public issue. These Christians are right in saying that our personal giving is a private issue, but they are wrong in thinking that dealing with poverty is not an issue for governments--God's law says otherwise!

Liberty is a big issue in the USA where in 1766 they proclaimed their independence from Britain by ringing the Liberty Bell. The inscription on the Bell reads, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." This text is a quote from Leviticus 25.10 that signaled the start of the jubilee in ancient Israel.

Ironically the jubilee was a part of God's social security laws. God designed many state laws to help the poor on a day-by-day basis in Ancient Israel, but the jubilee was a special law designed not only to relieve poverty, but to strike at its causes. In the year of jubilee, which took place every half-century, a trumpet was sounded to "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (the inscription on the Liberty Bell) which meant slaves had to be set free and all property that had been brought or sold had to be returned to the original owning families - with the exception of property in walled cities - I think this exception was made because property inside cities was not linked to the primary means of production and generation of wealth (fields and crops).

This biblical law sets an important principle for maintaining liberty. The law recognized that in any social system some people, by either good fortune or good decisions will get wealthy, while others by misfortune or poor choices will fall into poverty. Once this disparity happens it can become self perpetuating and the rich tend to get richer and the poor tend to get poorer. God's law in Leviticus allows disparity to an extent, but sets limits on how far this can go. Such cycles of poverty and wealth can only continue for 50-years after which the playing field is leveled.

In today’s society we have no jubilee and to a large extent wealth begets wealth and poverty begets poverty generation after generation. Children born into poverty too easily become trapped in that cycle because they often lack good health care and nutrition, they live in the parts of the city where schooling is inadequate and even if they can obtain the grades for university they often can't afford the fees. Sociological mobility studies consistatly show that children of the poor, the unemployed and the underemployed do not get the same life opportunities as the children of the rich. Of course such disadvantage does not always determine what we achieve and we all know people who beat the odds and successfully made it despite an uneven playing field. God, however, is not content to play the odds, He demands in Leviticus that we level social inequalities that have become systemic.

So why are Christians not supporting a rule like this today? Most North American Evangelical Christians like to talk about God's law when it comes to crime and individual morals, but shy away from God’s word when it comes to social justice. Leviticus 25 spells out a need for a societal system that limits the extent wealth and poverty are compounded over generations.

How do we operationalize Leviticus 25 in a modern world? I don’t think it is realistic to make those who own property give it all back and it will not work to put all the means of production in a common purse—communism has been no more successful than capitalism in achieving social justice through these means. Instead the rich should be encouraged to keep their land and should continue to manage production, but for the privilege of keeping that which a jubilee would have them return, they should pay taxes to support opportunities to level the playing field. As a modern society we may not be able to have a social policy jubilee as set out by God in Leviticus 25, but we do need similar principles that mitigates against the rich monopolizing wealth and opportunity, and the poor being consistently excluded from getting ahead.

If God saw the need for such a social system, so should we. Indeed, it is time for the liberty bell to sound and churches should be ringing it—we need to understand that as Christians we not only have simply an individual responsibility to the poor, but we have a societal responsibility too. We need a modern day equivalent of jubilee.

montgomery scott

2005-07-20T19:02:00.001-04:00

There were rumors that he died before but that time he was simply stuck in a transporter buffer feedback loop. Todays news though is sad, this time Scotty has truly gone.

Some trivia, have you ever noticed Scotty (James Doohan) had a finger missing and wondered where he lost it? It was at Juno Beach on D-Day, where as a Canadian officer he was hit six times by machine-gun fire! Scotty was an on-screen hero--while James Doohan was the real thing! Rest in peace Scotty--the universe will not be the same without you. Thanks James Doohan for putting it on the line at Juno--we owe you a lot!

the story of a street

2005-07-12T00:03:00.001-04:00

One of the things I miss about London is the history. Read about the history of the street where the terrorists blew up the bus - that street gave birth to the nuclear bomb, it was home to Yeats and Dickens and it withstood the Blitz - read more (here).

don’t call them muslims

2005-07-10T19:42:00.002-04:00

Another Londoner who gets it right, St Pancras parish priest Father Paul Hawkins:
"This is not a time for many words," he said in today’s sermon, urging his congregation to rejoice in the capital's rich diversity of cultures, traditions, ethnic groups and faiths. "There is one small practical thing that we can all do. We can name the people who did these things as criminals or terrorists. We must not name them as Muslims."Good on you Father Hawkins - because calling them "Muslim" or even "Muslim extremists" is wrong - I remember the IRA bomings in London and we did not call them "Christian extremists." Don't let the terrorists divide the diversity London is built on.

Read the full story here

my hometown bombed!

2005-07-08T16:38:00.003-04:00

With a death toll of 50 and climbing the worst ever terrorist attack in London just took place. But this is not the first and it will not be the last attack on my hometown; London has a long history of being rattled by bombs and yet Londoners have an equally long history of being unrattled by terror. London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone said it better than I could. Here is an extract from his speech:

I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.

That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith – it is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and we know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other. I said yesterday to the International Olympic Committee, that the city of London is the greatest in the world, because everybody lives side by side in harmony. Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why I'm proud to be the mayor of that city.

Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.
I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others – that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfill their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.

Good on you Ken for saying it right! And good on you Tony Blair for flying directly back to London after the attack. And even the Queen (whose politics I usually wholeheartedly disagree with), good on you for visiting the injured in hospital just hours after the attack!

And London - next year when I return to England to visit my mom in Essex - I will catch a train into the city to say hello! So stick that in your pipe and smoke it you cowardly terrorists! May London long be a place where people come to be free, where people come to live the life they choose, where they come to be able to be themselves.

What does this mean?

2005-07-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

I have this sticker on my office door and sometimes people wonder what it means - some people even ask me if it means I am gay! Well no I am not gay - the sticker simply means what it says, that this is a place where lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgendered (LGBT) people do not have to worry about being condemned, ridiculed or put down. In other words - I am straight but I am not going to give you a hard time if you are not! In fact I will actively support your right to live safely, freely and unharassed in society as a LGBT person.

As a society we must assure that there is safe space for LGBT people. A friend of mine who is a University professor was beaten up outside her house because she is a lesbian-she told me that as the guy repeatedly punched her in the head he was shouting derogatory things to her about he sexual orientation. Another friend was beaten up on campus because he was gay. I don't know what your morals are, but frankly these kinds of incident are wrong and need to stop and I am not afraid to say so! Not only physical violence, but the violence of cold shoulders, verbal hostility and other derogatory remarks need to stop - and it needs to stop in the church too. Ironically one of the best examples of a non-Christian response to LGBT issues comes from a church - the Reverend Phelps (do a search on him if you do not know if him) and the Westboro Baptist Church - this man and church need to Stop and desist spreading this hate in Jesus name - and Christians need to be telling him that!

Against the backdrop of violence in society against LGBT people and religious leaders like Phelps literally preaching "hate," Christian churches have to be very careful how they address and engage with LGBT issues. Although not as extreme as Phelps, it seems to me that many churches expend enormous energy condemning and campaigning against LGBT people rather than reaching out in love. With the experiences of violence and social exclusion that most LGBT people will be all too familiar with, I wonder what it would be like for them to come to such a church.

Just a few weeks ago I was taking photos outside my church and I began talking to a person living on the street. As the conversation moved on I began to realize that he appeared to be transgendered. I wondered if I invited him (or her) to church whether he would he or she would feel accepted and welcomed as a human being. I wondered whether he would he feel valued. Whether he would understand that we are all sinners in need of God's forgiveness. Whether through us in this church he might see the love Jesus has for him and be saved by God's grace, or whether he would find in us the same (or more) of the rejection and overt ridicule and condemnation he finds in the world.

Now of course I know that the theology of LGBT issues is kind of complex and I am not even going to get into a right or wrong theological debate (I will leave that thorny issue to pastors and theologians). What I am saying though, is the church needs to reach out in love not hate. And Christians need to make sure that within broader society people are not harassed or otherwise marginalized because of their sexual orientation or sexual identity. Yes within the church debate and take a theological position - that is what churches and pastors must do. But let us not impose that position from within the church on the rest of society and let us also make sure that our response to LGBT issues within the church is bible based and not driven by the homophobia that LGBT people find in the world.

hope

2005-07-03T22:49:00.000-04:00

I spent the long weekend at my cousin's cottage and I was given lemonade in this class. When I saw the motif I thought of my friend Jason who despite having a run of bad luck has not given up hope!

dundas square

2005-06-29T20:04:00.001-04:00

Downtown Toronto - this is Dundas Square on a hot summer evening - what a delight Toronto is!

Ozymandias

2005-06-28T21:36:00.000-04:00

This statue of John Strachan in the quadrangle of Trinity College, University of Toronto, was erected in 2004 to "watch over the actions of the students of his College." Strachan, who founded Trinity, was a Church of England Bishop and a key leader of a small wealthy elite group of business associates and relatives who formed the ultra right-wing union called the "Family Compact." This group controlled the Lieutenant Governor and thereby ran the government British North America during the early 19th century. Charles Dickens described the group's politics as "rabid Toryism" and their unabashed adherence to self-interest sparked the Upper Canada Rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie, whose grandson William Lyon Mackenzie King, eventually became Canada's Prime Minister.

