Monday, March 18, 2024

Gratitude for a Green Prime Minister



 Today tributes will be paid in the House of Commons to the late Brian Mulroney. our Canadian Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993. It's fitting that these testimonies will happen today because yesterday was St. Patrick's Day he was proud of his Irish heritage, once singing a somewhat cringey "When Irish eyes are smiling" duet with President Reagan of the US at what was dubbed the Shamrock Summit. 

It seemed that there was a fair amount of blarney emanating from Ottawa during the Mulroney years but he had a sense of civic responsibility which was commendable and he was also civil in his dealings with others during and after his years in power. 


I hope that today there will be recognition of Mulroney's designation as "greenest" Prime Minister in Canadian history, which had nothing to do with shamrocks. In 2006 an expert panel chose Mulroney as the most environmentally responsivble PM although at least one of the panel members noted that none of them excelled. During his time in office his environment minister, Tom McMillan, hired environmental activiist Elizabeth May as a policy advisor. May went on to become the leader of the federal Green Party.

There are a number of reasons for Mulroney's choice and one of the most important was his determined role in signing the Air Quality Agreement, also known as the Acid Rain Agreement with the reluctant United States in 1991. My sense that Mulroney was an Irish terrier on this pact and we are still reaping the benefits today. He was justifiably proud of this recognition. 

We were living in Northern Ontario at the time as I served St. Andrew's United Church in Sudbury. We spent a lot of happy hours and days in Killarney Provincial Park and in those years the lakes were crystal clear because nothing lived in them. This was due to acidification, much of it exported from the US to Canada. The Acid Rain Agreement changed this, including emissions from Inco's smelter superstack in Copper Cliff (near Sudbury) that adversely affected forests in Quebec and the Maritime provinces. We left Sudbury in 1999 but have been back a number of times through the decades. We've been heartened to see the return of aquatic plants and fish to the waters of Killarney. 

There will be a state funeral this Saturday for former PM Mulroney at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. I also hope there is some recognition during the service of his environmental accomplishments because this was holy work and deserves an enthusiastic "Amen!" 

Here is an idea of what the agreement addressed: 

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties",

Convinced that transboundary air pollution can cause significant harm to natural resources of vital environmental, cultural and economic importance, and to human health in both countries; Desiring that emissions of air pollutants from sources within their countries not result in significant transboundary air pollution; Convinced that transboundary air pollution can effectively be reduced through cooperative or coordinated action providing for controlling emissions of air pollutants in both countries; Recalling the efforts they have made to control air pollution and the improved air quality that has resulted from such efforts in both countries; Intending to address air-related issues of a global nature, such as climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion, in other fora; Reaffirming Principle 21 of the Stockholm Declaration, which provides that "States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction"

 





Sunday, March 17, 2024

St. Patrick and the Pandemic

 


Caim Prayer

 Circle _________, Gracious God,

keep protection near and danger afar.

 Circle __________, Healing God,

keep hope within, keep despair without.

Circle ____________, Caring God,

keep light near, and darkness afar.

 Circle __________, God,

keep peace within and anxiety without.

 May God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer

shield ___________on every side.      Amen.

A couple of days ago a loved one went into hospital for what proved to be a successful heart procedure. This is a low-risk procedure, but it was the heart, after all, and it's a challenge not to have some anxiety about even the best physicians messing with our tickers. At the conclusion of a Zoom call the evening before Ruth shared the prayer above, a Caim or "circle" prayer. 

I've used it in the past with those undergoing surgery in the midst of literal circles of family and friends. It is a part of the Celtic tradition that includes St. Patrick, the saint of Ireland recognized today.. 

Cast your minds back to four years ago on St. Patrick's Day (a Tuesday then). We were directed to close down many aspects of our society, including regular gathered worship, for as long as it took to protect us all from the greatest health threat in living memory, the COVID pandemic. For the most part we did what we were told, saving thousands of lives. People did die, others developed long-term health affects, businesses foundered, and so did many congregations. If memory serves me correctly it was this Sunday in 2020 that we were told that our church would close for a couple of weeks in the hope of returning for Easter -- little did we know what was before us. 

We still need our prayers for protection and health and wisdom, both individually and societally. I'm not sure what we have learned from the existential threat of the pandemic. At times it seems that we emerged with a collective chip on our shoulder and a "me first" attitude. Yet I earnestly ask God, three-in-one, to lead us forward and to give us the strength to "keep heart". 

Here is my blog entry from March 17, 2020: 

This is St. Patrick's Day and what an irony that government officials have closed down bars to curtail gatherings where people would ignore a public health crisis in order to drink too much. 

Patrick was a devout Christian of the 5th century, one of three patron saints of Ireland along with Brigid and Columba. Patrick is enveloped in lore but he does represent an alternative, Celtic, stream of Christianity which was egalitarian rather than hierarchical, appears to have honoured women in leadership, and was Creation-honouring rather than "pie in the sky when we die." 

