LIFT UP THE LOWLY - A SERMON

"He has pulled the mighty down from their thrones. Lifted up the lowly...."

The song of Mary proclaims that the mighty are pulled down and the lowly are lifted up. It does not proclaim that one "mighty" group is replaced by another "mighty" group.

Jesus loved to go away and pray by himself. He even had an extended desert experience. Canadians seek a cottage setting, an isolated lake and a canoe. There is time for withdrawal, time for a hidden life. But for Jesus and for his disciples and for each of us withdrawal is for return. Jesus was impelled by the Spirit to engage the issues of his time. In a brief year or three he made an impact that continues to change the course of human history and as we Christians believe the history and destiny of the universe.

Oftentimes, when there is a person who does great things there is a parent behind them. Christians speak of the only Son of the Father but also speak of the son of Mary. Jesus is the son of Mary. The scripture tells us that Mary is the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). It is evident that the early community viewed her as more than simply a "birth mother."

 In the passage from Luke 1:47–55 -- she is the one who sings of God active in history, merciful and effecting change. In the language of today, the Spirit moves people to critique and rise against those who exploit their fellow human beings. Wherever there are protests I suspect that if you don't see mothers and grandmothers on the front lines, they are behind the scenes encouraging and giving support and inspiration. To say that Mary was the mother of Jesus says that he was nurtured in a family that lived a radical spiritual honesty. If Jesus is like he is then the early Church and we too can believe that Mary too is like that - honest and courageous; notwithstanding the scriptural evidence that Jesus at times distanced himself from his family as he chose not to be guided by concern for his own safety but to be guided by the will of the Father.

The people of Jesus' time and place were family people. The family was understood to be a major influence on the character and behaviour of a person. If Jesus spoke out against the exploitation of his people and the abuse of power his mother approved and so the Gospel has her singing the magnificat -- a song of praise that rejoices in "regime change."

We are in a time of regime change. Across the countries of the middle East there are protests and voices calling for honesty, just sharing of resources and more democratic political behaviour. In North American and European cities an "Occupy Wall Street" movement has drawn continuing attention to the huge disparities of income that characterize our economic situation. The .01 percent entitled to millions, the middle class squeezed, the poor dropping out of the system. The analysis is that the politicians -- most evidently in the United States -- have not done their job. The duty of oversight, the duty of care for the good of the whole people, has been sadly neglected. The huge housing and mortgage crisis is one result of a corruption in the political sphere making it possible for the few to benefit from the misery of the many.

Jesus challenged this state of affairs in his own time. He encouraged the poor, the dispossessed, the oppressed to recognize their value before God. We are disciples of Jesus, formed in his Holy Spirit. The implication is that we too will critique and and stand against a state of affairs that supports a corrupt political and economic order. There is much work to be done.

This Christmas period is a time to ponder the birth of Jesus. As we approach this moment we recognize that the birth of the Saviour has given us much room for joy. This authentic joy is authentic because it does not shy away from knowing the worst and believes that the worst has been overcome by the very best.

MARLENE BRANT-CASTELLANO AT ALL SAINTS HALL, TYENDINAGA MOHAWK FIRST NATION

This evening our KAIROS Quinte group and friends were graced with the wisdom of Marlene Brant-Castellano of Tyendinaga Mohawk First Nation. She is Professor Emeritus of the Native Studies Department at Trent University (1973-1996) and was Co-Director of Research and a writer for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) from 1992 to 1996. She is a prolific author who bridges the gap between academia and the world of her Mohawk people. In addition to LLDs from Queen's University, St. Thomas University and Carleton University, she has been inducted into the Order of Ontario, has received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award and recently has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Promising a short presentation Marlene works with powerpoint slides and speaks in an engaging and informative manner for a good hour or more. She begins with the Blackfoot story of Coyote who as a result of his bad behaviour loses his eyes and must borrow an eye from Mouse. That eye sees only the ground right in front of him. Coyote borrows and eye from Buffalo but that eye only sees to the far distance. Coyote learns that to make his way he must work with Mouse eye and Buffalo eye. Marlene opens up the larger issues that engage the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and she guides us into local concerns of Tyendinga Mohawk First Nation.

She jokes about the reputation that her Mohawk people have for extended oratory. We are a group of 16 people out on a night that promised freezing rain. It is worth the risk.

At the beginning of her life she was puzzled by the lack of respect for "Indian" people. She goes to the heart of the matter: "It's about the LAND!" In order to dispossess the land, the newcomer settlers had to push the First Nations to the periphery and justify their actions by claiming "They are out there because they deserve it." A person who takes the soft approach herself, she understands the anger of the younger people and their insistence on being heard. She sees the stopping of the CNR train over impatience over slow land claim resolution as a statement that "I will be heard."

As I listen to Marlene I think of my Mexican host in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. He too has taken a soft approach.  Andres, a Tzotzil indigenous person, who had made the transition from the village to the city, understood that it was about the LAND. Not a Zapatista himself, he noted that since the uprising an indigenous person no longer lowers their head and steps off the sidewalk to allow a mestizo to walk by. There is resistance to exploitation by the big companies.

Marlene explains that the treaty with the Crown promised that the Mohawks would not be conscripted and that they would not be taxed. She explains that this provision of no taxation was about preserving the LAND. The land could not be lost for non-payment of taxes. It was the last preserve of a people who had been dispossessed. I think of the land base of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, the ejidos of Mexico established in revolution and attacked by politicians promoting free trade.

There is so much more to say. Let me leave it at that for this blog. 2011 has been a year of learning. My passing over to Chiapas, Mexico for a brief month and a half has brought me back to Canada with a growing awareness of some of the major issues that trouble our country and our people.

REMEMBER: WAKE UP AND GET READY

We who live in Canada should be able to understand this parable of the five wise and five foolish handmaids. It can be a disaster on a Winter night when there is not sufficient fuel in the tank.  Most Canadians have spent each year of their lives getting ready for Winter. We are all about being ready for it when it comes.

Frost on the roof-tops, drop in temperature as each day is colder than the day before, gardens harvested, eating supper after the sun has gone down, leaves falling and lying brown and withered -- something is happening and are we ready for what is coming? Foolish handmaids, wise handmaids -- oil in the lamp, heating oil in the tank. And what about the car? -- change to the winter tires. And the cottage? -- clear the water from the pipes.

I've been reviewing tips for closing down the cottage for the winter. Yes, we have to pull the dock up before the river freezes.  However, the big item is the plumbing. We have to close the pump, drain the pipes, make sure that the water heater tank is properly shut off and emptied, empty the toilet and tank and then pour in some non-toxic chemical to seal off the sewer gases. Food items need to be brought home. Liquids that might freeze should be brought home. I still have a bit of painting to do -- but that paint should come south to be stored in a warm place for the winter. Anything of value that might be a temptation for thieves should be removed.

Most people close their cottages at Thanksgiving. We are trying to extend the season and will hopefully be like the five wise handmaids and we will move quickly to close before freezing temperatures can do their damage. The parable is speaking to me.

I must admit, however, that as I have heard this parable over the years I have wondered why the five wise handmaids did not share their oil with the five foolish handmaids. Isn't sharing a good thing? Of course, it may not have been considered a good thing if the light from the lamps needed to be extended over time to allow the bridegroom the time to settle in.

It strikes me that the parable might have been a challenge that Jesus put to the people of his time.  In contrast to our highly individualist culture the people of Israel felt their salvation to be a matter of the group, the people.  Salvation comes to the nation.  But Jesus has something contrary to say with the parable.  Being ready is not solely about the people's readiness as a whole; it is also very much about our individual readiness.  Or perhaps I might say that the People comes to God one person at a time. 

The five wise cannot share with the five foolish because when it comes to welcoming the Bridegroom (the Messiah Jesus) there is a sense in which each one has to do that for themselves. It does not work to drift into a relationship with Jesus -- hoping that we will be carried along by the crowd.  No, each one of us is invited to stand up for ourselves, to live at the edge, challenged to respond, called out of passivity and inaction.  Salvation is about the people as a whole, but it is also about the individual choices that we make.  It is wisdom to be prepared to have oil in your own lamp.  Work to be prepared without expectation that others will do the necessary for you.  We do it together but no-one can do it for us.  