It irks me that so many years later in these more democratic times, people would erect his visage to "look over" students. It also irks me that in these days they recite an educational objective that focuses exclusively on men. But I wonder if the person who came up with the opening sentence on this stone was also irked - perhaps the similarity between those words that urge us to look around at Strachan's great works and the words of Shelley's "Ozymandias" is no coincidence but a funny inside joke!

Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

disturb us Lord

2005-06-21T22:31:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday a prayer attributed to Sir Francis Drake was printed on the back of the church bullitin.

Disturb us Lord,
When we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord,
When with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream eternity.
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord,
To dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery,
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back the horizon of our hopes,
And to push us into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

What a prayer! I need to go offshore!

redeemer

2005-06-19T16:40:00.007-04:00

Elimelech ran from famine with his family but he and his two son’s died in a foreign land leaving his wife (Naomi) and his two daughter-in-laws (Ruth and Orpah) widowed and with no means of support. Naomi thought it better for her daughter-in-laws not return to Judah with her but Ruth insisted on going along and said to Naomi:

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

When Ruth went to Judah the laws God gave to that land protected her. First the law in Leviticus 19:9-10 that provided a measure of social assistance to the poor and destitute, and then the tradition of the “Kinsman-redeemer” also helped her. The story points to Jesus who is the ultimate Redeemer - I know He is because He reached out for me when I was destitute. This week’s painting relates the the story of Ruth but reminds me that His hands that still hold me.

to trust or run?

2005-06-12T16:12:00.002-04:00

We are in a series on Ruth and this has been one of my favorite books ever since I read an exposition on it by Roy Hession called "My Nearest Kinsman." This time around in Ruth I am learning new things and a really neat thing is happening in church too. As the service precedes, an artist, who is a church member, paints a picture that depicts an aspect of the message - and this weeks painting is above. Maybe this is a modern day Elimelech turning his back and no longer trusting God because there is famine or because things are not going too well.

worth doing

2005-06-05T22:13:00.002-04:00

After today’s church service we were talking about “outreach.” Most the outreach undertaken involved inviting friends and neighbors to the church and this is good because it is probably one of the most effective ways to reach out. But I asked about how we might reach our other neighbors. I was thinking of Rob who I spoke to a few weeks ago as he played bongo drums outside the church trying to raise money for lunch, and Dan who I spoke to last Sunday in the parking lot who told me that he sleeps in the bus shelter down the street. I was also thinking of the people and families who lived in the houses and apartments in the streets surrounding the church.

“Maybe,” I suggested, “we ought to just go out share out faith and invite these folks in.”

“Maybe we should,” came the reply, and soon a friend and I were given the task of doing just that.

I have done this work before, but not for a long time. It is quite separate from my social justice or helping work—when I do that I do not “preach” but live the Gospel. There is a place, however, to go out and tell people that Jesus saves and that He wants to save them! Often people do not listen but sometimes they do. When I did this work before two people I spoke to received the Lord and of course someone talking to me like this was how I came to faith. It is a work well worth doing.

advice from a bootneck (royal marine commando)

2005-06-02T15:03:00.002-04:00

I often get e-mails from my old Royal Marine buddies - most of these e-mails I would never republish or share - but today “Dinger” (Ron Bell) sent one which I really appreciate:

Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it

Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Never buy a car you can't push

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on

Nobody cares if you can't dance well, just get up and dance

Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late

The second mouse gets the cheese

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane

Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once

We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour

tagged: if I could be..

2005-05-04T22:36:00.001-04:00

I have seen these “tagging” things on blogs. This is where someone answers a series of questions on their blog and passes on the challenge to others to do the same on their blog. My friend Jason gave the challenge so I will respond. To read the full challenge check out Jason’s entry here.

If I could be a scientist I would help find a cure for cancer
If I could be a doctor I would help heal children whose families could not afford medicine
If I could be a painter I would be an impressionist but I would not cut off my ear
If I could be a missionary I would head for Tahiti on a schooner, but I suspect God would send me to downtown Hamilton (in fact He has)
If I could be a musician I would write Christian rock opera and perform it in the inner-city
If I could be a chef I would make the best chocolate cake
If I could be an architect I would make sure that every new house built was wheelchair assessable so that those in wheelchairs could visit friends more often and not worry how they will get into the house or use a washroom
If I could be an athlete I would be a cyclist
If I could be a lawyer I would protect civil rights
If I could be an inn-keeper I would have an inn on a tall ship and go wherever whim and the wind took me
If I could be a bonnie pirate I would rob from the rich and give to the poor
If I could be a writer I would write seafaring novels akin to the Hornblower series
If I could be a professor… hmm now there is a thought :-)

freedom and a guild guitar

2005-04-27T00:17:00.001-04:00

I took this picture of the stage at the TrueCity conference held at Philpott Church - the idea of "freedom" and an acoustic guitar (a Guild no less) appeals to me! I have lots more good stuff to say about the conference but it will have to wait for a while because I have some impossible work deadlines over the next few weeks plus I have another research trip I have to make. But once I get that under control I will get back to my review of the conference.

remembering the dardanelles

2005-04-25T23:53:00.001-04:00

Sunrise services were held today in Turkey to remember the WWI Dardanelles Campaign and so I interrupt my normal blogging to honour my granddad.

On this day ninety years ago granddad (my mother’s father), a sergeant major in the British army, was pinned down by artillery, sniper and machine gun fire on a thin beach at Gallipoli. So hard was the battle that the ocean turned red with blood up to 50 meters from the shore and 1 in every 2 allied troops landed became a casualty with 44,072 allied troops killed and 97,037 wounded. Despite a higher enemy (Ottoman Empire) casualty rate the campaign ended in a stalemate. Somehow granddad got out of all that and lived to a good old age — but you can see in the photo that even as an old man he marched like a sergeant major.

What I found really sad is that at today's service there was not a single veteran from the campaign - they have all left us now - just like me granddad!

I miss you grandad!

where is your samaria?

2005-04-24T19:25:00.003-04:00

I am English and awfully reserved so when the worship leader asked people at the True City conference to put arms around each other when singing I was glad I was taking photos and did not have to take part! Relatively speaking, however, embracing those who dress, believe and act like us is easy, it is embracing those who are “different” that is a challenge. And the True City conference asks Christians to do just that—it asks churches to reach out and embrace communities and people who may not fit easily into our current congregations. This reaching out is not about getting them to dress, act or behave in ways that turn them into a traditional church crowd. Rather it is about the church helping welcoming them as they are with no strings attached. Venturing into this space can be uncomfortable and to illustrate that point a conference presenter asked, “what is your Samaria?”

Samaria is where the Good Samaritan came from. You remember the story—Jesus said that we must “love our neighbor” and a Jewish leader asked, “who is my neighbour?” Jesus answered with a story about a traveler who was robbed and left beaten by a roadside. A priest passed by and who did not help (maybe to maintain his ritual purity) and then a Levite ignored him too. Then a Samaritan stopped to help.

Jesus knew that the religious leaders listening to this story did not like Samaritans because they regarded them as apostates or heretics. More than a theological dispute, considerable animosity existed between the Jews and Samaritans with each acting in very un-neighborly ways toward the other. To Jewish religious leaders this story presented a significant challenge—how could an unclean Samaritan heretic be considered a neighbor let alone a person acting in accordance with God’s law?

The True City speaker asked those at the conference “where is your Samaria?” Said differently this question asks us to think about who the church treats as non-neighbors today. Who do we judge, feel morally superior to, and actively shun? We can answer this question by imagining who in our community might have a hard time coming into our church on a Sunday for fear of the ways we might react. Maybe those with mental health issues, perhaps those struggling with alcoholism or drug problems, possibly people living with AIDS and maybe same-sex couples. In relation to this last issue the conference speaker asked people present if they had a hard time caring for gay and lesbian people (and I would add transsexual and transgender people too). Whether the speaker intended it or not I think this last question was excellent because in some Christian circles raising that particular question can create a similar discomfort and puzzlement to that felt by those religious leaders who first heard the Good Samaritan story.

The speaker went on to say, “I don’t know what your Samaria is but I know that God wants you to reach it…. one of True City’s visions is that we will identify and reach out to our Samaria.”

In terms of the people the church goes out into the community to embrace and help—I am up for that vision—how about you?

true city

2005-04-23T23:59:00.001-04:00

The TrueCity conference is over - but True City has only just begun! The conference was awsome. I will write more about it over the coming days.

happy birthday mom!

2005-04-23T18:24:00.003-04:00

Today is my mom's birthday! My mom, who lives in England, was the most significant person in my life during my growing up years. She was always kind, she showed no envy, never boasted, was never proud, never rude, was never self-seeking, never angered, she kept no record of wrongs, she rejoiced in truth, always protected, always trusted, always hoped, always persevered and she never ever failed.

