Lula & Hope for the Amazon

Indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara (L) and Lula da Silva (R), Brasilia, Brazil, April 12, 2022.  PHOTO: Twitter/ @GuajajaraSonia

 The midterm elections are coming up in the United States amd its hard not to have a sense of dread here in Canada. It seems as though democracy died in the States in 2016 when the Ghoulish Orange Menace was elected and Trumpism is jumping out and yelling boo once again. Why does the comment by the late, great Robin Williams' that being Canadian must seem like living in a nice apartment above a meth lab come to mind? Ya, we have a bunch of problems of our own here in Canada.  

Today I'm much more interested in the outcome of the election in Brazil where it appears that the autocratic Trump wannabe, president Jair Bolsanaro, has been defeated by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In political terms Lula, as he's known, has risen from the dead. His reelection by the narrowest of margins brings hope for Brazil's vast Amazonian rainforest. Under Bolsanaro most protections were lifted and Indigenous resisters to development were regularly murdered. 

Throughout Bolsanararo's term of office the Roman Catholic bishops of Brazil decried the destruction of the rainforest and the persecution of Indigenous peoples. Earlier this year they issued a statement that the Roman Catholic church would refuse “financial support, either in cash or in other goods, from politicians, logging companies, mining companies … that contribute to deforestation and to the expulsion of Indigenous peoples, “quilombolas” (descendants of escaped African slaves), riverside communities, and small farmers from their lands.”

This has been a courageous stance given the violence leveled against opposition. 

Bolsanaro was endorsed by former US president Trump and we can only hope and pray that he doesn't follow the Trump script of refusing to concede power. It's been suggested that the world's lungs breathed a sigh of relief when Lula won the election. In his first speech as president-elect he said: “Let’s fight for zero deforestation. Brazil is ready to resume its leading role in the fight against the climate crisis, protecting all our biomes, especially the Amazon Forest.” 

I'm still holding my breath, figuratively speaking, until the transition of power. 

Hallowing our Saints

 

1 For all the saints, who from their labours rest,

all who by faith before the world confessed,

your name, O Jesus, be forever blest.

Hallelujah, hallelujah!                               Voices United 705

 To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.  For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers...

Romans 1:7-9 NRSVue

Lots of congregations have created ways to "honour the saints" of their congregations during Sunday worship in November, even though this may not have a practice in the past. Tomorrow is All Hallows Eve (Halloween) while November 1st is All Saints Day and the 2nd is All Souls. 

In our United Church we've leaned toward the everyday saints in the New Testament sense, rather than emphasizing spiritual superstars with official designations. So in worship today our congregation acknowledged members of our faith family who have died during the past year as an All Saints and Souls memorial.That said, during my years in ministry I served congregations called St. James, St. Paul's, as well as two St. Andrew's! 

Yesterday we joined with others in resurrection hope at the memorial service for one of the "garden variety" saints of Trenton United, a lovely woman named Mary Jo who I wrote about recently. She was a loving wife to a husband who eventually died of dementia, she cared for her family, and she was active in the congregation in many ways through the years. Approaching the age of 88 she could have rested from her labours, but she was still "on the go", essentially to the end of her earthly life. A few days before she suffered a massive heart attack she participated in a study session I led on dying, and then on Thankgiving Sunday she was in church, only a few hours before her medical episode.

Being there together was an important opportunity to honour Mary Jo but also to reaffirm our place in the communion of Christ's servants and saints. 

Ruth and the St. John's Bible

                                                 Ruth and Naomi --  Suzanne Moore -- St. John's Bible 

But Ruth said,

“Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people and your God my God.
 Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus to me, and more as well,

if even death parts me from you!”

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

Ruth 1: 16-18 NRSVue

I've written about the St. John's Bible a rare gem of a project begun in the 1990s to lovingly bring together calligraphy and illustration in creating an illuminated bible. With the invention of movable type in the 15th century, producing hand-written bibles and portions of scripture quickly diminished and eventually disappeared in the following decades. We'll try not to hold Gutenberg responsible. 