Image result for st patrick art contemporary art

There is a prayer called St. Patrick's Breastplate (below)  which is also known as St. Patrick's Lorica. A lorica was a protection prayer, a safeguard against evil.  The Latin word lōrīca originally meant "armour" or "breastplate"  and referred to the protection worn by warriors heading into battle. 

We are certainly feeling vulnerable and beseiged these days yet we can protect ourselves with our own "wash and pray" lorica and by observing the serious but sensible measures governments have instituted. I'm not a fan of Premier Doug Ford by any stretch, and have been disappointed by a number of decisions by Prime Minister Trudeau since he was elected in 2015 That said, I feel that both have responded strongly to the current threat and deserve our support in the midst of uncertainty. 

We can all pray for those in leadership at every level including health care provider and authorities and politicians. Please pray as well for those who are anxious and frightened by an enemy which is invisible yet has the potential to be deadly.

It seems reasonable to bend a socially responsible elbow to the lorica legacy of St. Paddy, and for all the rich possibilities the Celtic Christian tradition continues to offer.



Saturday, March 16, 2024

We Can't Forget Those in Crisis


                                                 Outside Bridge St. Church, Belleville, Ontario

 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

               James 2: 14-17 NRSVue

 At the risk of belabouring a theme, I'm going to mention that this morning we packed our spacious Subaru Outback with the generous donations of baked goods from Cobbs bakery and Metro grocery store here in Belleville. We accomplished the jigsaw puzzle of getting everything on board, then drove to Bridge St, Church with our cargo for the drop-in and meal program run out of the building. We said hello to a few folks on the street and volunteers we know who were doing food prep, then got on our way, home by 9:00 AM. 

I mention this because the people on the street have become reluctant media celebrities during the past few weeks. because of a horrendous 24 hours in this community of 55,000 when 14 people overdosed, creating a state of emergency for first responders. Five of them collapsed in a matter of minutes outside Bridge St. Fortunately no one died during that day, although there have been a number of drug related deaths in the city in the weeks following. 

 Since then just about every major media outlet has made a pilgrimage to the church, and there have been several explorations of what has happened here. I have been impressed by how accurate and considerate they've been. Some of the people interviewed on the street weep for those who died and for those they thought they'd lost.  Here is the link to the CBC The National piece from just a few days ago.  https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2317443139612

What hit me today was how calm the scene was even though it was obvious that some of the individuals were high. I spoke to a woman who came to the church office regularly when I was minister at Bridge St. At that time she was a fast walking and fast talking soul with a wry sense of humour. Now she shuffles around the downtown and could barely muster a few words this morning. 

As we wheeled the laden trolley into the building we went past my former study. It's been several years since my retirement but during my time only occasionally were there people outside my window. Now they are present all day, every day, no matter the weather. 

This crisis won't magically disappear even though the media will eventually move on. That's the nature of the business. Yet the need and the challenges have become greater. We see at Trenton United that the number of people coming to the warming centre has increased this winter, even though the town is less than half the size of nearby Belleville. 

 I hope community leaders and faith communities such as Bridge St and Trenton United will "keep the faith" in their outreach ministries, demonstrating the compassion of Christ. Let's continue our prayers for overworked frontline workers and faithful volunteers. 


                                                                                      Bridge St. 


Friday, March 15, 2024

The Solar Eclipse and Signs & Portents


 

Canada Post Special Stamp 

 On the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, 

Joshua spoke to the Lord; and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,

and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.”

   And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in midheaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.       Joshua 10:12-13 NRSVue


19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
    and signs on the earth below,
        blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
        before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

                                             Acts 2: 19-21 NRSVue 

We're trying to figure out where to experience the solar eclipse taking place on April 8th, less than a month away. We're ready with our eclipse glasses but where to go? We reserved tickets for a big shindig at Fort Henry in Kingston and the excitement of a "congregation" might be fun. We.re also pondering getting out in our canoe or kayaks for a totally different experience that might have more of a sense of the holy. 

Is the eclipse a big deal? We have family coming up from the United States to get into the path because this is a once in a lifetime event, unless we're willing to chase subsequent eclipses around the planet. 

There has long been a connection between cosmic events and "signs and portents", both good and bad in different religions. In the Hebrew scriptures there is what some astronomers suggest is the earliest recorded solar eclipse, although they point our that Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, didn't make the sun stand still. 

According to the Acts of the Apostles the disciple Peter preached a barn-burner of a sermon on the day of Pentecost and connected the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with what sure sounds like an eclipse with perhaps a volcanic eruption thrown in for good measure. 

We do live in a much more scientific age with a greater appreciation of natural processes and the patterns of our solar system. At the same time we're up for wonders in the heavens, and that's the way it should be. 