This is an old picture of mom—but I post it picture because although now retired she is the same energetic person as she was back then! But the best thing about my mom is that in her retirement years, she became a Christian and follows Christ! So if you are a Christian reading this, give thanks for my mom, and pray that she has good health and happy days! Even though the ocean separates us, and I am not as good at sending birthday cards as I ought to be, not a day goes by without me thinking of her! Hey Mom you are cool - and I owe you everything. Happy birthday!

truth at true city

2005-04-22T22:21:00.003-04:00

In my earlier oxymoron post about the True City Conference I spoke of my hopes and fears. At tonight’s conference opening it was clear that God was present. For sure His hand is on this conference and He is working through it - that means that His hand is on the city. I can’t wait to see what happens and can’t wait to be a part of it! As for fears — well with Him present we have no need to fear — as long as we are listening carefully to what He is saying and I think tonight we were.

the bullet proof boy

2005-04-09T23:16:00.002-04:00

Today in a department store I saw a manikin with belts placed around it like bandoleers and I was reminded of a story I was told by a World War I veteran about a daring young soldier who seemed to be bullet proof. The veteran has long since passed away and it is possible that I am the only person living who knows this story. So I took a picture with my phone camera and decided to tell you the story so that it is not lost.

The veteran served in Iraq during WWI and spoke of the landings at Al Faw, a rapid advance toward Basra and a daring attempt to take Baghdad in 1915. He told of the enemy pushing back and a siege at Kut. He detailed the British counter attack that sacked Baghdad in March 1917 and spoke of the march to Mosul. Among these and other desert battles the bullet proof boy, wrapped in bandoleers and dressed in desert garb, earned a reputation of being impervious to enemy fire. With an ability to run like no other he would charge the enemy lines leaping over barbed wire, dodging machine gun fire, and jumping into enemy trenches where even at close quarters bullets fired at him would miss while every round he fired found its mark.

One day, under a particularly hot desert sun, the British advance was pinned down by heavy enemy fire but the bullet proof boy was not afraid. Spurring on the troops he ran from trench to trench dodging bullets and laughing at the inability of the enemy to shoot him. Suddenly the bullet proof boy winced and he fell dead into a trench at his comrades’ feet.

The veteran sobbed as he recalled examining the body to discover that an enemy bullet had glanced and set of a round in one of the bullet proof boy's bandoleers--he had been killed by one of his own rounds. The bullet proof boy, therefore, died as he lived; enemy bullets could not touch him, but his own bullets always found a mark.

The next time you see a manikin in a department store dressed in belts remember this story and pass it on to a friend, this way the bullet proof boy who died before he had a chance to grow up and enjoy life will at least get a change to live little longer in our memories.

oxymoron?

2005-04-03T21:14:00.003-04:00

I received an anonymous e-mail giving me “a word of advice” about my blog title. The author said, “social justice from a Christian perspective is an oxymoron.” I appreciate advice but the writer is wrong—social justice and Christianity are not contradictory and that is proven by people like William and Catherine Booth, William Wilberforce, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, Mother Theresa and the list goes on.

Although Christianity and social justice are not contradictory the church can be “oxymoronic” about social justice issues. Indeed all the evils that the Christian activists listed above challenged were supported and perpetuated by other Christians! I think this happens because the church can get just as mired in confusion, contradiction and division about social justice as the rest of the world. This should not be so because God is the source of all justice, and because Christian’s have a relationship with Him through Jesus, the church, therefore, should find itself on the side of the angels in relation to justice but often it does not. In fact sometimes the church used its claim to be on the side of angels to justify evil—like slavery, apartheid and segregation, and the list goes on.

So when I get news of Christians in my own city standing up and doing something about social injustice I sit up and pay attention. The Hamilton, “True City Conference” seems to be doing just that. Conference workshop topics that get my attention include:

a) Refugees and New Immigrants: What realities are faced by the thousands of immigrants arriving in Hamilton each year? How can churches get involved?
b) Youth Ministry: What alternatives can churches offer to the marginalized youth of our city?
c) Restorative Justice: How can churches make a difference in the lives of offenders in their communities?
d) Employment Issues: How can churches work with people to overcome barriers to stable and livable employment?
e) Encountering Mental Illness: How can churches walk with those who are struggling with mental illness?When I read this list I feel hope and fear. I hope that this is the church speaking out in a way that truly brings social justice and honor to God. I fear that the church will speak in ways that perpetuates the ideologies and structural inequalities that underpin the injustice we see in today’s society. Yet judging by the topics being covered and the careful wording used to describe them I have more hope than fear. I also have hope because I know and trust some of those promoting this event. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I am going and I will let you know how it works out!

goodbye

2005-04-02T20:42:00.000-05:00

I am not a catholic, but I am moved by the death of the Pope and I think it appropriate to have an entry because there is no doubt that he changed the world. Goodbye John Paul II.

So who will be the next Pope? I think Cardinal Francis Arinze.

UPDATE: My goodness Joseph Ratzinger! Well I could not have been more wrong could I! Well best wishes Pope Benedict XVI.

does the gospel oppress?

2005-03-29T23:36:00.006-05:00

Do I oppress non-Christians by saying that I believe they cannot have reconciliation with God without Jesus? The answer is simple - no - but only as long as I am not forcing my beliefs on them.

In England I often visited the Imams at Regents Park Mosque. I would tell the Imams that Jesus was divine and He died and rose again for their sins. They would tell me that Jesus (Isa) was not divine, he was never crucified and never rose again. In this debate the Imam’s did not oppress me and I did not oppress them - we enjoyed the debate and respected each others right to hold contrary positions.

If, however, I was to force Muslim children to sing Christian hymns in schools then I would oppress. If I make non-Christian children opt out of school or other public functions to avoid Christian ceremonies, if I insist on building Judeo-Christian monuments in courtrooms in which people of other faiths are judged, if I pass laws that say everyone has to take off my holy days but not theirs, if I use public funds to decorate government buildings for my Christmas but not for the festivals of tax paying citizens from other faiths - then most certainly I oppress!

Now I am sure some of you saying that we are a "Christian nation" so we have a right to do these things. Well no—we are a democracy and that means we do not have a right to impose religious beliefs on anyone. Also, be careful about claiming that we are or were a Christian nation. The "Christianity" Western nations claims has a pretty ugly history that needs to be left behind - a history of genocide, massacres, inquisitions, witch-hunts, torture - all done in the name of “Christianity.” Of course while some Christians were massacring in the name of their faith other Christians were trying to stop it. Never-the-less, the ugliness happened and as a result I refuse to call the nations that did these things “Christian.”

But back to the topic at hand—all of us in a democracy have a fundamental right to hold and state our religious beliefs but we do not have a right to impose those religious beliefs on others and of course none of us have a right to practice beliefs that harm others.

So does my saying that Jesus is the only way, truth and life oppress others? Not at all! Just as long as I am sharing an opinion and I am not making laws that impose my opinions or religious beliefs on others.

He has risen

2005-03-27T22:56:00.005-05:00

Everything we hope and imagine as Christians hinges on Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus died for our sins and then rose again defeating both sin and the death that flows from it. That is why today, Easter Sunday, is so special. Today Christians greet each other with the words “He has risen,” and receive the reply, “He has risen indeed.”

The finished work of Jesus means we can imagine—can you? If can if you want!

sunny jim dies

2005-03-26T23:37:00.002-05:00

Sad news today - "Sunny Jim"(Jim Callaghan) died. Born 1912 to a poor English family, Sunny Jim survived tough times with the help of food provided by a church. Perhaps God spoke through this food and maybe this played a role in Jim becoming a Christian. Maybe God also spoke through the poverty Jim suffered because like many Christians at the time he joined the British Labour Party as a way to act on his faith to bring social justice.

Bible study and prayer shaped Sunny Jim’s life and it was while teaching Sunday school that he met Audrey Moulton who he eventually married. Just eleven days ago, some 70 years after that first meeting, Audry died and now today, on the eve of his 93rd birthday, Sunny Jim followed Audrey home.

After serving in the Navy during WWII, supported by Audrey Jim rose quickly in the Labour Party; he was elected as a Member of Parliament and soon found Cabinet positions first as Chancellor then as Home Secretary and finally as Foreign Secretary. In 1974 he became Prime Minister. To read more about his political struggles and achievement read the (Journey to Downing Street). Tony Blair said that Sunny Jim “worked tirelessly to put into action the values of social justice, solidarity and opportunity for all, which brought him into politics and the Labour Party.”

What I like most about Sunny Jim is that although he rose in politics to become Prime Minister and eventually a Lord, he remained true to his working class roots and also remained true to his desire to serve people, especially the downtrodden. That is something we don’t see too much of in politics today! During the past ten years Jim spent his time nursing Audrey as her dementia deteriorated. He said that in the first 60 years of their relationship Audrey looked after him and it was now his turn to look after her. With Audrey passing away 11 days ago his work was finally done.

Audrey and Jim we will miss you - you ran the race well!

take off the grave clothes

2005-03-20T23:00:00.004-05:00

Satan whispered in my ear, "You are too tired to get up and go to church, you have too much to do, you are not feeling spiritual enough to go to church today." When I got up and went I understood why he tried to stop me - God had some unwrapping to do!