I have a fascimile of the gospels of the St John's Bible but have never seen the Old Testament illustrations. Yesterday I got an email in which an organization used one of the images in the book of Ruth when describing an event about human rights and place in our present context. 

I'm married to a Ruth and have been for 46 years. We included most of the passage above in our wedding ceremony, which certainly seemed appropriate for the occasion, although it turned out that I sometimes tried her considerable patience as we traipsed around the country during my years of ministry. 

Those days are over, although I sometimes think that she might insist we return to live in Newfoundland. We began ministry there and our son, Isaac, was born there. Ruth's love for the ocean and the wild landscape of the northeast of that province are not quite deep enough to leave children and grandchildren, but close. 

Ruth the Gleaner -- Suzanne Moore -- St. John's Bible 

Earth, Sky, and Sea, as the Creator's Haven

1 I feel the winds of God today;

today my sail I lift,

though heavy oft with drenching spray

and torn with many a rift;

if hope but light the water's crest,

and Christ my bark will use,

I'll seek the seas at his behest,

and brave another cruise. Voices United 625

I've finished reading Emma Donaghue's latest novel, Haven, which is about three men in a tub. They are not the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, rather three monks in a coracle looking for adventure and God. This description of the plot is succinct:

In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar priest named Artt has a dream in which God tells him to leave the sinful world behind. With two monks—young Trian and old Cormac—he rows down the River Shannon in search of an isolated spot in which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find the impossibly steep, bare island known today as Skellig Michael. In such a place, what will survival mean?

I've had a decades-long fascination with things Celtic and I'm a fan of Donaghue's writing. You may know that she began life in Ireland but has lived and written in Canada for many years. It seems that everyone has read Room, or seen the film, and I enjoyed The Pull of the Stars as well. 

Within a few pages of Haven there is am uneasy sense that the tale will turn out badly, although I should quickly add that there is hope in this story. The supposedly saintly Artt is "so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good", which is problematic, to say the least, because he is in charge. The island is inhospitable rather than a welcoming haven, but it might be habitable if Trian and Cormac would be allowed to employ their practical skills and earth wisdom. 
Donaghue weaves the repeated psalms of the daily monastic office into the narrative in a lovely and ominous way. Somehow God and Jesus are revered yet not heeded. 

The novel is not a condemnation of religious devotion but it does explore the ways in which spirituality which no longer honours Creation can lead to disaster. In a way it is a parable about our disconnection from the "signs and wonders" of the earth and sky and sea, whether we have a sense of the sacred or not. 

There is a lot to like about this novel even though I admit to an ongoing sense of dread about the outcome. I am glad I read it. 

One reviewer suggests that this isolated island resonates with the room of Donaghue's earlier novel, which I suppose is true. My takeaway is that those of us who are religious must regard our planet as our haven to be inhabited with respect for other creatures and the Creator. 

Oh yes, it took me a while to realize that the bird on the cover of the novel is a gannet, a wondrous avian creature which inhabits the air and the sea with remarkable grace. I've been entranced watching them dive from high above in the North Atlantic. 

                                                                             

                                                                               Skellig Michael 

The Assault on Ontario's Conservation Authorities

 We all know the saying, "if you can't say something nice about someone it's better to say nothing at all". This never made much sense to me and just won't be possible as long as Doug Ford is premier of Ontario. He is small-minded, seemingly willfully ignorant, and therefore dangerous for all of us. This could be said about his government's response to a number of issues -- think education, healthcare, support for the disadvantaged, or those with autism. 

One of the scariest for me is the response to the climate crisis. This regressive Conservative government is blundering into this existential threat with no plan whatsoever, other than to dismantle the tepid efforts of the previous government and the federal government to mitigate it. 