Do you remember the 1961 film, The Guns of Navarone?  I watched a clip on YouTube: Gregory Peck to David Niven: "You think that you have been getting away with it all this time, standing by, well son your by-standing days are over ...."

For some reason as a teenager that film made me want to work for peace -- to commit myself.  Our celebration of Remembrance Day should be done in the spirit of those who recognize that passivity, inaction, leaving it to others, failure to ask questions, lack of engagement in the politics of our time, are at the source of war.  We are not ready for the coming of the Bridegroom if we are not ready to engage the troubles and issues of our time.  No matter our age or station in life, we are all capable of asking questions, of struggling to understand, of reaching mature judgements and acting responsibly.  We are all gifted with the ability to grow, to develop, to contribute and to be peace makers.  Let our lamps be lit and let us live with the vital energy that expects the coming of the Bridgroom.  In Jesus name we pray.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AT TYENDINAGA MOHAWK FIRST NATION

Today Cathy and I were welcomed to an event the Mohawk Community Centre on Tyendinaga Mohawk First Nation. We attended the 5th Annual Restorative Justice Symposium - "An Indigenous Look at Social Justice" -- presented by FNTI funded by The Ministry of Children & Youth Services with Tontakaierine Tyendinaga Justice Circle.

The Syposium started with the presentation of a film -- "Third World Canada" -- by filmaker Andree Cazabon. The film enters the life of a family from K.I. Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwugon First Nation, Big Trout Lake. The parents of the children in the film had issues and, as the policeman for the reserve commented, suicide was the solution that occurred to them.

The film portrays the response of the children. The title "Third World Canada" speaks to the conditions on the reserve. In the film, the chief of the reserve complains of underfunding. With the money K.I. receives they are only able to build four houses each year. They are not allowed to cut timber from Crown Land. The isolation of the community makes materials extremely expensive. The miserable condition of some of the housing is graphically portrayed. Andree asks us to imagine one winter living in a small, enclosed space with a large family attempting to feed the children on $500 a month.

In the discussion after the film, I commented that the film appeared to facilitate healing for the children. They were invited to speak about their experience, their feelings and the changes in their lives since the suicide of their parents. The audience was moved to tears when young Kyle talked about being shifted from family to family and feeling that people didn't like him. Andree informed us that the older children have travelled with the film as it went on tour. Andree talks of her commitment to a continuing relationship with the children.

In the afternoon, we heard from Jonathan Rudin of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto (ALST). He spoke on "Trying to Achieve Social Justice." Rudin was an engaging speaker leading us through a significant learning experience. In the range of two hundred potential Aboriginal cases are diverted each year through Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto.

One of the earliest of the restorative justice initiatives, ALST has managed to convince the Crown prosecuters to dismiss charges against these clients at the point they are diverted to the process. With no threat of punishment the Aboriginal client can accept full responsibility for crimes and enter a serious process of restorative justice. This is key to the ongoing success of ALST's dealing with clients. In 20 years of operation ALST's programs and staff have earned the respect of the Crown.

When asked how a Crown prosecuter or judge can ensure that the diversion to restorative justice is responsibly carried out, Rudin notes that judges and prosecuters in smaller towns want to retain control. The process needs the courts to relinquish control. The Crown has to let go of the worry that things can go seriously wrong and prosecuters and judges should let go of concern for their careers. The lowered rates of repeated offense are proof of the value of this approach.

We learned about "over-representation" of Aboriginals in the prisons -- 1 in 4 men, 1 in 3 women. Ontario's population is only 2% Aboriginal but Aboriginals comprise 10% of the prison population. Rudin is of the view that the omnibus crime bill currently going through Parliament will affect diversion programs negatively and that the "over-representation" phenomenon will be intensified. He holds that constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences should be challenged. The current government likes police and prosecuters and is shifting power away from judges to this group. The problem is that Crown prosecuters, unlike judges, do not have to give written reasons for their decisions. It is very difficult to appeal prosecuters decisions. Rudin's view is that there are difficult times ahead.

Cathy commented as we left that this was the most informative workshop that she has ever attended.

IN SUPPORT OF WALK4JUSTICE AND MISSING WOMEN

Cathy told me about the phone call from David Milne. David is a Christian Peacemaker, most recently involved in the flotilla that attempted to bring supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza. David is also on the Bay of Quinte Conference of the United Church's Right Relations Committee. He is active in efforts to heal the broken relations with the Aboriginal peoples. He invited us to join up with a cross-country walk that was passing through the region.

Walk4Justice (http://fnbc.info/walk4justice), founded in 2008 and inspired by two B.C. native women, would be raising awareness concerning the thousands of murdered and missing women in our country. They want government and police to do more. The murder, sexual exploitation and abuse must stop. The walkers had started in June from Vancouver, B.C. and were going to be at the Bayview Mall in Belleville at 1 p.m. today, September 13. The destination was Tyendinaga.

One of the women walkers led the way carrying the staff along the side of the highway. A native man walked behind. I asked to walk with him and he welcomed me. David and Tim followed in behind us.  Some distance down the road Tim turned back to return to his truck to prepare to pick us up.

My companion introduced himself as Roger from Six Nations. I told him that I had lived on Sagamok Anishnawbek for 8 years. He asked whether I knew "Valentine." I told him that I was there with Valentine in his last days. Valentine had been a teacher of traditional ways and Roger had followed a time of fasting at Valentine's home on Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation. Roger is himself now a teacher and healer employing traditional medicines.

Roger told me that he had brought the Bible on one of his fasts and studied the words of Jesus. As we walked Roger said that he was happy to be walking with me and he was happy that I supported this important cause. He recalled the phrase -- 'when 2 or 3 gather in my name, I will be there with them.' We felt together in the presence.

The 10 kilometres went by quickly as we talked about our lives -- Roger and David and myself. David and I were happy to have walked with these strong women and their supporters. We parted with greetings and smiles and stood together for a photo that will carry a memory of this action on behalf of missing women.

A WEDDING IN THE PARK

Darius and Sakura are marrying one another. It is is 4 in the afternoon. The day is bright and warm -- perfect. Small red flags with a black line 'A' and 'heart' symbol define the wedding space in Trinity Bellwoods Park. I learn that this is an "anarchist" symbol. The 'heart' symbol has a Christian 'love' resonance for me.

Chris Bowen -- Darius' fellow performer Illogic in Test the Logic -- is the main preacher for the service.  He could be a Jesuit priest adjusting to an American secular crowd. His style is environmentally conscious Buddhist 'no-mention-of-God' indigenous spirituality blessings of earth and water.

Long strips of white cloth form a cross across the green grass. As the service unfolds, presided by a woman First Nations leader, we are told that the white strips set out the pattern of the four directions. Unlike more typical Aboriginal celebrants, she does not mention of the Creator. Theme colours for the celebration are red and black.

The couple exchange vows. I think of the Catholic theology of marriage which is anarchist friendly. In that theology the couple say the words of commitment and are therefore the ministers of the marriage. The priest is present as witness.

Sakura is a visual angel in the traditional full-length white wedding gown. She has crafted her own vows -- a recognition of the support Darius gives her and a promise of continuing support for him. Darius rhymes out his vows in hip-hop style and the crowd of friends cheer.

Anarchists resent state involvement in their lives. But a wedding licence is needed for various reasons including that of living in the same place. Sakura is from the USA and Darius is Canada born. Governments control the borders. 

After family photos, Darius and Sakura enter the white eco-friendly bicycle cab. Well over a hundred guests follow on bicycles along King, up Bathurst, across Dundas and then up Augusta to curl around to the Steelworkers Hall on Cecil Street. All the bicycles carry the anarchist flag. We move in good order and the marshalls work the procession politely through red lights along the way. People on the street smile and the crowds sitting in front of the Augusta street cafes clap in appreciation. Darius' sister Parisa is on a bicyle near mine. She is a loud voice leading the chants -- "Fall in Love, not in Line!" and "What is the Movement? The Movement is Love!"

Food at the Steelworkers Hall has been prepared by friends and family. The food is vegan and tasty. Anarchist murals cover the walls. And Cathy and I leave early -- it is now 8:30 p.m. and we have a two hour journey back to Belleville. Sunday celebrations come early.