Lane, the pastor, spoke about Jesus resurrecting Lazarus. In the story I noticed that Lazarus came out of the tomb wearing grave clothes and Jesus told those around him to take off the grave clothes and let him go. After the service in the Life Impact Group we watched a Nicky Gumbel video and he mentioned that after Jesus resurrection the tomb was empty except for the grave clothes which were left behind.

This made me think. So when Jesus gives us new life, which comes the moment when we trust Him, we still have to take off the grave clothes. Maybe this means that although salvation happens in a moment our transformation and ability to act and live fully as a new person requires time because it occurs as we are unwrapped from the things that entangled us when we were dead. Now I am not sure if that is sound theologically, but it certainly seems to fit my experience as a Christian. Becoming like Him takes time!

for valor

2005-03-18T19:18:00.002-05:00

You know by now that I oppose the war in Iraq but I support the troops. Well today a Victoria Cross (VC) was awarded! This happens so rarely that I have to post on the topic. Meet Private Johnson Beharry, VC (pictured above).

So rare are these medals that if you want to buy one it will cost close to $600,00.00, that is if you can even get someone to sell one! VCs are cast from bronze cannon captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol. The inscription on the cross says "FOR VALOUR" and this captures the idea Queen Victoria had that they were not to be given for simply a brave act in battle, but for bravery in battle that comes from something deeper in a person – that thing is valor! If you read what Beharry did you will see that he has this special something!

The last VCs awarded were given posthumously to Lt. Colonel H. Jones and Sergeant Ian McKay in the Falklands war. To get some idea of what the award means see the movie The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and check out the reaction of the old general who changes his tone so quickly when he notices the VC on the chest of a young officer he was telling off. That movie is a must see for history buffs – and that reaction from a general shows how Private Beharry’s career will change!

Way to go Private Johnson Beharry, VC! Good on you!

turtle island

2005-03-12T18:02:00.003-05:00

This bridge in a northern Ontario town leads to a Native Reserve. Most the white townsfolk believe that Native people live on land the other side of the bridge conceded to them by special treaty, but the townspeople are wrong because the land across the bridge belonged to Native people long before white people came to Turtle Island (North America). To understand this situation properly one has to look across the bridge from the other side - it is the white people in town who live on native land conceded to them by special treaty! It is important for Christians who are non-Aboriginal to grasp this point because the church has done bad things to Aboriginal people. Christians today cannot put the past right but we can learn about and be honest about that history, we can apologize for what we have done, we can try to make amends and that starts by getting our perspective right and acknowledging that we owe Aboriginal people a great debt – not least of which is the land we live upon!

PS: And don't try the line on me that God gave the white man this land so we do not have to honour anyone - that is simply not true - this land was taken my force, trickery, broken promises, and even by germ warfare when British troops gave Native leaders gifts of blankets impregnated with the smallpox virus. Such terrorism is not the handiwork of God!

Ducky

2005-03-05T22:47:00.000-05:00

My daughter blogs under the name of Kontro Versie; you will understand the name if you read her political blog! Her other blog is about animals and she just published a post about “Ducky,” the Peking Duck she rescued. I remember Ducky being a bit of a nuisance - she made a lot of noise and sometimes (quite often) pooped on the floor! I confess I often wondered whether we should cook her! But in retrospect, and after revisiting the story, I am glad that Ducky, with the help of Kontro Versie, won me over! Read the full story here. Anyway, the moral of this story is that sometimes it is wise to listen to your children because years later the nuisances that they caused will become fond memories!

movie: run lola run (1998)

2005-03-05T11:44:00.003-05:00

What if you left home one minute later or got out of bed on the opposite side to that which you usually get out? Could it change your day? Or even your life? This film is all about things like that and the way that Lola goes back in time and re-runs in an attempt to change fete and save her boyfriend. Also known as Lola Rennt, this German movie won 23 International Awards and is a must see.

busy times

2005-03-03T17:01:00.003-05:00

I am back into my busy routine. I just saw this news photo from England - looks like I just got out and back to the GTA before the snow hit!

back in hamilton

2005-02-27T18:56:00.002-05:00

It was nice to visit churches in England, but it is also good to be back to my home church in Hamilton, Canada because this is where I currently function as a part of the body. As usual I was triply blessed by attending; blessed by the worship, by the sermon, and by the "life impact" group after the service. What I find interesting about the life impact group is that for me the “impact” that blesses comes just as much from the fellowship and sharing with brothers and sisters as it does from the formal teaching. I suppose from a scriptural perspective that makes sense because Jesus said that when two or three gather in His name He is present - and He really is present in those meetings, and I can also see Him in the brothers and sisters there.

patriotism

2005-02-27T18:46:00.005-05:00

When I saw this English scene I was singing William Blake’s poem from the preface to his work Milton which most of us know as the hymn Jerusalem. Maybe you remember it being sung in the movie “Chariots of Fire.”

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

This hymn touches my English heart! But at the same time I find the words problematic. I don’t think Jesus ever did come to England and the speculation that He might have is an attempt by my fellow countrymen and women to write England into Biblical history. I would excuse this indulgence if it were not for the way Britain, and other Western European nations, have managed to impose their own cultural traditions on the ways Biblical times are nowadays interpreted – I have spoken about why this is problematic in an earlier post. The last verse worries me too:

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor
shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In
England's green and pleasant land.

If the “sword” is metaphorical then great, but real swords were taken up by England to slaughter innocents in a number of Crusades and religious wars that should never have taken place.

So what is my point with all of this? Well my point is that loving ones nation and being patriotic must go hand-in-hand with a realistic critique of the past and present errors and injustices one’s nation has perpetrated and supported. I love England (I also love Canada and even the USA—they are all brilliant nations with fine qualities), but such love does not stop me speaking out on issues that need to be addressed. In fact, I think that is what the last verse of the hymn Jerusalem is really all about, and what patriotism should be about for Christians - NOT what is shown below! (even though it sounds nice)

canada!

2005-02-25T17:18:00.003-05:00

So my trip to England is over. What a brilliant time I had with my mom! I also had a great time with my sister and my nieces as well as catching up with other important family members and some old friends. But it is good to be back home.

God, not even a null-hypothesis

2005-02-24T08:03:00.004-05:00

I read The Guardian over breakfast to find that scientists say our brains are wired to believe in God. Among the evidence presented is the fact that, "five-year-olds, when they do something naughty, they have an intuition that everyone knows they've been naughty, regardless of whether anyone has seen or heard what they've done.” The scientist goes on to comment, “it's a false belief, but it's good preparation for belief in an entity that is moral and knows everything."

Some of the science presented in this article is a bit suspect; one study cited only used an “n” (sample) of two—hardly generalizable! But if you read the full report you can see that there is good evidence that people are, in the words of the article, “born to believe in God.”

I find it funny that the scientists are now developing all kinds of hypotheses to explain why people are born with a tendency to believe in God, but they are not considering the possibility that God exists and created us. Paul says in Romans 1:19-20. "God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." So from a spiritual perspective there is no excuse for not knowing, and from a scientific perspective there is no excuse for not having the possibility of God’s existence included in the range of hypothesis being considered!

hey you!

2005-02-23T12:08:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday I visited a church where the Rev. Dennis Pethers of the mission group Vizaviz gave a message about salvation and the danger of self-righteousness.

The gospel message was simple and to the point—we can’t rely on works but on grace (the undeserved gift of God) to be saved trough Jesus. The message to the church was also simple, “because we are saved by grace we should never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever” (I think he was trying to emphasize this point) “let people outside the church think that they have to be worthy to come in – the church is for sinners.”

We then looked at the story of the prodigal son, a significant story for me because I have been that son on more than one occasion. Just as the son in the parable, I found the Father had been looking out for me every day waiting for me to return home.

Not sure why but I think God is saying to me that I should post this message of the prodigal son and say that He is looking out for YOU to come home too. I feel a need to say that God says His church is for people who know that they are not good enough not those who think that they are better than others.

But maybe I am imagining the urge to say those words—let me know if this means anything to you, whoever you are.

(I am sure this is why Jeremy Camp wrote I'll take you back")

letter from england

2005-02-23T10:28:00.001-05:00

I am keeping up with Canadian news during my trip to England. Today I read how Paul Martin said “no” to the US missile defense plan, despite the negative impact it will have on US-Canada relations. Perhaps Canada is becoming like Europe where the people of Britain are demanding an apology from Tony Blair for following the US into the Iraq war on faulty information. Here in Europe there is also new alarm about US foreign policy after Bush’s inaugural speech. I was alarmed too because it seems that similar to the Blues Brothers, Bush thinks he is on a mission from God. In Europe not many are buying it. Indeed, at the church I visited on Sunday the pastor prayed for Bush and Blair and asked that God would give them the wisdom to make decisions about Iraq in His way not theirs. Whether we agree with Bush and Blair or not, this is a good prayer to pray. As for Paul Martin, I am not sure of the right course on missile defense is because so little information is available about the implications, but I am sure that we should be weary of the US mission to use its military to bring democracy to the world at the point of a gun. Prayer at a time like this has to be a good thing!

dissent

2005-02-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

The dissenting voice of people like Owen (referred to in the last post) is still with us today, but in the current climate regarding Iraq any dissent is immediately reframed as not supporting the military and as opposing democracy. How cleaver the spin-doctors who turn a critique of the war in Iraq into the opposite of what it is.