The latest is further reducing the powers of the 36 Conservation Authorities in the province (they've already reduced funding), ostensibly to fast-track much needed housing. I've written before about the CAs in Ontario which have been studied by other jurisdictions around the world because of their effectiveness. This isn't just about going for a walk in the woods, or paddling one of the waterways, which are wonderful aspects of Conservation Authorities. CAs also monitor manage watersheds so that minimal damage is done along shorelines and to mitigate flooding. According to a worthwhile piece in The Narwhal:

The legislation will repeal 36 specific regulations that allow conservation authorities to directly oversee the development process. If passed, it would mean Ontario’s conservation authorities will no longer be able to consider “pollution” and “conservation of land” when weighing whether they will allow development. 

Part of our family lore is that I was brought home from the hospital as a newborn just after Hurricane Hazel in 1954. My father had recently been ordained as a United Church minister and had just begun serving a rural pastoral charge near Orillia. On the drive home they cautiously made their way through a flooded area but the car slid off the edge of the road. I was in a basket in the back seat -- no carseats then -- but all was well in the end. I tried to avoid developing a Moses complex during my years in ministry, but I would have come by it honestly. 

While Conservation Authorities began in the 1940s it was after Hurricane Hazel that the provincial government amended the Conservation Authorities Act to enable Conservation Authorities to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and to regulate that land for the safety of the community. More than 80 people died during that hurricane, most living in homes built on flood plains. 

Why in God's name would the current government ignore the lessons of the past and undermine the important work of Conservation Authorities? I struggle to know how to wake up others, including folk in faith communities to the importance of these issues. Maybe throw some split pea soup on a priceless piece of art? Nah, that doesn't work. 

Please excuse me while I go for a walk, perhaps in a Conservation Area, to get my blood pressure down...

https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-conservation-authorities-development/#:~:text=The%20legislation%20will%20repeal%2036,whether%20they%20will%20allow%20development.

Migrants, Grim Statistics, & Hospitality

                                                                                    Alan Kurdi 

 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me...

                                  Matthew 25: 34-36

When the world saw the lifeless body of two-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on the beach of a Greek island in September of 2015 it was the catalyst for many individuals, groups, and nations to respond. I was still in congregational ministry at the time and a member contacted me about the possibility of sponsorship for Syrian refugees. This was a few months before the Canadian government began its concerted collaboration with sponsors across the country who brought tens of thousands of refugees to begin a new life in this country. Thanks to the remarkable efforts of a coalition of faith groups and others the first family of five arrived in December of that year and eventually 23 members of the extended family settled here. 

Yesterday I saw that United Nations researchers have estimated the number of migrant deaths in the past eight years although they concede that getting accurate figures is a challenge. According to a CBC piece:

 More than 29,000 migrants have died trying to reach Europe since 2014, with 5,000 deaths in the last two years, the International Organization for Migration said in a report Tuesday.

The United Nations agency's Missing Migrants Project spoke of "increasing numbers of deaths seen on routes across the Mediterranean, on land borders to Europe and within the continent."

According to its report, the deadliest migration route continues to be the Central Mediterranean, where 2,836 people have died since January 2021 attempting to reach Italy or Malta, mainly from Libya and Tunisia.

We know that a number of European countries have made it much more difficult and therefore dangerous to enter their borders. Not-so-Great Britain came up with a horrendous plan to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda, a ridiculously expensive and punitive proposal which has been on hold after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the it carried “a real risk of irreversible harm.” The danger is that this sort of inhumanity will be normalized and more lives will be lost. 

I also noticed that Canada has released new ambitious targets for immigrants in the next couple of years. By 2024 the number will be 450,000. As a point of comparision, the number in 2016 was 250,000. While this is encouraging the percentage allowed for humanitarian and refugee reasons is still quite small. There was also news about a poll result which found that seven out of ten Canadians expressed support for current immigration levels, the largest percentage recorded.