Here is a description of the possibilities for that Joshua eclipse from Oxford Academic:

Humphreys and Waddington's paper identifies a solar eclipse on 30 October 1207 BC based on an interpretation of a passage in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 10:12–13, New Revised Standard Version of The Bible). This would be the earliest recorded solar eclipse. However, another solar eclipse possibility has been proposed that is also based on the Book of Joshua and the immediately preceding verses in Deuteronomy (Manetsch & Osborn 2011). Their work led to a possible reference to the solar eclipse of 1 March 1399 BC. The 192-year difference between the two putative eclipse reports means they are incompatible; both cannot be correct if the biblical account in Joshua is accurate.






Thursday, March 14, 2024

PI Day & PIE Day


 During Pride Month (June) we put up a large rainbow flag at the front of our house and then tuck it away for the year. Today we put up an older flag just for the day, in recognition of PIE Day, not to be confused with PI Day, which is also today...wait, that is confusing!

According to the United Church statement: 

PIE = Public. Intentional. Explicit. These are the standards we hold ourselves and our welcome to when we become affirming, welcoming, or inclusive communities. March 14 is a chance to serve some pie and roll out the PIE by celebrating the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people in faith communities and beyond across Canada.

I have to admit that while I'm very found of pie (strawberry/rhubarb makes me swoon) I haven't ever acknowledged PIE. That said, we are aware of a troubling rise in LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric and angry protests in response to the efforts toward inclusivity. I wrote about the vandalism at Trenton United Church when the Pride flag was taken down from the front of the building. We know that there is a high rate of suicide amongst LGBTQ2S+ youing people. Public, intentional, explicit support is important, today, during Pride Month, and every day. 

Here is a benediction from a worship resource provided by the UCC

Let us go from here to proclaim the good news:

 God takes on flesh in the strange and surprising.

Love liberates from the margins.

Together, we have what we need to resist evil and oppression.

 With a renewed commitment to solidarity with God and all LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit people, may the Spirit lead us from this place with peace.







Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Can a Murder Mystery & Divine Mystery Work Together?


Not long ago  I read a positive review of Blessed Water, a new crime novel written by Margot Douaihy, whose last name just about covers the vowels -- and sometimes "y". The publisher's description of the novice nun offers: 

Tattooed from her neck to her toes and sporting a gold tooth as sharp as her wisecracks, Sister Holiday struggles to stay on the righteous path. Never one to make things easy for herself, she’s committed to taking her permanent vows with the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and joining former fire inspector Magnolia Riveaux’s latest venture, Redemption Detective Agency—both in service of satisfying her eternal quest for answers.

Since this is the second of the Sister Holiday mystery's I figured I should search out the first and the library kindly served up Scorched Grace. The sister has a both a dark and unconventional past with years in a queer band and struggles with addiction. Joining a religous order with a social justice leaning catches everyone off guard, including herself, and she can't help but mooch a cigarette whenever possible. 

The way Sister Holiday solves the murders is fairly good (I've read a lot of mystery novels over the years) but the way Douaihy has her not-so-holy detective reflect on divine mystery and redemption and other big-ticket faith issues is profound at times. In an interview she says:

To invoke Hegel and Madonna, life is a mystery. I view religion as a batch of stories and a net of interpretive frameworks—fables, cautionary tales—offering guidance, solace, strict laws, and roadmaps, depending on who you ask. The very same religion can soothe, empower, and hurt people. Religion has been routinely weaponized to subjugate, beating people into submission whilst justifying atrocious behavior. I was raised Maronite Catholic, and it’s been a profound influence in my life, but I haven’t practiced regularly in years. Would I be offered Holy Communion in my home church since I’m an out lesbian? Doubt it. But I haven’t checked.

I'd give Scorched Grace a 7 out of 10 for gum-shoeing and maybe a 9 for faith-reflection. It's definitely the best murder mystery about a sneaky-smoking, tatooed lesbian nun I've ever read. 


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

A Kingfisher Caught Fire


This glorious morning we decided to walk at a conservation area north of town and we were early enough that there were no other people in the woods or along the Moira River. At one point we sat immediately alongside a rapids with its exhilirating Spring voice. Ruth said, "is that a kingfisher?" just as I heard its distinctive chatter. She drew my attention to a branch over the water and there is was, the first we've seen in 2024. It is disturblingly early for this creature's return but when it flew it was exhilarating, climate emergency be damned. 

I thought of a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, the quirky Jesuit poet of the 19th century. He never fit in anywhere and he died of typhoid fever at 44. When he converted to Catholicism he burned all his poems as a mistaken act of devotion. Even though he took up writing again in his latter years his work wasn't published until after his death, when his brilliance was recognized. 

The poem came to mind because of the opening phrase --the kingfisher we saw was brilliant in flight against the drab colours of this early season. It was also because Hopkins was aware of the grace of God the Creator all around us, and the extra-ordinary affirmation that "Christ plays in ten thousand places."

As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gerard Manley Hopkins

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame; 
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells 
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's 
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name; 
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: 
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells; 
Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells, 
Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came. 

I say móre: the just man justices; 
Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces; 
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is — 
Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places, 
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his 
To the Father through the features of men's faces.


                                               Gerard Manley Hopkins; drawing by David Levine