British poet Siegfried Sassoon added his voice to critical WWI poetry. Siegfried was an amazing soldier and officer; after his brother Hamo was mortally wounded at Gallipoli (where my grandfather also served), he fought with vengeance carrying out brave and daring deeds on the battle field.

Sassoon's heroism and ultimately his death in battle show how untrue the lie that those who raise their voice against war are disloyal, do not support troops, and oppose democracy! Indeed, the dissenting voice in WWI was absolutely pro-soldier but diametrically opposed to the jingoistic, gung-ho cheeriness that sends off troops to be led by incompetent generals in attempts to correct the mistakes of inept politicians. We need to listen to this dissenting voice today.

Our solders are currently putting their lives on the line to clean up abhorrent regimes that the West previously supplied, supported and trained in Listen to the words of Sassoon, and support our troops by demanding that our politicians adopt foreign policy based on integrity. The next time the politicians mess up their foreign policy in this way, let’s ask them to go out in the mud to clean it up!

same field different thoughts

2005-02-12T01:30:00.001-05:00

When learning about World War I poetry Canadian children recite “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae while English children recite “Dulce et decorum est” by Wilfred Owen. The Latin term in the Owen poem is taken from war memorials and means “It is sweet and meet (fitting) to die for one's country” and in his poem Owen shows this statement to be a “lie.” I raised my children on Owen, not McCrae.

In Flanders fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

John McCrae – 1915

Dulce et decorum est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues -
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori

Wilfred Owen

More about Owen

stand up and speak out

2005-02-09T18:48:00.001-05:00

A polite sounding assistant picked up the phone, "Premier's office." No turning back now, I was determined to ask the Premier of Nova Scotia a question about a debate that began in the Nova Scotia legislature in 2000. I had read about the debate but never heard the outcome and I wanted to know. I e-mailed the Nova Scotia Department of Justice but got no reply—so I decided to call the Premier—a sure way to get an answer. But now with the Premier's assistant on the phone line I was hesitating and embarrassed by the words I was about to say, and yet it was they who should be embarrassed by this issue not me!

"I am calling," I said putting on a business like voice and trying to sound as if I was asking about a parking ticket rather than a law that sanctioned the murder of Native people. "Could you tell me what happened to the debate in the Novia Scotia legislature about removing the Provincial Act that offers a bounty on Indian scalps?"

There—I said it—those horrible words about a horrible law that needed to end. The Premier’s assistant gave an embarrassed laugh and then said absolutely nothing. After a pause that felt like an eternity I filled the silence:

"I read about it in the news" I added, "Reuters reported that your government had a law left over from 1756 offering a bounty for 'Indian scalps' and you were having a debate about whether or not this law should be struck from the books. Well I think it should be struck because even though not used in practice, its presence on the books is offensive. In fact as a Canadian I need to know if it has been struck and if it has not I will call the Prime Minister! And if he will not intervene I will call the United Nations!"

"You should call Aboriginal Affairs," the assistant replied without emotion, "I will give you their number."

How odd that this is an issue of Aboriginal Affairs rather than an issue for all of us. Anyway, I eventually got through to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and after speaking with several people I was told that the law had been struck from the books.

Good--that the offensive law was gone--but I was still unsettled. How could such a law have been in place for so long? And why was it an issue for Aboriginal Affairs and not all of us? And why was I embarrassed to raise the issue when it was the Nova Scotia government who should have been embarrassed? I am not sure about the answers to these questions, but I am sure that when we see injustice, even if we are not a member of the effected group, we have to stand up and do something about it - even if we feel silly and self conscious. Only then will oppression end.

lean on me - once I learn to stand

2005-02-05T13:08:00.004-05:00

Why did Jesus say that if we do not help the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the person with no clothes, the sick, or the person in prison, was the same as not helping Him? I am not entirely sure, but I am sure that the body of Christ (the church) not only has a responsibility to share the gospel (e.g. to say repent and be saved), but to also say “You don’t have to worry, I am here. Here is my shoulder you can lean on me.” Of course, it is not my shoulder that is needed, but the shoulder of Jesus. But think about it, the Church is the Body of Christ, so that means you and I as Christians are that shoulder - a shoulder which according to Jesus' is not only meant for spiritual need but physical need too!

Consequently I can’t turn my back on the needy, but I do not become a shoulder that matters, unless I am united with other Christians - that was the whole point of my Philippians post below – we need to act in unison as the Body of Christ.

Of course many Christian organizations are already deal with these and many other issues. But to really address the issue and end world hunger the entire church would need to rise up and act in unison. So if you have ideas about how we can stand up and act in unison on these issues share them - and help turn the world upside-down!

I was hungry

2005-02-04T16:44:00.003-05:00

At a Trafalgar Square rally Nelson Mandela said that poverty is an evil on a par with slavery and apartheid, an evil that is “man made” and “can be defeated. He is right - in an earlier post I pointed out that 842 million people around the world are starving and 25 million of them die each year of hunger. We must defeat poverty!

So why are so many starving to death? Well people in the underdeveloped world are not hungry because of historical accidents that have created inequality, they are not hungry because they are lazy, or because some war-lord takes away their food; they are hungry because you and I are overfed! I can’t make it simpler than this—there is a direct relationship between the wealth in the developed world and the poverty in the underdeveloped world. That means you and I in the developed world are accountable for their hunger and we have to act!

Mandela has a comprehensive and a viable action plan which includes:

World leaders do not looking the other way
Delivering fair trade
Delivering debt relief
Delivering more and better aid
Recognizing that the world is hungry for action not words

As a Christian (and this blog is about Christian thought) have you ever called your MP and demanded action? If you have - do it again - on this issue. If you have not - then now is the time to do it! But do not do it alone - join with others in your church and demand justice.

I am absolutely convinced that when we stand before God our reasons for not doing something will embarrass us—we will look back and wonder what we were thinking—we will not be able to explain how we got fat while others went hungry! In that moment when we look into God’s face what will we say? "I was not interested in 'politics'" or "I was worried about preaching a social gospel" or "I did not want to seem liberal" or "I did not know that you expected me to help" or even, "but you said Lord the poor would always be with us so I just did not bother!" Well ponder your excuse and in the mean time read what Jesus' said about those excuses!

movie: nine queens (2000)

2005-02-03T20:38:00.002-05:00

An Argentinian fast paced crime drama with more twists and turns than you ever imagined! Two guys try to sell a forged set of nine rare postage stamps; a clever plot and a brilliant story, made in Spanish (as Nueve Reinas) with English sub-titles, winner of some 23 international awards! This is on my all times favorite list!

when the king calls

2005-01-23T15:24:00.002-05:00

Today the Canadian Prime Minister remembered the 1941 Battle of Hong Kong and the Canadian troops who joined others to attempt the impossible; to ward off the Japanese advance. These soldiers went to a land they did not know, to do that which could not be done, just because they had been called by a king most had never seen. The photograph above is a part of the University of Toronto remembrance wall that lists students who gave up their studies to die fighting in that and other wars.

I found myself wondering, if they were willing to stand in line when an earthly king called, how much more should Christians be willing to stand in line when the heavenly King calls.

homeless and working

2005-01-22T22:57:00.002-05:00

This homeless Toronto person was politely offering to clean windshields at traffic lights – an act that is illegal. Our laws are backward; we should not only help the poor we should also have laws that give them opportunities for self-help too. What would have happened to Ruth, an ancestor of Jesus, when she was destitute, if it were not for such laws in Leviticus 19:9-10?

homeless and sleepy

2005-01-22T22:31:00.001-05:00

I was exploring derelict buildings in London (England) and found this guy sleeping. Notice how he is sleeping with his hand on his wallet, I am sure it does not have much in it, but it is all he has. I wondered whether years ago as a child he had a mom or dad who tucked him in bed at night and I tried to imagine what events could have brought him to this place. I left quietly so as not to disturb his dreams.

Homeless and Blind

2005-01-22T13:24:00.000-05:00

This man was playing music by the roadside in Beijing. I don’t know if he is homeless; maybe he has family, maybe he makes enough to pay for a room somewhere. What I do know is that he turns all he sees and feels into a melody, and having heard that melody,

Homeless and Hot

2005-01-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

It is not just the cold that makes homelessness an issue. Here is a guy in Hong Kong who lives by the bank machine next to Wan Chi Station. I found this man always clean and polite; notice too how organized he is with his food containers.

homeless and cold

2005-01-21T19:49:00.001-05:00

I took this picture a few weeks ago in Toronto, the temperature was just below zero and this guy was having a hard time keeping warm. Notice the bags that contain all he owns - mostly things to keep him warm. This week the temperature has dropped to minus 25 some nights, with a wind-chill taking it down to minus 35 and temperatures of minus 40 are predicted. Meanwhile Toronto council is rushing through legislation to stop these guys sleeping on the steps of City Hall - too embarrassing if someone froze to death on those steps I suppose!

democracy or die

2005-01-21T10:04:00.001-05:00

In yesterdays Presidential inauguration speech, Bush called for an end to end habits or racism and for healing of divisions in the United States. Words well said and an brilliant goal! Way to go President Bush!