Recently I was recruited to give one of the Syrian family members a drive to an appointment in Kingston. He is one of the older members and didn't speak English when he arrived here. . We were able to converse on the way, and he told me with some pride that he is now a Canadian citizen, as are all other members of the family. He told me "this is home"which was touching. I thank God for all those who demonstrated practical hospitality when they arrived and through these past six years. These people are so much more than statistics and we must remember this when we see the grim numbers of those who have perished while seeking a new life. 

An A+ in Body, Mind, and Spirit?

 

This morning we popped the canoe on to the roof of our vehicle and headed north to a spot on the Moira River where we could paddle in solitude. This unseasonably warm weather (high of 21C today) should be cause for concern because of global heating but we had to seize the moment. This is negotiation season so Ruth says it was our final paddle for 2022 but I just know that she says this in a general sense. We are blessed to live in a region where we can cycle, paddle, walk, or swim within a few minutes of home and we're also grateful for the health to continue doing all these activities into older age. 

On our way we listened to a CBC Radio The Current piece on the effects of the pandemic on the physical health of children in Canada. There is a rating system which put kids at an overall D+ before COVID restrictions and a dismal F more recently. Pre-pandemic only 15% of Canadian children got the basic one hour a day on average outside and it got worse after March 2020. We wondered how that can be in country with so much of the great outdoors but there are a lot of factors including the amount of screen time for young people. 

We're so happy that our four grandchildren in two households are outside regularly, which was the way our three children were raised. One of our greatest pleasures as grandparents is to go outside with our grandkids, as we did on the weekend. There are times when we get a little nervous because they are so exuberantly "free-range" but they've survived so far!

The irony is that during the first two years of COVID we upped our game in terms of outside time, often skulking our way to quiet places for activity. Being out on the water was and is an excellent way to "social distance", as it was termed in the beginning. If someone in authority wanted to chase us down in our kayaks or canoe they were welcome to do so but it didn't happen. We make a point of getting outside nearly every day and while I also go to the gym a few times a week I know the importance of experiencing the gifts of Creation.

Today most of the leaves were off the trees and it was evident that November isn't far off. Yet we saw several blue herons and kingfishers. One of those kingfishers skimmed along the surface splashing down a number of times, something we had never seen before. They usually hover and dive, so what was this one up to?  

The CBC interview today touched on the physical and psychological benefits of outdoor activity but not the spiritual. Most religious traditions celebrate the gifts of Creation as a gateway to joy and wellbeing. It seems, though, that we are reluctant to identify this in a secular society. We certainly celebrated this on what is almost our last outing on the water this year. It seems that we can all be intentional in striving for an A+ in body, mind, and spirit. 

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/15944455-manitoba-becomes-fourth-province-stop-incarcerating-asylum-seekers

Light and Dark and Diwali

 

This morning I listened to a lovely interview on CBC Radio Metro Morning with a mother from Saskatchewan and her adult son in Toronto who were talking about the festival called Diwali. This is a key day in Diwali, celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs around the world. Their conversation was mouth-wateringly interesting and they spoke about the themes of "food, family, and prayer" as essential elements of the festival. If I've got this right, Diwali is actually five days but the third -- October 24th this year -- is the most important. It's one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism and symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. " Lamps are lit and fireworks are ignited -- unfortunately a concerning source of air pollution in India. 

As a Baby Boomer I grew up clueless about Hinduism and our community was as pasty as can be, without any actual Hindu households I can recall. Anything I knew had to do with prejudices rather than becoming better informed about another religious tradition. I'm glad this has changed over time, The past two years there has been a celebration of Diwali here in Belleville, the big town or small city of 55,000. It grew signficantly from one year to the next with more than 1,000 participants at Zwick's Park this year. The participation by the wider community must be heart-warming for the growing number of Asian students at our local college as well as longer term residents. 

Snooping around I see that a possible greeting for this day is: 

On this auspicious day of Diwali, let us celebrate the victory of good over evil and the triumph of light over darkness. Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!”