Cathy and I debate the difference and relation between religion and spirituality on the way home. I take the position that what we experienced this afternoon is both religion and spirituality -- doctrine, ritual, organization, mission ... and personal interior response shared in community. 

Later I think of the no-God anarchist position. For the Jews God is transcendent mystery and therefore no-God when God is conceived as part of a social order. The early Christian movement was accused of undermining religion and the state when the movement refused to accept the Caesar as a divine being. A thinker I know well, Raimon Panikkar, besides explicitly religious identitities, affirmed a secular identity and wrote concerning "sacred secularity." Let us puzzle forward.

DANCE AND SONG - A 24 CARROT MEDLEY

We're on the GO project, an initiative of the United Church to give youth a sense of what mission might mean in the context of the United Church. It's early in our time, only the third day, but already we are experiencing blessings from this well-prepared program.

The first day, we visit Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. Our group of 6 participants and 2 leaders separate into groups of 4 and are given different tasks. One group sorts donations into boxes. The other group, the one I am with, are shown a large bin of carrots and asked to stuff the edible ones into 5 pound bags and to discard the ones that are no longer edible. We discover carrots that have grown 2 and 3 legs. They remind us of dancers. The young people take up the task with energy and with humour. We decide that we will be selecting an elite group of carrots to be allowed into a carrot dance school. By the time we have worked our way to the bottom of the bin we have discovered a full bag of prospective carrot ballerinas.

I feel the touch of the divine dancer in the good humour with which we carry forward our volunteer work. These United Church youth are intelligent and playfully serious people.

The memory of carrots carries on into our second day. Our group visits a Larche community project. During the lunch break we revise some of our best loved songs replacing key words in the songs with the word 'carrot.' We are inspired by the Larche community members who welcome all creative efforts with smiles and laughter. We learn from the good humour of the people in these social projects.

TED HSU, M.P. POINTS A WAY FORWARD

The Prince Edward-Hastings Federal Liberal Association held its Annual General Meeting at the Belleville Yacht Club July 26. At that meeting I was acclaimed the Executive Vice President of the Association. I have responsibility for election readiness and chair the Election Readiness Committee (ERC).

 The new Liberal M.P. for Kingston and the islands, Ted Hsu, was guest speaker. Without being able to cite him word for word, let me recall what he said. He reflected on his first weeks in parliament. He observed that Conservatives and NDP debated issues on the basis of their respective ideological positions. With the clear vision that a newcomer can sometimes have, he understood the Liberal parliamentarians to be taking a distinctive approach to the issues. He saw them addressing issues directly, willing and competent to carry out the demanding work of understanding specific issues.

What he said struck me as offering a way of proceeding that could make the federal Liberal party a political force over the next four years. What is the way of proceeding that I refer to? It is openess to ask questions and to seek understanding. This approach sets aside preconceptions. It struggles to be free of bias. It is not motivated by the advantage of the Liberal party but by the common good to be achieved. It has the courage to view issues on a long term and not just on a short term perspective.

Central to this way of proceeding is insight. Liberals must nurture the capacity to recognize the difference between understanding and not understanding an issue. In other words, if I do not understand an issue, may I have the good sense not to speak. Knowing that I do not understand, there is an onus put on me to make an effort to understand.

This is a challenge of personal growth and it is challenge in the evolution of group culture. At every level of the ongoing conversation among parliamentarians and party members, first place should be given to those who demonstrate insight into the issue being addressed. Whether one is new to the party or a long experienced member, whether one is young in years or more senior, garlanded with degrees or not, blessed with extensive life experience or not, the voice to be attended to is the voice of one who has understood the matter at hand.

Ted Hsu, M.P. gave a practical suggestion that I think could be of great help in invigorating and focusing the local federal Liberal party members. He offered to be a channel through which PEH issues could be presented to the Ontario caucus of the federal Liberal party. Might it not focus our local membership if by Monday evening each week we had identified and presented an issue to the Member of Parliament to be taken forward to the caucus? This would necessitate ongoing conversation and it would give room for the rich resource base of our membership to have an ongoing influence. Odila Hoye, Vice President Policy, is willing to guide and research the issues that will be presented. We would be challenged to demonstrate that we understood the issues.

In the larger view, we are in an extended period of transition. I draw her on the thought of the Canadian thinker, Bernard Lonergan, to frame the ongoing political choices. He has written: "Classical culture cannot be jettisoned without being replaced; and what replaces it cannot but run counter to classical expectations. There is bound to be formed a solid right that is determined to live in a world that no longer exists. There is bound to be formed a scattered left, captivated by now this, now that new development, exploring now this and now that new possibility. But what will count is a perhaps not numerous center, big enough to be at home in both the old and the new, painstaking enough to work out one by the one the transitions to be made, strong enough to refuse half measures and insist on complete solutions even though it has to wait" (Bernard Lonergan, "Dimensions of Meaning," in Collection, p. 245).

CANADA DAY POLITICS: THE BIG WHITE TENT

Four years to the next federal election (presumeably).

Yes I was surprised to see the Conservative party emblem prominent at Belleville Zwick's park Canada day festivities. In my naivety, I think of Canada Day as a day free of politics.

Of course, I should not be surprised. Belleville's smart businesses contributed to the event and were given recognition. Both business and politics depend on brand name recognition. It would make more sense to be surprised that the Liberals, NDP, and Green Party were not present -- and they were not present.

The next four years will be about who missed opportunities and who did not. Darryl Kramp, M.P. for PEH was at Canada day celebrations obviously enjoying himself with a crew preparing free hotdogs and watermelon. Since the days of Rome and much before, bread and circuses have made politicians popular. This weekend the Conservative Party was building a connection between celebrating Canada and the party. If the Liberals have presented themselves as the 'big red tent,' the Conservatives at Zwick's park were 'the big white tent.'  Let the campaigning begin.

ON GOING TO THE GO PROJECT

Some of our best learning experiences occur outside school. The GO Project offered by the United Church is an urban immersion experience for young people Grade 9 to age 18. It is worthwhile, in my opinion, to determine what the project aims to achieve.

The GO Project appears to me to be a finishing school for those who work from a church base to be activists in local communities. It also intends to be a youth experience that is consistent with the values and manner of proceeding generally accepted and promoted by the United Church. The participants should be ready to include all, to accept difference and to thrive in a "questioning atmosphere."

The youth should anticipate learning from and receiving from the people they meet in their various sites. As they help in a food bank, a clothing outlet, a child care centre, a young person drop-in centre, they will be thinking of similar initiatives for the communities they come from. The purpose is "to provide youth and their leaders with the ability to discern the actual needs of those in their home communities." This occurs through a "ministry of presence" and in sites that are "sustainable" in the sense that they continue on after the youth participate in their work.

A statement of the Mission of the GO Project with an emphasis on community concludes: "GO - be a positive presence in the community around you GO - Enrich the lives of youth by taking a leadership role within your church GO - Serve God by discerning how to serve your community"

Most happily, I will be with the young people as an adult leader/participant.

CATHY RUSSELL WRITES ON KAIROS EVENT

From Cathy's blog for St. Matthew's Church: godsomemoments.blogspot.com

We wear ribbons for all kinds of worthy causes these days- pink for breast cancer, yellow for soldiers serving overseas, red for HIV/AIDS, purples for epilepsy.  Today, John and I were part of a huge ribbon that stretched over 700 feet and several blocks. 

This huge ribbon made up of over 170 banners from across the country was an initiative of Kairos Canada a Christian Justice organisation.  The banners displayed images and messages of solidarity with our First Nations people, and called on the Canadian government to implement the articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (which turns into the rather  unfortunate acronym of UNDRIP).  

We marched carrying the banners from Victoria Island to Parliament Hill and then to the Human Rights Monument.  There were singers, drummers and speech makers.  But for me, the most impressive statement and the most moving was the banners themselves- small lengths of fabric from all across the country-Halifax NS , Victoria BC, Calgary AB, Nunavut, Belleville, ON, Montreal QC and many points in between.   Before the march began I wandered  through the many rows of banners joined together on the ground, and I was awestruck by the variety of creativity, colours, images and words, all on the same theme of solidarity with First Nations.  