But Bush also pledged the “expansion of freedom in all the world” and the impression I got was that this “freedom” was going to be pursued by militarily! Of course I applaud the ideal for world freedom and liberty but invading people’s counties is now way to bring it. Look at Iraq - a mess that has absolutely no resemblance to freedom or democracy!

But let’s give the guy some more time; if Bush can turn Iraq into a place of freedom and liberty then great. But I suspect it is not going to happen – I suspect Bush will create a mess that he will not be able to clear up and which will hurt the Iraqi people for a long time to come. and in the meantime I suspect we will be taking their oil and this will help us maintain our freedom!

christians working together

2005-01-19T23:20:00.002-05:00

To rise up to dance on injustice we must “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.” (Philippians 1: 27-28).

These words by Paul had a special meaning to the Philippians because they lived in Macedonia, the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Alexander was famous for using a military formation called a "phalanx," which was a group of well trained and disciplined soldiers who strive together in a tight formation with one mind - you see them depicted below. Using this tactic, Alexander conquered much of the world - nothing could stop him!

Nothing can stop the church when it moves as one body with one mind. Of course the church should not move to take up arms, but should move to take up the work Jesus calls us to do.

Can the church achieve this type of unity? well if Alexander could unite the Greek states, teach them to speak the same language, and then get them to work together - for sure we can do it in the church! Why not read Philippians and think about how to do that in your church?

do we dance on injustice?

2005-01-16T21:22:00.003-05:00

I leave church every Sunday with my heart blessed and my mind full of things to think about during the week. This Sunday I left church thinking about dancing! One of the songs we sang was “Do you feel the mountains tremble?” The chorus goes:

Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring your hope
And songs that bring your joy
Dancers who dance upon injustice

This is one of my favourite songs but on this Sunday the words “dancers who dance upon injustice” spoke to me in a new way. I began to wonder whether we, as a church, do dance on injustice. At our church and in othes across the nation music plays, singing resounds, we find hope, we find joy, but do we really dance on injustice?

Maybe the chorus raised these questions for me because Lane (our pastor) has been urging us, as a church, to stand up and make a difference in our community. Or maybe I was asking these questions because the day before was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Now there was a guy who knew how to dance! I wonder, if he were listening and watching us sing, what he would say about the way today's churches tackle social injustice.

To dance as King and the churches that followed him did requires us to first be clear about what issues of social injustice face our city and second to act in unison in addressing those issues. Of course we will never agree on all the issues or on all the ways to tackle them but we have enough social injustice that if we started with the issues we do agree on, like the need to tackle poverty, homelessness and racism, this would keep us dancing for quite some time.

So happy birthday MLK
PS does anyone want to dance?

not fitting in

2005-01-15T15:37:00.001-05:00

This brick building in downtown Toronto is dwarfed by skyscrapers and just somehow does not fit into the landscape. Although not fitting in, it alone sets the character for this part of town. When photographers come, and they do, it is to capture the beauty of the building that seems to be a bit of an outsider in a sea of glass and concrete structures. Thank goodness for buildings like this!

consequential angel

2005-01-15T13:39:00.002-05:00

This is the angel from the top of my Christmas tree. When most people in the western world think of angels they do not think of my one! Most people, especially those whose ideas dominate society, visualize and portray angels and God with exclusively “white” or “Caucasian” images - this makes a powerful racial statement. If we lived in a world where there was racial and cultural equity we would not have to worry about which race we choose when portraying God or angels. But as we live in a world where racism exists we need to be concerned about the ways the images we use can inadvertently reinforce racism.

The most dangerous kind of racism for churches is not that of Nazi groups and the Ku Klux Klan; most Christians know that this stuff is wrong and we would never let it in our front door. We need to be more concerned about subtle forms of racial inequity because these can creep into our churches through the back door.

Look around your church to see if the images of angels, God and Jesus on the walls, calendars, bulletins, or Website, are exclusively Caucasian. If they are you have a problem that needs fixing. One of the ways to understand the problem is to remember that the word “Caucasian” comes from the theories of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach who said that white people were created by God in His own image in the Caucasus Mountains of Europe. Blumenbach believed other races to a degradation of this white ideal. The message we give by using exclusively Caucasian images in our churches for God, Jesus and heavenly beings, is that white is superior. Indeed, some time ago I was spending time with John, a young child of colour. John told me that his teachers said he was "different" because of his colour. "Different to what" he wondered. He noticed that the people he was being taught to look up to, scientists, heroes, prime ministers and so on, were all white. He noticed that most the heroes on TV and in comics were white. When he had a cut or injury the Band-Aid the teachers used did not match his skin but matched the colour of his classmates. It was not long before this child told me that the most important lesson he had learnt at school was it was better to be white than “brown,” because white was the best colour. I argued and assured John that all races were equal. But I lost the argument when John came to me crying and telling me that I had lied. He said he saw a picture of God in a book, and God was white—so white must be the best! Could John have seen this picture in your Sunday school?

Of course you and I know that theologically the color of God and angels is truly inconsequential. But as we are living with the legacy of Blumenbach and others like him and race has become consequential. We need to work in our churches to play our part in undoing that legacy. What does this work look like, well look to the angel on the top of my tree, she has the answer!

Next year, I hope the angel on your church tree looks the same. I also hope to find in your church books and bulletins, images of God and angels as Black, Asian, Aboriginal, East Indian, or some other non-Caucasian race. After all, if you truly believe that race is inconsequential, then why not?

these are for you

2005-01-13T19:45:00.001-05:00

Toronto got a reprieve from winter - today was just like spring. As I walked by St. Lawrence Market the sun was shining and people were having lunch on restaurant patios! When I saw these for sale outside a flower shop, I took a picture just for you – to brighten your day - wherever you are!

I can fly

2005-01-13T15:36:00.001-05:00

When I was younger, so much younger than today, I could fly! Well not really fly like a bird, but I could leap over mountains and tall buildings!

In the picture, taken on coast of Spain North of Barcelona, I had just jumped from the rock where the picture is being taken, skipped off the in-between rock you see in the foreground, spun in the air and landed backwards facing the camera on the rock where you see me. Behind me is a drop of about 900 feet.

Are you impressed? I am not - what a twit! Honestly it is a wonder I am still alive!

road to jericho

2005-01-11T22:01:00.002-05:00

I have been so swamped with work! It is easy to get lost when you are busy; like the priest and the Levite on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. They were not lost in terms of getting to Jericho, but they were lost in their bigger journeys. The Samaritan, on the other hand, who I suspect was just as busy, was not lost. He knew it was important to stop and help the man wounded by the road.

We do not often find people robbed and lying by the road but we do pass a lot of people every day. If we do not find time for those around us or we forget to take a moment to sit and check in with a friend, maybe we will leave them hurt by the side of the road.

So what is the moral of this post? Well simply don’t get so busy that you get lost. Don’t just use a road map that shows you how to get to Jericho but use a topographic map like the one I have in this picture that pays attention to the small details on the way.

And so paying attention to that map today's best moments were finding time to make a cup of tea for a friend and also finding time to write this post. But now – back to that paper that I have to get done!

wanchi

2005-01-11T15:34:00.001-05:00

This is Wanchi, Hong Kong, taken on a hot summer evening in 2004. Of all the cities I have been to, I like HK the best - goodnight Hong Kong!

child of nature

2005-01-08T00:10:00.001-05:00

I took this picture one lazy summer on Tom Thompson Lake in Algonquin Park, Canada. And as a great Canadian once said:

"Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you are already a child of nature." (from "an ascetic in a Canoe" by Pierre Elliot Trudeau - 1944)

the day I saved the planet

2005-01-07T15:33:00.005-05:00

A few years back I took a short cut when hiking along the Canadian Bruce Trail and wandered from the trees into an alien landscape. Nothing was growing and parts of the ground were still smoldering as if scorched by rocket engines. In the distance I heard strange unearthly noises. Moving silently and unseen in the gullies, I made toward the sound. As I drew closer, I found the shattered remains of a ray gun in the dirt and large footprints that could only have been made by an extraterrestrial. It was clear to me that the Earth was being invaded.

I followed the footprints until only one hill separated me from the invaders. On the other side I heard heavy equipment being unloaded and the hum of the mothership's engines. Unarmed I knew that once I had laid sight on them they would likely try to kill me, so I would have to defend myself, and my planet, with my bare hands.

Carefully I looked over the hill, and found a Hollywood crew making a science fiction movie! Not long after, Homer Simpson had a similar experience.