COVID & Humilty, Kindness, & Community

 

We'll attend worship in Kingston this morning, about an hour away. A long-time friend is finishing up interim ministry in a United Church congregation and this will also be an opportunity to connect with family. We aren't sure of the mask policy but we'll go prepared to wear ours. We still do in most congregate settings, even though we are now very much in the minority. Even though we've both been vaccinated 5 times now I wear a mask at the gym, as I always have, and most other public places. I wear one into church even though I often doff it once we're seated, usually well away from others.

We're hearing that COVID cases are on the rise once again and that new variants have emerged. Wishful thinking or indifference or COVID fatigue ain't gonna make this go away. I like the poster, above, because it sums up how I feel as a respectful citizen and as a Christian. 

As we listen to the inquiry into the use of the Emergency Act in Canada earlier this year I am reminded that it was precipitated by arrogance, unkindness, and selfishness on the part of protesters, some of whom claimed to be Christians. 

I can't change what others do, but I can make decisions which I hope are for the greater good. 

Mourning & Telling the Truth

 

I'm not inclined to read advice columns but I noticed an intriguing headline this week for the New York Times column called The Ethicist, which has a bit more gravitas than Dear Abbey, at least in the title. Philosophy teacher Kwame Anthony Appiah responded to someone who was unsettled after attending the memorial service for an elderly friend which was warm in the expression of shared memories. It was disturbing, though, that the person was portrayed as a life-long Christian by his Baptist family when in fact he became an atheist and enlisted this friend's help in typing his views a decade before, presumably as an explanation to his family. He had also been openly gay for 50 years and shared a long-term relationship, but this was not acknowledged. 

The question was, is it ever proper at a memorial service to offer — gently, of course — corrections of fact? 

The response was several paragraphs in length but ended with, So even if the facts about their relative would have saddened them, it would have been right and respectful to speak the truth about the man you knew.

Well, choosing that path would have been interestingm and while I'm not sure I agree, I don't know that I disagree.  Through the years I've presided at services where the deceased lived with addiction, or was abusive, or took his/her own life. These are not the same, but they can all be the source of secrets. Some families chose to acknowledge these realities, others didn't. Some families had nothing good to say about the person who died and some walked into a chapel with no recognition of each other. 

In one instance a young man died of AIDS and his conservative Christian family held a funeral where it was implied that he'd died of cancer. Because I was on the AIDS committee in the city I was asked if I would preside at a memorial where his friends could be more honest about who he was and how he died. I did so in the lovely chapel of the congregation I served rather than in the much larger sanctuary. The parents were invited and the father came, causing some nervousness for those who needed to grieve. Would he distrupt the service or shun the others present? He wasn't exactly warm, but he was gracious, and thanked me for my role. 

In the end, there is no script for how we address the sometime painful realities of life and our acknowledgment of death. The Ethicist was correct, it seems to me, in naming that Christianity at its best strives toward truth. That's what we can all hope for, God being our helper. 

A Fish, a Coin, and the Trial of the Century

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?”  He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free.  However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”

       Matthew 17:24-27 NRSVue 

 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

      Matthew 6:19-21

 I've come across a couple of articles about a corruption trial which has been unfolding in Rome for months now. It is regarding the mishandling and likely theft of millions of euros within the Roman Catholic church, money gathered in good faith from everyday Catholics for the  wider work of the church. This money is called Peter's Pence, not to be confused with Mike Pence, although at certain times both were lacking in courage.

Here is a description of what is at stake by John L. Allen which is far better than anything I could write: 

ROME – As I’ve said before, the Vatican’s “Trial of the Century,” which pivots on charges of fraud, misappropriation, and graft against ten individuals – including a cardinal – after a London real estate deal went horribly wrong, boils down to a Tale of Two Narratives. 