Each banner tells a story- or rather two stories- a story about the group who made it and a story of their prayers for their First Nations brothers and sisters. The groups are Christians- United Churches, Anglicans, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Christian Reformed and Presbyterian.  They are Unitarians and Quakers, Karios Chapters, Unions and NGOs.  The prayers are for basic equality in areas like education, clean water and health care, and for recognition of land claims and treaty rights.   Though you would never have known it from our most recent election these things matter to many Canadians. 

One banner stops me in my tracks- its message so profound and so simple “God's love is more powerful than racism.”  It’s a perfect summary of Paul’s words to the Romans- For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38

 

Today, surrounded by people and messages of faith and solidarity and good will, I am proud to be a Christian, a member of Kairos Quinte, a United Church minister, and a Canadian, even though I know we are still a long way from God’s kingdom come.  Speaker Cindy Blackstock, from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada summed it up for me- “Canada is a great country, but we can be better.”  May God make it truly so! 

QUINTE INTERFAITH REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE REFLECTION

Many people will remember the late 70's and the boat people of Vietnam. That's the time I became active with sponsorship of refugees. It was a clear opportunity to live my faith. I am grateful that I have had this opportunity. In the 1980's I was the priest founder of a Spanish language Mass in Scarborough serving Salvadoran and Nicaraguan refugees. I give thanks for that.

Long before I came to live in Belleville I had heard about the work of the Quinte Interfaith Refugee Sponsorship Committee (QIRSC) from my friends Mieke and Tom Thorne. The committee has a history of well over a decade of work and has sponsored five families in that time. For the past 8 months I have been a member of the committee myself. I have been impressed by the care they take with raising funds and making every effort to support their current sponsored family in all aspects of entrance into life here in Belleville.

Welcoming others has its evident rewards. Mieke and Tom had a history of opening their home to welcome others. Their generousity has blessed them with friends from all over the world.

Why do we welcome refugees? We welcome refugees because it makes sense to do so. I am not thinking here merely of a rational pro and con type of sense. Rather, to welcome refugees makes deep religious and cultural sense. The newcomers to this land of harsh winters only survived because native peoples opened up their tribal circles to the French and the British. With John Ralston Saul I have come to see Canada as founded in the pattern of the native Talking Circle.

Let us face the fact that we are all refugees. Our ancestors were all refugees. We are descended from those who left Africa. We are spiritual descendents of the people of Israel who were refugees out of Egypt: "You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:34).

We are descended from the Loyalists fleeing threat in the newly independent American states. We are descended from the boat people fleeing famine in Ireland. We are descended from those escaping Bismark's armies, Stalin's purges, Hitler's genocidal aggression and the devestation and scarcities of post-war Europe.

Each Christmas we re-live the story of Joseph and Mary seeking a place where the couple can pass the night and where Mary can give birth to Jesus. We want to be among those who would welcome the holy family. In a globalized world of many traditions we want to be people of the Golden Rule -- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Those working with the Quinte Interfaith Refugee Sponsorship Committee give thanks for the opportunity they have had to welcome refugees. Thank you Rednersville-Albury United Church for supporting the work of this committee.

OH HAPPY DAY! GARY'S RETIREMENT

What a beautiful Saturday! Sunshine and soft breezes. Cathy and I explored the mouth of the Salmon River out to the Bay of Quinte by canoe; it's Tyendinaga Mohawk territory. It's now our private spot that you are not to know about. Protected from the winds and home of turtle, beaver, heron, pike. We paddled ourselves into a pleasing state of exhaustion and returned in time for me to join the Federal Liberal Extraordinary Convention at 3 p.m.

The Convention went on for close to three hours. I experienced it as a happy experience and think that the Federal Liberals are beginning to feel somewhat cheered up. We/they have decided to hold off the leadership convention until some time between March 1 and June 30 of 2013. With these additional months, Bob Rae has the opportunity to shepherd a grass roots policy process. The more humble(d) Liberals are determined to listen and to think about the positions the party should take ... Think about this; there were over 2000 delegates in a teleconference with simultaneous on-line streaming of comments. This level of participation is apparently a first for North America. It feels like a new birthing. Lots of positive comments from the delegates notwithstanding the few technical glitches.

In the evening Cathy and I attended Gary Warren's retirement party at the Belleville club. One of his daughters led the toast and roast telling us that Gary's crowning achievement was the "International Support Worker" graduate certificate program at Loyalist. We learned that Gary transitioned from caring for the 'otherwise enabled' to teaching others to care. A visit to Mexico broadened his horizon and eventually inspired him to design a program that would bring an international perspective to caring for others.

Gary's daughter read out a history of his career and named the four points of wisdom that were keynotes in his life. The first is "Go with the green light." The second is "Spell phlegm." The third is, "Name your fear and face it." The fourth, "What do you want to talk about today?" Here is my interpretation of these points of wisdom.

"Go with the green light," is the motto of an activist. Don't get stopped because people and situations say no. You have a vision to fulfill and persevere until you find a way to carry forward. "Spell phlegm" is about ongoing learning. Work out the puzzles. Gain the knowledge. "Name your fear and face it" has to do with realizing that what you fear is the point of challenge that will make life interesting. Embrace the opportunity. "What do you want to talk about today?" is the basic starting point of a philosophy of education that recognizes that teaching is encouraging others to follow the line of their questioning minds and questing spirits.

DREW HAYDON TAYLOR AT THE BELLEVILLE LIBRARY

I feel comfortable in the world of Canada's First Nations peoples. For me there are memories of soft summer days at powwows watching dancers, listening to the drum singers and chatting at the edge of forest and lake. It is a place where one can joke and laugh.

I thought about that as Drew Haydon Taylor, a Curve Lake FN Anishinabe, drew us into his world of writing with an aboriginal perspective. National Aboriginal Day June 21 approaches and a related Belleville Public Library event began with a presentation from a group of women from Tyendinaga First Nation praying in the language of the Mohawk people and singing.

Tyendinaga borders Belleville to the East. The leader of the group spoke eloquently of the history of the Mohawk band originally from northern New York state. Another woman in the group, darker complexioned with long black hair, supported her with a smile that lifted our hearts and communicated delight.  I should always travel with my camera.

Haydon Taylor started by saying that he was happy to be here on Tyendinaga Iroquois territory. He then hesitated and corrected himself. Had Belleville not been Nishnabe land? I felt happy that he got that piece of history correct. I puzzle about the British assigning the Mohawk band land in the Deseronto area so close to an Ojibway reserve. Cathy thinks maybe it was colonial strategy -- "Divide and conquer."

The Canadian writer, Peter C. Newman, has recently moved to Belleville with his wife. His plan is to write about the Loyalists. I hope his research will shed light on the historical puzzles of this place.

Haydon Taylor explained that he is a writer (who hates to write), a person with no day job, someone who has been able to make a living from writing. He recalled asking his Grade 11 English teacher whether a person could make a living from creative writing. The teacher answered with a curt "No." Haydon Taylor noted that when he speaks to high school students he emphasizes that his one piece of advice to them is -- "Don't listen to your Grade 11 English teacher." We clapped as the author informed us he was on his 23rd published book.

Haydon Taylor says he woke one day to find that he was a playwright. He has written some 16 plays and there have been numerous stage productions of his work. He talks of a phone call from a professor at the University of Venice asking for permission to translate and present one of his plays at the unversity. He is popular with Germans. 

He reminded us of the old joke -- What do you call a vegetarian Indian? Answer: A really lousy hunter.

Haydon Taylor noted that Aboriginal literature has gained a reputation as dark and serious and focused on the pain of a people ridding themselves of the poison of oppression. He has seen this not just with North American peoples but with the Maori of New Zealand and the Dalits of India. Raised at Curve Lake First Nation with childhood memories of elders telling wild stories and falling asleep to the sounds of their laughter, Haydon Taylor has opened another path.

Cathy and I agreed that it was a very enjoyable evening thanks to both the Tyendinaga women and Drew Haydon Taylor.

THE TURTLES OF TURTLE ISLAND

Turtles!!! We saw many turtles basking in the sun at the mouth of the Moira river this morning. I had never seen that before.  Amazing.

As Cathy and I with our companion Ruby the Dog paddled our canoe closer to this profusion of turtles I recalled reading about North America as Turtle Island. A native elder had told the creation story about the land being built on the back of a great turtle. A child listening asked the logical question: What is below the turtle? The elder had answered: "It's turtles all the way down."