So okay there were no space invaders, but if there had been, I was ready, and so in sense that day I saved the planet... well almost!

absent friends

2005-01-04T23:40:00.004-05:00

Two years ago today a British newspaper reported that airport worker, Bob Longhorn, was struck and killed by speeding car as he walked home along an English country lane. A week later a Bugler played as Bob was laid to rest with a Green Beret placed on his casket. Bob was one of the very few who earned the right to wear that beret - Bob was a Royal Marine Commando and a friend.

(from left to right: Bob Longhorn Richard Coulter Ian Beckett)

I did basic training with Bob at Royal Marines Depot at Deal and moved onto Commando Training School with him at Lympstone. Other members who are absent from the parade are Richard Coulter and Ian Beckett. Today, and each year on this day, I raise a glass to Bob, Richard and Ian--and then another glass to the rest of my old oppos wherever they are now! Check out the basic training video below:

spiral stairway

2005-01-03T23:35:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine said that in medieval castles spiral staircases ascend clockwise to make it difficult for those attacking. Most people are right handed and imagine fighting your way up spiral stairs with your sword toward the center of the spiral – not easy. The defender looking down, on the other hand, can hide behind the center point leaving only their sword arm visible as they fight.

Well to test the theory I took this photo. Do you see anyone coming up the stairs attacking? Of course not, because they are not silly enough to try. Point proven!

monday magic

2005-01-02T23:30:00.001-05:00

Every Monday the noticeboard in the University of Toronto Robart's library looks like this; only the remnants of last week's posters and signs remain. The strange thing is that nobody, in the entire history of the library, has ever seen anyone take the notices down. At first the library administration tried to stop it and even set up surveillance cameras, but unable to find who was clearing the board they eventually resorted to putting a warning above it.

comfy cushions

2005-01-02T15:31:00.001-05:00

These cushions were on sale in a Beijing market. I was thinking of buying some but they looked too comfy to disturb, so I took their picture instead and left them where they were.

tsunami new year resolution

2005-01-01T01:02:00.001-05:00

The tsunami death toll is 150,000 and still climbing. Some are asking, why does God let it happen? As we ponder this question the Lancet Medical Journal tells us that the death toll in the Iraq war is 100,000 and still climbing.

The UN is also telling us that 842,000,000 people around the world are starving and each year 25,000,000 of them die of hunger. That is a death toll of 3 tsunami’s per week for every week of the year; year after year after year! I ask, why do we let it happen?

We can stop these deaths; the US Army Times says that the Iraq war will eventually cost $2,000,000,000,000.00 ($2 trillion) and that does not count the cost to the UK and other nations. A very small proportion of that money would end world hunger immediately!

Let us use the tsunami as a wake up call for our tax dollars be spent in a different way. Lets spend less on killing people in far off mountains and deserts who may or may not be a threat and more on resolving problems such as hunger which we know will kill 25 million before this new year is done!

The response to the tsunami shows that humankind has the resolve to not only mobilize armies to take life, but to also mobilize to save life. Individuals and nations are giving in unprecedented amounts to help, let’s not loose the momentum, here is what to do.

E-mail this message to five friends, and ask them to e-mail it to five more friends, you know how that works. But then, and this is important difference, ask each of these friends to contact their country’s leader, along with their country’s minister of defense. Ask the leaders to divert 10% of the nations military expenditure to providing food and help build roads, shelter, water purification plants and so on in underdeveloped countries and also in helping the poor in developed countries too. Tell them not to make their soldiers unemployed by these cuts but to deploy them to do this work. Point out to your leaders that this small action will come close to ending world poverty. Think about it, the USA has committed $350 million to tsunami relief and while this is this is a generous amount, it is less than 1000th of the almost $400 billion it spends each year on its military. Britain has pledged about 850th of its military budget and other nations have made similar pledges. Think what 10% of these budgets will do!

These are our tax dollars so let’s take charge of how they are spent. In 2005 let's resolve to fight a new kind of war on "terror," the terror of hunger and poverty - this is not a dream - you can make it happen!

brutus, judas and me!

2005-01-01T01:00:00.003-05:00

“Et tu, Brute,” Caesar said, which means “You, too, Brutus?” This must have been the most painful blow; Caesar regarded Brutus as a son and now he was among his assassins. Dante considered this betrayal so abominable that he placed Brutus in the lowest level of the inferno being chewed but never consumed by Satan, along with that other great betrayer Judas Iscariot.

Judas was arguably the worse of all betrayers. Brutus can plead that he betrayed a dictator but Judas betrayed the sinless Son of God. Perhaps in the great reckoning Brutus may gain reprieve but surely Judas’ fete was sealed with that kiss which handed Jesus to those who would kill Him.

When considering Judas' crime look in Ephesians 5:2 and 5:25, which Michael Battle says uses the imperfect tense, paradidonat, to indicate that Jesus continues to give Himself over to the authorities. Battle suggests that present day disciples need to reflect on how they are responsible in their daily lives for betraying Jesus.

This means that I personally am responsible for Jesus betrayal and death. Jesus allowed Himself to be given over to the authorities for my sin and when I fall short as a Christian He continues to hand Himself over for me. Each time I sin His death is again held up and given to the authorities to pay for those failures.

The fact that Jesus continues to be handed over is not new to me - I understood this when I was new in my faith. This fact, however, weighed more heavily and took on new meaning when Michael Battle urged me to reflect on how I betray Jesus in my daily life. Each time I sin I align myself with Brutus and Judas and turn Jesus over to the authorities. So now when I stumble (which I often do) and again rely on Jesus' saving grace I say to myself “Et tu Inkling.”

From my reflections on Battle, M. (1997). Reconciliation: The ubuntu theology of Desmond Tutu. Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press.

joke

2004-12-30T16:41:00.002-05:00

Desmond Tutu told this joke at the height of apartheid:

A Zambian was talking to a South African and said, 'well our Minister of Naval Affairs said so and so.' The South African said, 'What? You are a land locked country. How could you have a Minister of Naval Affairs?' The Zambian replied, 'But you have a Minister of Justice.'

book: desmond tutu

2004-12-30T01:35:00.003-05:00

Battle, M. (1997). Reconciliation: The ubuntu theology of Desmond Tutu. Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press.

Michael Battle, an African American scholar who worked with Tutu, shares in this book the way Tutu, as a Christian, understood and helped to overthrow a racist regime. The book deals with the thorny question of how Christians can understand and respond to oppression when those doing the oppressing claim to be Christian themselves—and in the case of South Africa when that oppression is actually a part of the oppressor’s “Christian” theology.

Tutu deals with “Christian” racism unapologetically—it is sin! As the gospel is never the cause of oppression but always its solution, Tutu says that his response, of helping overthrow the racist regime, is a Christian not a “political” action. But before that action is detailed, the book begins with a brief history of exploitation and oppression in South Africa. Tutu explains:

"When the white man first came here, he had the Bible and we had the land. Then the white man said to us, come let us kneel and pray together. So we knelt and closed out eyes and prayed, and when we opened our eyes again, lo!—we had the Bible and he had the land. "

The book goes on to explain Tutu’s “ubuntu” theology. Ubuntu is the plural of the word “Bantu” which which refers to a linguistic bond among all African speakers. But more than this, ubuntu refers to humanity because it is related to the term “umuntu,” which means active intelligent human force, and from “ntu,” which means God’s as an active being. The meaning is best summed up in the phrase “Ubuntu unguamntu ngabanye ababtu,” which means “each individual’s humanity is ideally expressed in relationship with others.”

Ubuntu stands in contrast to western humanism and individualism; yet I notice that the idea of ubuntu loosely coincides with the European philosophy of Emanuel Levinas, who goes beyond Descartes’ “cogito ergo sum” (I think therefore I am) by claiming that the altarity (difference) of the Other (other people) confirms that the same (oneself) is not everything. Levinas is saying that as long as we can’t fully comprehend other people, that means they are not a product of our own consciousness, and consequently their difference give us our distinct identity as a person and they confirm (for us as an individuals) that we are separate from the rest of the cosmos out there! Levinas and Tutu both see that the individual has no existence apart from relationships with other people.

Levinas is complex, but Tutu makes this kind of thinking it simple: The quality of our humanness depends on societal relations. For instance, Tutu tells a story of a very beautiful light bulb that shined so bright until it was disconnected and laid on the table. Try as it might that light bulb could no longer shine. Like that bulb, we depend on being connected with others to function. But more than this, to take the analogy further, there is simply no point shining unless there is someone who needs light. As also explained in the book, if someone is beautiful, how can that be known unless it is seen and regarded by others? This is kind of related to the question of whether a tree falling in a forest makes noise if there is nobody to hear it. All this philosophy leads into Tutu’s position on social justice part. Because social injustice is sin, the only answer can be Jesus who takes away sin. But for the gospel to bring change at a societal level, the church has to do that it is supposed to. Tutu’s explains:

We the church of God are meant to be the alternative Society, a different kind of society. We have not always lived up to our calling, but God calls us to become—and be seen to be—a sharing society. We are to love our brothers and sisters, and really begin to share the spiritual and material gifts god has given into our stewardship. We are to be a compassionate society, caring for the weak and the powerless, especially to empower them; caring for the downtrodden, the disadvantaged and the poor, becoming the voice of the voiceless because there is where we find Christ particularly; urging our more well-to-do to let God use then to do His miracles of love and compassion (cited on p. 115).