The first narrative is a story of criminality, featuring shady Italian businessmen and corrupt clerics who illegally conspired to bilk the Vatican of millions, and who are now getting their comeuppance. Making it worse, the stolen money came from Peter’s Pence, representing the hard-earned contributions of ordinary Catholics around the world to support the works of the pope. 

The second is a tale of terrible money management, which ended up costing the Vatican north of $200 million, combined with the age-old tendency of hierarchs to seek scapegoats for their own failures. Making it worse, the squandered money came from Peter’s Pence, representing the hard-earned contributions of ordinary Catholics around the world to support the works of the pope. 

As you can see, the two narratives overlap on some points. The main difference is whether anything criminal happened – unless one subscribes to the Hunter S. Thompson dictum that in a world of thieves, the only real crime is stupidity, in which case there’s some sort of crime here no matter how you slice it.

The situation is a colossal, slimy mess, and brings disrepute to the church of Jesus Christ. How did we get from an iternerant preacher and his disciples who hardly had a "pence" between them to this? Of course, there is a long tradition of grasping for money within the church despite Jesus' warnings about the ill effects of having too much. 

I served three congregations with a million or more in investments and one of them was amongst the wealthiest United Churches in the country. There was never any hint of illegal behaviour but I grew weary of the moral crime of refusing to use that money for mission with all sorts of arguments as to why we had to hold onto what was actually provided by others as legacy giving. According to Jesus it was God's money and our hearts were in peril if we grew too attached to it, but what did he know. 

We'll see where the trial goes and pray that something approaching justice is achieved. 

Murder and Forgiveness in Sherwood

Yes, yes, here I go again on forgiveness. Cut me some slack, it is at the very heart of our Christian faith and vital to other faith traditions as well, so please read on. 

Sherwood, a six-part BBC drama which arrived as one of those happy accidents of discovery in TV-land. It's based on the actual events of two baffling murders in a small UK town in the early 2000s. It's really well written and wonderfully acted by a cast which is made up of actors we've seen in just about every British series made through the years. While its a murder mystery its also about the stuff people who have known one another seemingly forever carry around with them --forever. There are plenty of secrets and overwhelming burdens of shame which are tragedies in their own right, a form of soul death. 

There is the suspicion that the first murder is related to enmity caused by a coal mine strike years before resulting in an "us and them" mentality which is never buried. As a result of this communal alienation two sisters who live side by side are barely on speaking terms and have missed just about all the signficant events in the lives of the other. It takes tragic events for both households to erode the resentments, although that doesn't happen in a hurry. 

                                          Lesley Manville and Claire Rushbrook in BBC's Sherwood.

In a poignant scene these sisters played with such skill by Leslie Manville and Claire Rushbrook speak, haltingly, across a wall, both with a hand on the bricks, unable to see each other. At one point Manville's character vaguely reaches upward but the gesture goes nowhere -- that would be too easy even though what we want is some glimmer of reconciliation.  

While this encounter didn't last long it was a powerful reminder of what I saw in ministry so often. There were occasions when I was taking off guard when I discovered that good people who cared about their faith were alienated from children or siblings or despised their exes to the point they couldn't agree on anything. Sometimes the figurative walls went up brick by brick over time, but they also went up overnight. These feuds were often cautionary tales for me in the realities of my own relationships. Walls that go up are often considerably harder to take down. 

I could say much -- much more -- but that wouldn't be fair, would it? I encourage you to do a "seek and ye shall find" search for Sherwood. No Robin Hood, just really good storytelling. 

Trees, Breath of the Earth, Breath of the Creator

 1 Breathe on me, breath of God,

fill me with life anew,

that I may love what thou dost love,

and do what thou wouldst do.

                                 Voices United 382

Vala Afshar

@ValaAfshar

"Something to think about: The Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Let's scale that to 46 years.

We have been here for 4 hours. Our industrial revolution began 1 minute ago. In that time, we have destroyed 50% of the world's forests.

This is not sustainable."