Watching the basking turtles slipping warily one after the other into the water I had the sense that I was close to the native story of creation. The backs of the turtles were shaped like maps criss-crossed by river-like lines on the rounded shells. As far as I can tell, most of the turtles we saw are what are called the northern "map turtle" though one of my photos show what might be a "painted" turtle as well.

Now that I'm writing about turtles I had to research what a group of turtles is called. Here is something I didn't know. A group of turtles is called a "bale" of turtles.  I wonder who thought of that word?  The map turtle hibernates over the winter in deeper parts of the river or lake bed while absorbing oxygen from the water.

Now my imagination takes me back to the time when the people who invented the canoe paddled these waters. For years now the canoe has been a "sacred" vehicle for me. When I get into the canoe, I slip away from the cares of my everyday life and into the luminous places of creation. The canoe is the perfect entrance into this world away from cars and trucks and noise, quiet and close to the water and little disturbance to the creatures who draw life here.

It wasn't so long ago that the mouth of the Moira river was the home of the Mississauga Ojibway. Was it only last year that there was a money settlement of a land claim that took in most of downtown Belleville?

This coming Monday June 20 at 10 a.m. Cathy, Ruby the dog and I will be on Parliament Hill to unfurl a banner as KAIROS gathers us to show our support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada has finally signed on to the Declaration and the effort now is to generate public support so that the promise of the Declaration will be fulfilled in the lives of our Aboriginal peoples. We have received so much from these ancestors who lived so close to the earth on Turtle Island.

CONSOLATION WITHOUT CAUSE

Cathy's invitation to speak at the Pentecost Sunday service about a moment of being graced leads me to think about a phrase -- "consolation without cause." What is meant by the phrase "consolation without cause"? It refers to a religious experience that goes beyond antecedent conditions. In other words, I feel deeply consoled and it's not because I had a good night's sleep, nor is it because a friend told me I was a fine person, nor is it because of listening to music nor eating a delicious meal. This graced moment is not something that I did. It is an experience that happened to me. I recall that when we trained as spiritual directors the question we were to ask of people in direction was what happened to them. We did not ask what they did during their time of prayer; we asked -- "What happened to you during your time of prayer?"

For the person experiencing "consolation without cause," the experience can support the choice of a particular course of action. Of course, I have to take care to not read too much into the meaning of the "consolation" event. The idea is to keep watch for a pattern of consolation helping confirm a decision.

In the service I spoke of a recent experience of a graced moment, an experience of "consolation without cause." The experience of being touched, consoled in the Holy Spirit, occurred at Bay of Quinte Conference Annual Meeting in the church in Lindsay last weekend. I was sitting in the upper balcony of the church at the edge of the group of young people attending the Youth Forum connected to the Conference. I had too little sleep the night before and was not particularly interested in the discussion taking place in the assembly below. Suddenly -- 'out of the blue' as it were -- I felt a touch of peace and joy. I asked myself -- where did that come from?

After the experience I asked myself whether it was a sign that I was in the right place? Did it mean that working with youth was a calling for me at this point in my life. Maybe? I will have to test that out and see whether there are further moments of consolation confirming decisions I make along this path.

MAUDE BARLOW AT LOYALIST CONVOCATION

Maude Barlow was the speaker at the convocation today. The International Support Worker (ISW) graduands in attendance had an opportunity before the event to chat with Maude. She was quite approachable and enthused about and supportive of the ISW program.

In our chat and in the convocation address, Maude reminded us that the UN resolution on the right to water and sanitation had passed (July 28, 2010). A more recent initiative explaining the implications of this resolution for governments has also been put into effect. Maude revealed that she is presently writing an account of this significant advance in protecting the right to water. I am looking forward to reading her account; the website for her activities is http://www.canadians.org/.

Meanwhile, Gary Warren is hoping that the ISW program will be advertised widely and attract many students. So the invitation goes out to you and all your friends interested in employment in agencies with international outreach. Consider the Loyalist program for both learning about development and for a six week immersion experience in another country.

Cathy was invited to say the invocation prayer at one of the Loyalist convocations and she asked to do the one at which I was graduating. People liked her prayer and I include it here:

"Holy Creator, Source of all knowledge and wisdom We ask for your blessing on those who have completed their courses of study at Loyalist College. We thank you for all those parents, teachers, partners, friends and mentors whose support and encouragement have helped make today possible for these graduates. May their graduation mark the beginning of a quest to be life long learners. May they ask the right questions, seek the best answers, test and exceed the accepted standards in their chosen fields of study and work. May their formation here in this community of learning, help to reform and reshape our community and the whole of the world. Fill them and us with hope and courage in the possibilities of goodness, the pledges of service, and the promises of justice. Amen and Amen. "

In other news, Cousin Owen Duggan is visiting us while on sabbatical from his work in Japan. He is kindly helping us with planning a deck to extend out the back of our home into the yard. He has also come with slides of his work helping clean up after the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan.

There was a celebration this evening of 86 years since the foundation of the United Church. Belleville's Central Zone churches gathered at Eastminister United for a service and Owen had his slides running during the reception after the service. It worked well since the speaker at the service was the Program Coordinator for the Partners in Mission Unit of the United Church, Pat Elson. Pat is heading off to Japan soon and had a good chat with Owen about the situation of some of the areas affected.

And let me not forget over a hundred turtles sunning themselves on floating tires at the mouth of the Moira River. I've never seen anything remotely like this. We were in our canoe and we didn't have our camera with us.

YOUTH FORUM AT BAY OF QUINTE CONFERENCE

The Bay of Quinte Conference Annual Meeting CAM 2011 is taking place at Cambridge Street United Church in Lindsay. The theme is the Tree of Life. The theme presenter is the moderator of the United Church of Canada, Marti Tindal.  Drawing on a course Mary-Jo Leddy presented on the theological thought of Wendel Berry, she talks of four movements of creation.  The Tree of Life in Autumn, the Tree of Life in Winter and the Tree of Life in Spring and yes, the Tree of Life in Summer.

Running parallel to the general conference is the Youth Forum. Marly, David, Cathy and Laura and other leaders foster youth participation in smaller events throughout the year. Jackie promotes from the Conference office.  Numbers of those attending the youth portion are up from last year; 50 or so in 2010 and 60 plus in 2011. The youth and the adults associated with the youth forum follow a separate program that intersects at points with the general conference. The youth bring energy to the event and put on view their capacity for leadership. Some members of the Youth Forum are also voting members in the court of the Conference.

I am one of the leaders of the small groups of youth -- identified under the sycamore tree. The first evening the group members shared something about background and current interests. They talk about "social justice" and "care for the environment" as personal priorities. 

There is so much happening here. Michiko is flamboyant in striped pajama trousers. She is leading Yoga before breakfast. Later she is Spanish style long black skirt topped by a turquoise shirt. She is a student of social justice and peace studies at King's College, Western and has just returned from a group trip to El Salvador and Guatemala. We experimented with a Spanish language conversation over pita supper last evening.

Jonathan (Jon) rapidly develops on all fronts. He has plans to support a friend in replacing his riding's M.P., if not four years, then eight years from now. At 17 he has time to make long range plans. His guitar skills advance and he leads us in a jam session of Beatle songs. The volume of conversation rises in the rooms. We learn various techniques for gaining silence -- hand raised up, mouth closed shut. Shy youth learn to speak. The group show insight and compassion. Being with them lifts me up.

Marti Tindal participates in an eco game, Cathy's holy motion exercises, and she answers questions about the role of the moderator.  A student questions whether organized religion has a future.  Tindal understands the United Church as committed to a "conversation" that will be guided and gifted by the Holy Spirit.  She points to the church's opening to the First Peoples.  No one knows how the Spirit will move but responsive to the Spirit the church will continue.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CANADIAN MINING ABROAD?

I am thinking about how Canadian mining has been part of my life. My earliest memories are of slag heaps. Piles of broken rock. I was raised to the age of 10 in Cobalt. Our first house was not far from the "Glory Hole," and I can still remember being excited by the shiny golden colour of pyrite. We played among the old shafts and mine workings.