Now if I had said that you could roll your eyes and mutter “dreamer.” But Tutu said it and he is not so easily dismissed, he lived this vision and in the midst of apartheid, and earning a Nobel Peace Prize no less! Tutu achieves the vision by bringing the church together in prayer, worship, and inunity in the Eucharist, then in moving out in unison, or with the same rhythm, to bring about social change. This makes sense because if the church is the body of Christ, then this Body in the world acting as one can and should bring the type of change. For Tutu, this is all about the transformation Jesus brings, in other words it is not us individually who bring change, but literally Jesus—or His Body (the church).

The book goes on to explain how Tutu sees that w are all created in God’s image and from this proposition Tutu conducts a supurb analysis of the social construction of race. If we are all created in God’s image and we are different races, then the emphasis we nowadays place on “race” is socially constructed. In fact, we can trace the concept to the moments in history when our “racial” differences were given very specific meanings to serve and support European colonization. It is not that the human variation which we define as “race” does not exist; it is the selection of this particular difference as a system of human classification and the meanings that are given to such difference that is the issue. Hmm this gets complicated, so I will not go on too much… Maybe I need to do a separate post on the social construction of race if anyone really wants this clarified.

Toward the end of the book Battle examines critiques of Tutu’s theology as well as pointing out similarities and differences between Tutu and other Black Christian leader’s theology, and this includes the theology of James Cone who also came up in the Terrell book I reviewed. For me, this book on Tutu was a better read and explored greater depths that Terrell. But what came across in both texts is the power if the Gospel and also the incredible faith of Black Christian communities in South Africa, the USA and around the world. To think that sometimes my faith has faltered when I see and hear fellow Christians make racist comments, and yet Black Christian communities subjected to racism (unlike me who has never been on its recieving end) have stood firm in their faith. From now on, by thinking of the example of Tutu, I will be able to stand firmer and I will have better ideas how to bring change in the church.

So how do I help the church change, and deal with its whiteness? (by “whiteness” I refer not to white people, but to the ways Eurocentrism and cultural imperialism have co-opted Christianity into being predominantly as a white, middle class, conservative religion). Well Tutu gives some answers; James Cone is next on the reading list as I think he gives answers too. The primary answer, of course, is Jesus; not the whitewashed Jesus petrified in stained glass windows of Eurocentric churches, but the dynamic Jesus who is with us today. Tutu says when dealing with these 20th Century (and now 21st Century) issues–don’t just look back at Jesus in the 1st century; look at Him now and at what He is doing today. And in this book, I got a glimpse of what Jesus is doing today.

Anyway, in short, this book is brilliant!

book: northern magic

2004-12-28T02:45:00.003-05:00

If you have dreamed of sailing around the world, then this book is for you. Two things make this book stand out among the many books I have read on circumnavigation.

a) The circumstances of the trip; Diane Stuemer, the author, decided the family should make the trip after a brush with cancer made her and her partner Herbert revaluate their priorities. They sold their business, rented out their house, and set out in a 40-year-old boat with their three boys (all under 12 years of age). What is remarkable is that their entire sailing experience to this point comprised of six afternoons on the Ottawa River! The trip took four years in which time they visited 34 countries and traveled over 35,000 nautical miles. Sadly, two years after returning Diane’s cancer returned and she passed away in 2003.

b) The book is supported by an extensive website at www.northernmagic.com. Although not the easiest Website to navigate this site gives access to maps, media coverage, pictures and many other details of the trip.

If you do not buy the book - visit the site - an amazing story!
www.northernmagic.com

a church of sinners

2004-12-26T15:00:00.006-05:00

In today’s sermon the pastor said that people in our church are sinners. I thought thank goodness for that!

I first realized I was a sinner when God showed me in a dream that if I met Him I was in trouble! I awoke determined to be good and find God but I was unable to find Him. Finally on a trip to Bodmin Moor I came across ruins of the priory St. Petroc built in the 6th century pictured below (in a shot borrowed from the web) and I knelt and prayed, “God, you say seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened. Well I am a sinner and I am knocking, so find me and show me how to get right with You."

Nothing happened after the prayer and a week later back in London I had just about forgotten about it when a man approached me and said, “I have come to tell you how to get right with God.” I was startled. “Gosh,” I said, “Go on, tell me!”
The man looked equally startled; I found out later that this faithful parishioner had helped his church outreach campaign by standing on that street corner week after week telling passers by that he had come to tell them how to “get right with God” and until now nobody stopped to listen. Speechless the man quickly led me across the street to a young hippy looking guy who was the Rev. Tony Johnson, the curate from St. Pauls, Church, Hainault.

“There is nothing you can do to in yourself get rid of your sin and to stand blameless before God.” Tony said. “And if you wait until you feel good enough to deal with God you will be waiting forever because you will never be good enough. But you can know God right now through Jesus who paid the price for your sins. Turn from sin and ask Jesus into your life; He can and will take your sin and also give you His goodness and cleanliness so that you can stand before God and have a relationship with Him.” I believed this message and on that street corner Tony led me in a simple prayer - I asked Jesus into my life.

I am still not good enough to stand before God nor is any other Christian. That is why in this Sunday’s sermon the pastor said that we were a church of sinners. Of course the pastor does not mean we should go on sinning regardless what he means the same thing the Rev. Tony Johnson told me—none of us will ever be good enough for God but we can rely on Jesus and stand before God clothed in His righteousness. Now relying on Jesus can and does change us; it makes us more like Him and it helps us turn from sin. But the pastor’s words are a reminder that we do not meet every Sunday as a congregation of self-righteous people, but as a group of sinners who rely on Jesus to stand before God.

So if you are reading this blog and thinking, “oh this ‘Inkling’ blogger is one of those holier than thou types.” Trust me, you could not be further from the truth.

God's PDA

2004-12-25T19:16:00.002-05:00

Cornwall (England) Evangelist John Hadley visited a church elder who explained a crisis his congregation faced:

“We outgrew the old church and thought that God was telling us to build a new one." The elder said, "We submitted our drawings, got planning permission and ordered the materials. We could not afford to hire people to do the work but felt sure that God would provide and so we moved on in faith. Church members dug and laid the foundations but now we are stuck. We need is a bricklayer and do not have one. What are we going to do John? Next week the bricks arrive.”

John reflected how God’s schedule is always perfect. Five months earlier I had called him from London where I was working as a bricklayer. I told John that I felt God calling me to Cornwall and thought that He wanted me to help with the summer evangelism campaign. John was puzzled and told me that he did not need extra help but he suggested that I keep praying and if God continued to call then I should come and we would figure out what I was supposed to do when I got there. God continued to call me and so I had contacted John with a date that I would arrive.

John looked at the elder with a smile an asked, “What day next week are the bricks arriving?”

“Friday,” the elder replied.

John looked at his diary, “Well that is just about right,” he said, “God is sending a bricklayer from London and he will be here next Wednesday. So that you a day to settle him in and go over the plans before he starts work on Friday!”

I spent a wonderful long hot summer building that church. Many others worked too; stonemasons, carpenters, roofers, plumbers, electricians, and just about everyone in the congregation and even my good friend Alf from London came to help for a while.

I did not anticipate laying bricks when I headed out on this trip, in fact I wanted a break from construction, but when God told me that was His plan I obeyed with joy. So here I am in the photo on the left carrying “muck” (mortar) to lay some bricks.

When the church was built I returned to London and worked on various construction sites for another year. God then, again with His perfect timing, called me out of construction work and to do other things.

Nowadays I set my schedule with a PDA and as I connect it to my computer and push the “sync” button, I quietly remember the church I helped build in Cornwall and I pray that the appointments my computer and PDA are resolving does not synchronize with my will and timing, but with His will and perfect timing.

Anyway, just so you can see what His plan entailed here are some pictures. The picture below is the project nearing its end with the roof going on.

One of the church walls was actually built to curve and follow the lot boundary - you can see it in one of the pictures below. I had never built a wall like that before and was worried about what they we would do when it came to putting a roof on it - but somehow it all came together!

The congregation wanted to use the old church as the new one was being built, so we built the new church over the older and smaller church building, and then carefully knocked down the old building inside the new one. This minimized the time the congregation was without a home. Below you can see the old church being demolished inside the new one that was being constructed around it.

One of the church elders, Mr. Blake, was a retired master carpenter and also a renowned bible scholar, he is shown above in the background in the picture on the bottom left with another church member in the foreground. Mr. Blake taught me much as we worked, make no mistake, I was being paid for this work, but in something more valuable than gold.

The finished job is shown below on the left. Many years later, in 1997, I revisited the church and was pleased to see that it was still standing. The church as it is today is shown on the right, and of course it will continue to stand until God's schedule says otherwise.

So remember, when you push the synchronize button on your PDA, don't look at the computer screen, look up and pray that you are in sync with God's timing!