I find joy and meaning in lots of newer hymns and choruses. At the same time I have deep appreciation for lots of the classics which resonate deep within. One of them is the 19th century hymn, Breathe on Me Breath of God by Edwin Hatch, a Church of England vicar.  It was described early on as both a Creation and a Pentecost hymn. 

Breathe on Me Breath of God came to mind when I read the tweet above and saw the image of a forest in the shape of human lungs. In this depiction a significant lobectomy has already taken place, which would reduce lung capacity. 

Needless to say, the Rev. Hatch was not writing his lyrics to address global deforestation, but surely the breath of the Creator through the respiration of trees is something we can't take for granted? If we have any qualms about considering trees as "divine," at least metaphorically so, we can just look to scripture where they are mentioned an astonishing number of times. Trees are literally a "breath of fresh air" and the biblical writers knew it. 

I do think it is an afront to the Creator that we are stifling the breath of the planet. Before the rabble arrives with torches to address any perceived heresy I'll stop writing, but I'll keep humming. 

Happy are those
    who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
    or sit in the seat of scoffers,
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
    planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
    and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

                                 Psalm 1: 1-3 NRSV

                                                                    Tree of Life -- Blake Debassige

The Loss of a Beloved Congregational Elder

                          Mary Jo Smith -- November 10, 1934  -  October 13, 2022

Caim Prayer

Circle Mary Jo, Gracious God,

keep protection near

and danger afar. 

Circle Mary Jo, Healing God,

keep hope within,

keep despair without.

Circle Mary Jo, Caring God,

keep light near,

and darkness afar.

Circle Mary Jo, God,

keep peace within

and anxiety without.

May God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer

shield Mary Jo on every side. 

Amen.

 Four years ago, not long after we began attending Trenton United Church, I offered a study/discussion series on dementia called God in the Shadows.  I wanted to interview someone who had been a principle caregiver for a loved one and son Isaac, our pastor, suggested a woman who had been warm and welcoming when we arrived. Mary Jo agreed  and I shared the questions I would ask with her beforehand but it was still a signifcant request. She addressed those questions regarding care for her beloved late husband thoughtfully and with dignity. I was impressed by her courage in speaking about such a sensitve subject in front of others.  

She attended other study groups along the way and recently participated in our sessions on Medical Assistance in Dying. Early on in our first gathering she stated, straight-faced but with a twinkle in her eye, that she wasn't going to die. While this elicited chuckles from other participants I was aware that at times she was unsettled by the prospect of death because she was candid in admitting this. Afterward she spoke with me about  a neighbour who had just died. There wasn't going to be any sort of service or leave-taking. What was the state of that person's soul, she wondered. 

She was there for the second session of our MAID series as well and then on Thanksgiving Sunday morning we followed her into the church. Later that day she had a massive heart attack and died a few days later, never having recovered consciousness. Her memorial service will be held next week and attendees have been asked to wear bright clothing, according to her wishes.

Mary Jo was a lovely person with a sense of humour and an abiding faith. She was there for the worship services such as Maundy Thursday which weren't as well attended and wondered why others didn't show up. During the darker days of the pandemic she returned when the congregation was allowed to gather. After a sermon in which Isaac admitted that he'd been stopped and cautioned by police for speeding she confessed to him at the door that she was a "pedal to the metal" person on highway 401 herself -- at age 87! 

She had a circle of friends who enjoyed her company. Ruth and I were amlng those shaken when we heard of her heart attack and her death because we liked her a lot. 

At the beginning of our third session Isaac shared the news about her hospitalization with the group and I opened with the Caim or Circle prayer above, as I'd planned before this sad development. I hadn't been sure whose name I would use, but of course it was Mary Jo. 

While we'd probably all agree that living to nearly 88 was a "good run", as is sometimes said, and that she wouldn't want diminished final days, these rationaliziations don't really lessen our sense of loss. And while I'm also confident that Mary Jo is in God's eternal care and keeping she will certainly be missed in this life by her family and all who knew her.