My grandfather spent his working life in the hard rock Hollinger Mine in Timmins. This mine was a major producer of gold. Grandpa supported his wife and nine children working right through the time of the recession. Our family owes its life to the mining industry.

So I want to be proud of Canadian mining. I even sang the Cobalt song in public:

"For we'll sing a little song of Cobalt
.   If you don't live there it's your own fault
.   
Oh you Cobalt
   Where the wintry breezes blow.  
Where all the silver comes from.
   And you live a life and then some
.   
Oh you Cobalt
.   You're the best old town I know."

I ask the question: WHAT ARE YOUR GOOD CONNECTIONS WITH CANADIAN MINING? 

An Ottawa Sun article tells me that "most of the world's 1,800 mining and exploration companies are headquartered in Canada. They employ more than 300,000 people in about 100 countries." Then I went to Mexico.  Let me recall my blog from January past:

"DO CANADIANS CARE ENOUGH? After this morning's talk by a speaker from otrosmundos organization I am reluctant to tell people here in Mexico that I am from Canada. Thanks to our Canadian mining companies we Canadians are perceived as polluters and bullies. NAFTA allows Canadian mining companies to overule Mexican domestic environmental laws and local community concerns; Canadian executives take advantage of this instrument of exploitation. People have died and will die in future because our companies make money the bottom line. With our Canadian mining expertise and some respect for local conditions we could in turn earn respect. Bill C-300, a private members bill tabled by Liberal Member of Parliament John McKay, proposed giving the government authority to investigate complaints against resources companies operating abroad, and to withhold public money from offenders. The bill was narrowly defeated. Shame. But my guess, along with that of M.P. John McKay, is that parliament will have to return to this issue. Canada as a whole is losing too much respect from the behaviour of the mining companies. As our speaker from otrosmundos detailed the damage Canadian mining companies have done I thought back to my childhood in Cobalt. Cobalt was the world's biggest silver producer back in the early 1900's. It was the strike that led to many others in the Canadian shield and was where Canadians had their first lessons in hard rock mining. Our house was set on the hill above what we called "Poison Lake." It was a gray green pond of sludge. As children we played along the edges of the lake and on top of the mounds of tailings. Today I read that arsenic was associated with the cobalt ore from which the silver was extracted. Water around Cobalt is polluted. Children are warned away. When my wife and I moved to Belleville, friends who had heard what local doctors were saying told us to install a water purifier in our home. There are mines to the north of Belleville. In past studies have shown a high level of arsenic in the Moira River. A close friend wonders whether it was Belleville water that caused her cancer. When I lived north of Lake Huron near Espanola, Anishnabe men who had worked in the Sudbury mines talked about the damage done them from years drawing in the dust from the mines. We catch on late about the damage done our own people and to the environment. Having some sense of what it means to run a environmentally safe mining site do we forget our learning? Does it make sense to have no corporate accountability and export death to other areas of the world? Shame. To see who was absent from the Bill C-300 vote and to learn how members voted go to http://howdtheyvote.ca/vote.php?id=940."

HOW HAS YOUR EVALUATION OF CANADIAN MINING CHANGED OVER TIME?

Groups like MiningWatchCanada and BarrickProtest.org have kept the spotlight on the damage Barrick Gold has caused in other countries. There are some positive results.

The Ottawa Sun article gives reasons for the Canadian government not to monitor mining activities outside of Canada: "None of this is necessary. HRW [Human Rights Watch] admits Barrick has moved from 'dismissive hostility' on reports of human rights abuses to one of collaboration. Crime in villages around the mine has dropped significantly, the company has increased monitoring of security personnel and it has improved a process for those who want to report crimes - especially sexual violence." 

The article continues in a way that shocked me. Barrick Gold ...

"... is also looking for alternatives to releasing millions of tonnes of liquid tailings into the Porgera River  [Papua New Guinea] - a practice that would bring sanctions in Canada."

Looking for "alternatives"!!! Something that should not have happened ... weak (corrupt .. desperate) local governments allowing --- obviously someone should be monitoring ....

HOW CAN WE INFLUENCE THE MINING INDUSTRY FOR THE BETTER?

PIERRE BERTON LIVES ON AT VALUE VILLAGE

"Rule No 15 Dig deeper." (The Joy of Writing, Pierre Berton, 2003) 

I picked up Pierre Berton's (1920-2004) "The Joy of Writing" for $3.99 at Value Village. Their prices have gone up. Nonetheless, the book is worth more than it cost. As I read, I was learning; for two days I put the book down only when forced to.

Berton was a prolific writer and craftsman. He writes about what he knows and he knows how to write. In the course of the book he looks back on his many historical works -- and the fact that he had distinguished himself as a historian. At one point, reacting to criticism from the professor of history (Jack Granatstein), Berton decides that he is not just a popular historian, a writer who knows how to write books people like to read. He is a "professional" historian, as well; his books are worth reading. He lays out the extent of his research, reading both primary and secondary sources, immersing himself for extensive time periods in the topic, crafting an outline, writing a narrative that depicts people and place, writing and rewriting until he has forged a narrative that flows, submitting his writing to competent editorial review, rewriting again.

Bernard Lonergan, in "Method in Theology," outlines the stages of method appropriate to theology, a method with much broader application. In receiving from the past, a thinker researches, interprets the research, identifies what is "going forward" (history) and sorts out various accounts of what is going forward (dialectic). Pierre Berton has the elements of method in place. He does the research (and even hires researchers), thinks over the material (interpretation), crafts an account of what is going forward (history). Having read all available other accounts on his subject, he makes a choice concerning what is the more accurate view of what is going forward (dialectic). 

Berton reveals his dark side as he reflects on the state of intellectual focus of the non-fiction writer: "It is during this period when the pieces are being fitted together that a writer becomes difficult to live with, or even to know. He stands glassy-eyed at parties, contributing to conversations with vague monosyllables. He drives his car erratically, scarcely speaks to his wife, ignores his children" (197-198).

Writing and thinking are one piece: "All this anti-social behaviour is understandable, because what a writer is doing in those moments is writing. She is thinking about people, events, and sources, struggling to put them into some kind of order and perspective" (198).

For those at retirement age, I note that Berton informs us that he has written 14 books after the age of 65.

OSTRICHES AND OTHER MYSTERIES

Cathy and I went out out on Stoco Lake for an hour in the canoe.  It is Victoria Day weekend and we have dipped in the paddle for the first time after the winter.  Then on our way home to Belleville we saw ostriches and alpacas -- and four white doves.  It is a strange and wonderful world we live in.

Now I am preparing a reflection on Scripture for a small United Church congregation.  The text is:

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:1-2, NIV version)

Among the Anishinabe, the First Nations people I lived with for eight years, there is the belief that the last words of a dying person have special significance.  I think it was my friend Pearl who told me that.  She told me that we are blessed when we hear the last words because they can transform our lives.

In the Gospel of John the words of John 14 are the farewell speech of Jesus. They are "last words."  We should take these words into the deepest part of our being and let them change the way we feel and behave: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

This is one of my favourite texts.  I have found these words a powerful help for funerals and wake services.  It often happened that I was speaking to people troubled by the death of their relative or friend, even troubled by the events of the life of the deceased.  The person we were remembering may have given no evidence of belief, may have spent a portion of their life snared in addictions, may have died in some sudden and violent manner, may have damaged other people, even damaged the person who grieves their passing.  The word of Jesus reaches out to heal our turmoil: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

I remember the bruised face of the 30 year old who froze to death on the street in Toronto--
I remember standing over a coffin in a funeral home praying for an 80 year old woman when it was only me and the funeral director present --
I remember being in the back yard of a country home leading a liturgy under a blue sky for a 23 year old friend who had committed suicide --
I remember a church filled with grieving young people praying for a teenager on the reserve ... a boy who was depressed, feeling alone, got high, panicked and shot himself in the face..

Where is God in all  of this?  I start with the realization that I do not view from a superior height the Mystery that is the embracing, creative source.  God is all-embracing Mystery beyond my comprehension. I cannot pretend that I understand God, that my mind can comprehend God's way.

 Nor can I know how God views any person. I do not know how anyone was or is before God. The salvation of any one of us is shrouded in mystery, not open to view, a matter of that person's relation with the Divine.

I do take seriously what I learn about God from Jesus, "the Way, the Truth and the Life." Jesus trusts God and so I trust God, the Mystery that approaches me and us.  Through Jesus I have confidence that any mercy or compassion I can show, God's mercy and compassion goes beyond, is always more than what I can conceive.  I do not hide from tragic reality, do not hide my head in the sand.  I am not an ostrich (thank you).  Yet in the midst of tsunamis and earthquakes, wars and frustrated lives I hear the words of Jesus, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

The words of John 14 are the farewell words of Jesus. They speak directly to our troubled lives in troubled times. We trust in Jesus and so we trust in his words and obey -- "Do not let your hearts be troubled." We are invited to walk in peace with ourselves and others.

In this Scripture of John, consolation is heaped upon consolation. First we heard "Do not let your hearts be troubled."  Now we hear Jesus say that "My Father's house has many rooms." There is evidence in the New Testament that Jesus prayed in a distinctive and intimate fashion to the "Father." Jesus said, "Abba," which translates as "Daddy." Jesus tells us that "Daddy" has many rooms in his house -- and this is our home too. He has gone to prepare a place for us and so we are invited to come in.

Jesus says to us that there are "many rooms" and this says to me that God accepts us in all our diversity. I am different from you and she is different from him and yet there is room in the home of Abba for each one of us -- a room for each one of us.

This Victoria Day weekend is blooming with life under a warm sun and soft rain. We have a glimpse of the desire of the Creator God to give life, to sustain life, to fulfill life. This is desire that cannot be held back or crushed.  Spring points to the desire of God to bring to life, to heal life, to transform life, to raise up all the Old Creation into a New Creation. There is good reason take Jesus' words seriously and to live by this word of consolation and command: "Do not let your hearts be troubled."

MAUDE BARLOW WARNS US

It has been raining softly all day here in Belleville. We are in an area of the world blessed by water. I recall that in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico the water supply was uncertain. The host in the Mexican family had to fill his water tanks from the neighbour's supply on occasion. Strange to think that on this green planet we are running out of water fit for human consumption.

Maude Barlow will be speaking at the June 10th Loyalist College graduation. Our International Support Worker group will graduate at that event. Maude Barlow's book "Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water" (2007) is on my reading desk. She piles on the evidence for the crisis looming before us.

We thought that water would simply renew itself through the hydrological cycle. It's not true. Across the planet groundwater levels are sinking, the deep water reserves are being depleted, glaciers are melting off the mountains at an astounding rate, the rivers are drying up, freshwater is flowing into the oceans. Drought conditions prevail in Australia, southern Spain, northern China, the mid-West and South-East of the United States.

I have a new nano and am experimenting with downloading lectures free from i-Tunes University. Ruby the dog and I walk through the rain as I listen to Maude Barlow's talk at Cornell University. She wants us to treat water as a commons, that we should all have a right to water. She emphasizes the need for local action, speaks strongly against the bottled water phenomenon, argues against the involvement of private corporations in controlling the water supply. She is a convincing speaker and nuances her points effectively in response to questions.

How to respond? I purchased a rain barrel on the internet. Profits will go to support the Glanmore Museum. The rain barrel will force me to put in the vegetable garden I'm thinking about. No more bottled water!  But it's a huge political issue.  And the politicians are not performing in our long-term interest.  Short-term economic growth trumps long-term survival.  Maude Barlow states that we will have to address the water crisis "by design or by default."  My dark thoughts say that it will be "default."

I anticipate learning more as the time of graduation approaches.  Cathy will be saying the invocation at the graduation event.  That will get me to the meal afterwards.  I look forward to sharing water with Maude Barlow.

KAIROS, A NEW BLOSSOM

Amazing Spring! One day the limbs of the trees are bare under cold, gray skies and the next day green buds and white blossoms leap out into the warm sunshine. Our change of seasons gives us hope for renewal.

Let me tell you about another sign of hope and renewal. Last evening, 13 people gathered at St. Matthew's United Church to set up a chapter of KAIROS. We call ourselves KAIROS QUINTE. As you may know, KAIROS is the ecumenical coalition of churches and religious organizations that was de-funded by Bev Oda's insertion of a "NOT" in a CIDA evaluation that recommended continued funding. I have a new T-shirt which tells the powers "KAIROS is NOT going away." The politics of deceit and polarization meets resistance in a group that acts for truth and justice.

Our next initiative involves a trip to Ottawa to stand in support of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. KAIROS QUINTE is preparing a banner for the event to take place June 20 on Parliament Hill. Myself, Cathy and dog Ruby will be there.

All are welcome to our next meeting June 12, at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew's church in Belleville.

For more information on KAIROS go to their web-site at http://kairoscanada.org/en/

LIA SINGS ON MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND

Cathy and I went to Ottawa to visit with my mother this Mother's Day weekend. We are welcomed to my brother Frank and wife Nola's home by our niece Lia. Little Lia loves to sing. As we settle in, five year old Lia sings us a song accompanied by gestures. She sings, "To everyone in all the world I raise my hand and shake like this" [Lia extends her arm straight out before her] and she continues, "I may not know your lingo, but by jingo, no matter where you live, we can shake hands." 

Four years ago, Frank and Nola traveled across the world to an orphanage in China in order to bring Lia home to Canada with them. She has settled in and the family is her family. Lia is gifted with a clear, loud voice and this evening after she is to be quietly in bed her voice resounds through the house. She is not getting a response and so she calls out: "Is anybody there? Anybody at all?"

Nola speaks of Lia to Cathy, "She is very good about delayed gratification. She really is a delight." Lia has her many friends on the street. However, she does have her boundaries. Her little friend Spencer has annoyed her and got on her wrong side. I ask about the sheet of paper attached to the front door screen. It is a circle with an 'S' in the centre; there is line drawn through the 'S'.  It seems that Spencer is not to enter Lia's house. Later I see that Lia and Spencer are playing together out across the street.

Cathy and I visit Mom at St. Patrick's Home. We exchange our kisses and hold hands for a while. Brother Frank and daughter Lia visit Mom almost every day. The caregiver tells us that she hopes her sons will be as attentive as Frank when the time comes to be in a home. We leave with the happy knowledge that Mom is well cared for. The woman who cared so well for her children, is herself well cared for. Happy Mother's Day.

TESTIMONIAL TO THE ISW GRADUATE CERTIFICATE

One stereotypical view of the college system understands the colleges as dedicated to the promotion of purely technical skills. One goes to college to become a dental hygenist, a personal support worker, a plumber, a carpenter, a mechanic, a water technician, a photographer, a computer technician and to prepare for a whole host of other emerging specialties.

The questions concerning the International  Support Worker program that I would ask are -- Why do university graduates and their equivalent think that they can benefit from a college program? Why are they attracted to the International Support Worker program? Why was I attracted to the ISW?

I recognize another aspect of the role of the colleges. The ISW is one of those college programs that attracts people who have a university degree (or equivalent) and now want to focus on developing capacities for a particular role. Having read philosophy, psychology, political science, international studies, even religious studies and theology, the student develops a broad interest in the world of international cooperation and outreach. The student and the potential employer recognize that there is a gap between notional knowledge and experiential knowledge. There is a gap between being informed on international organizations and cross-cultural situations and being trained to enter a role in an NGO or government organization.

How has the Loyalist College ISW graduate certificate facilitated transition to employment in international support occupations?  The ISW:

... has exposed me to a range of positions on the strengths and weaknesses of development practices and encouraged the formulation of personal positions on what might work and what does not work

... has given me a taste for fund-raising, for the preparation of grant applications and for the importance of networking to promote support of development projects

... has given me further practical experience with the challenge of language learning and underlined the value of language facility for effective work in other cultures

... has alerted me to physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual aspects of inter-cultural adaptation and helped me become aware of personal limits, preferences and capabilities

... has familiarized me with resources for trip preparation and de-briefing and has guided me through this experience [though I think that the Loyalist program would have benefited from giving each student responsibility for leading a day in the Mexico immersion experience]

What do I most appreciate about my experience with the program?

Besides the contact with a Mexican family, I appreciate the encouragement to engage current social media practices. I took advantage of the Mexico trip to journal and to post reflections on the ideals.nu site. I felt encouraged to be public about my thoughts on Free Trade, Canadian mining, militarization, sustainable agricultural practices, appropriate technology, religious and cultural differences and so on. The result is that I have set up a personal blog at dugganvoice.blogspot.com. I'm now on Facebook and will soon set up a web-site to further identify what I bring as an International Support Worker.

In an era when Canada's role and reputation on the international stage has declined, the ISW graduate certificate at Loyalist College moves against the current to promote more informed and effective involvement internationally. Well done Loyalist!

EASTER THE BUDGIE

Easter Sunday was a bright, warm day in Toronto. Cathy and I had driven in from Belleville after Easter services. We were walking south on Sherbourne Street -- along with Cathy's brother Luke and Ruby the dog. Just south of Wellesley Cathy pointed to a spot of green on the far side of the roadway. "What is that? I think I saw it move." The small, green fluttering object was positioned on the outer edge of the bike lane in danger of being squashed under the wheels of an SUV.

Cathy, donning her pet rescue cape, flew across the highway to scoop up what we now saw as a budgie on the loose. Cathy has a history of saving small animals on holy days. Most memorable was Christmas Eve 2007 when she heard whimpering coming from beneath her parked car. It was 30 degree below zero weather up in Massey. Her breath rose in clouds above her head as she went down on her hands and knees to peer under the car. She recognized that the small, shaking bundle was a puppy. The puppy found a home with a loving family that night. That was a suitable Christmas miracle.

Back to the budgie. The forces of good in the person of Cathy and Luke have posted a lost budgie notice on Craig's List, purchased a cage, bird food and toys and visited the local bird veterinarian -- all in a day and a half. "Easter" the budgie is now chirping happily in an apartment above Sherbourne Street. He is warm and protected and socializing nicely with the inhabitants of the apartment. Ruby the dog has made no comment on the matter.

This is Cathy's "Easter" miracle for 2011.

JEFF AROTA IN MEMORY

Eulogy for Jeff Arota given Monday evening, April 25 in Rosar Morrison Chapel, Toronto

I am a friend of Jeff's mother Zeny. I see Jeffrey Arota through his mom's eyes. I see him with the eyes of love. I am aware that you too see him with the eyes of love -- love that recognizes the good, heals all that is broken, sings a song of thanksgiving.

I am a friend of Zeny, Jeffrey and the family. We go back to 1980s when Zeny was getting established here in Canada. Initially, she was working for a Toronto family in the domestic worker program. Zeny impressed me with her smile and her sense of humour. She was a good friend and -- don't tell other people -- she would give me free haircuts.

She was very active -- a businesswoman and successful and she was a pioneer for her family. Gradually new family members began to arrive. Over the years of the 1980s and 1990s I got to know her mother and sisters and her boy Jeffrey -- Jeff with his big, warm smile and hint of laughter in his eyes. Each time we met he would do the "mano" -- take my hand to his forehead and show me respect.

Jeffrey showed some of the best aspects of Filipino culture -- easy with others -- always ready to laugh. Like his mom, Jeff was generous and active. He was multi-talented, a carpenter, an electrician, a renovation expert and even a manicurist.

Jeff also had a special gift of song. He shared that gift to delight other people. He did not bury his talent but with the support of family and friends he grew his talent. As the years went by I would on occasion be invited to a competition in which Jeff was performing. There was always a crowd. Zeny and the whole family were there -- Jimmy and his little brother Jimzen -- being his close support. It was a marvel to watch how the little guy Jeff with the big voice grew into a performer who could give you goose-bumps with his voice -- communicate thrills of emotion in that powerful high voice. It was at times a religious experience, a voice reaching in song to the divine, sharing the power and the glory, giving glory.

Over the past couple of days, watching clips on Youtube I see the man, calbo y guapo, who loved to joke, who sang with others, let their voices and their music shine too, who was happiest making others happy. In his photos one sees the father of son Jazz and daughter Harmony who delighted in his family and children.

On his memorial Facebook page his friends tell about the love and affection, the laughter and delight that he brought into their lives. His musical friends and those who followed his performances with Yan Yon Band and all the other groups remember his renditions of "Me & Mrs. Jones," "The Midnight Hour," "Mustang Sally," "Zombie by The Cranberries" -- Jeff did those classics proud.

For those of us who believe that "all will be well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well," it makes sense that Jeff's time of dying has been in Holy Week - Semana Santa. He is a man who like Jesus was happiest sharing food and socializing with others -- a Holy Thursday person. We have sorrowed through the time of his Good Friday. His many friends and family have had occasion to pray in grief and hope. They have said that he is with the angels who sing before the throne of God. So we all know that Jeffrey is an Easter person and tomorrow we are celebrating his Resurrection mass.

May all the good memories of Jeffrey stay with you; may you always hear his voice raised in song to lift you up in your low times. May the example of his life inspire his children, the women he loved, his extended family and his good friends to live life to the fullest. We are better for the time he shared with us.

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR PALESTINIANS

For an International Support Worker it is of value to become acquainted with the role that the Palestinian issue plays in Canadian politics. After all, the "NO" to the funding of Kairos and the withdrawal of funding from other NGOs has been linked to government response to positions taken on this issue. With that thought in mind, I was happy to accept a friend's invitation to attend a presentation and discussion on Palestinian human rights.

Our group of family and friends attended the event held at the Taric Islamic Centre in North York this past Sunday evening. The panel members were the founding figures of "The Canadian Inter-Faith and Inter-Cultural Alliance for Palestinian Human Rights." The brochure describing the alliance advertised the participating groups as being "Muslim Unity," "Independent Jewish Voices," the "Canadian Arab Federation" and the "Holy Land Awareness and Action Task Group, South West Presbytery, United Church of Canada."

I am familiar with inter-faith events hosted in Christian churches and community settings.  In a different kind of experience for me -- this presentation and discussion was hosted by the Muslim community in the hall of the mosque. The presentations began a little after 7 p.m. and had to be halted for the sunset prayer at around 8 p.m. The Muslim participants went away for 10 minutes and returned looking refreshed and cheerful.

In the second half of the meeting I got an opportunity to ask a question to the panel. I inserted a short preamble leading up to my question. I explained that I had read that there has been a shift in the way Canada is being perceived on the international stage. Whereas in past Canada had been thought of as more or less an "honest broker," the Canadian government at present was considered strictly aligned with Israel -- "an attack on Israel is an attack on Canada." I had read that the perception that Canada was aligned with Israel had contributed to Canada losing a vote in the General Assembly of the UN and subsequently not gaining a seat on the Security Council.

My question was: What advantage does Canada gain from being perceived as aligned strictly with Israel on issues that might arise? Would it not be preferable to evaluate events on the facts presented?

One panelist saw this policy pattern as pleasing some Christian evangelicals, the religious right who were hoping that the extension and strengthening of Israel would lead to Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ. For another panelist it had to do with economic benefits and security ties. Military hardware and security expertise and police training were being exchanged and bonds had been built that put Canada fully in line with Israel.

I continue to be puzzled. Surely, an extreme Christian view does not dominate in Canadian Government? As well, would it really pay economically to offend African and North African states with which Canada has a higher volume of trade?

United Church panelists and my father-in-law's voice from the participants invited all present to read and to inform others concerning a powerful document -- the "Kairos Palestine Document" available from http://www.kairospalestine.ps/sites/default/Documents/English.pdf.

I have my reading to do.

Addendum: Two paragraphs from a Canadian Catholic bishop, Pierre Morissette, President of the CCCB, to Stephen Harper March 29, 2010, summarize the approach of the Canadian bishops to Israelis and Palestinians and the impact of current security restrictions:

"Dear Prime Minister:


It is the policy of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to insist on full respect for the rights and hopes of both Israelis and Palestinians, to do all that is possible to encourage efforts for justice and peace throughout the Middle East, and to be mindful that the issues involved in the Holy Land are of vital importance for Jews and Muslims as well as for Christians – including those who for centuries have lived in what is today Israel and the Palestinian Territories, as well as the members of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths around the world.

While fully respecting and endorsing the right and need of Israeli citizens to be able to live in security, our Conference is also aware that there are many people in the Middle East growing increasingly frustrated, impatient and even hostile because of various security measures imposed by the State of Israel. Thus ironically, today’s efforts to improve security may have the unintended but inevitable effect of spawning future insecurity."