Women Talking & the Comfort of Scripture

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:4-9

The Arts and Books section of Saturday's Globe and Mail has a full-page article about the new directorial vision of Sarah Polley in the film adaptation of Miriam Toew's intriguing novel, Women Talking. It's about Mennonite women in South America who hold a secret meeting about leaving the oppressive community in which they have suffered various forms of abuse. The exceptional cast for the movie includes Rooney Mara and Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley and Frances McDormand. Wow. Little wonder that it was a crowd favourite at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

The writer of the piece is Johanna Schneller, always deft, and in conversation she explores how Polley found her way out of the difficult, sometimes nightmarish world of a child acting star (Road to Avonlea) into a balanced, creative and collaborative life as a writer and director. If you can access this piece it is well worth reading and quite hopeful. 

Near the end Schneller offers: "And though her film doesn’t flinch from darkness, it ultimately made Polley feel hopeful. The characters have a saying: 'Whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is honorable, whatever is excellent or worthy of praise, think about these things.' Polley now repeats that to herself every day.

Strictly speaking, this isn't a saying. It's scripture, a powerful exortation and prayer included in the apostle Paul's letter to the congregation in Philippi. He may have been under house arrest in Rome and near the end of his life by execution yet despite the darkness he upholds the light. I don't mean this to be a criticism or a quibble. It's just that there is a context for these words which give them even greater depth, even though they can stand alone as a positive mantra. 

I too find them deeply meaningful and I have committed the passage above, which contains those words, largely to memory. When I am awake with the demons de jour in the bleak hours of the night I often repeat them, along with the first verse of Jesus Loves Me. 

God knows that scripture is too often tortured and twisted to suit the sensibilities of those who want to shame and control others. The women in Women Talking are finding their way through and out of a religious community in which men have used scripture to their own ends, yet violated some of Jesus' most important teachings. 

There is the irony that Paul was characterized as a misogynist for decades but in recent years scholars have noted that he often speaks with respect and affection about women who have taken on ministry roles, including in Philippi. 

I look forward to the release of the film and those phrases from Philippians will continue to be a comfort to me. 

Why did the turtle cross the road? To find its way into my latest Groundling blog which considers how we honour biodiversity in Creation. https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/11/turtle-island-biodiversity-living-with.html

Giving Tuesday...and Wednesday?...and Thursday?

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, 

if we do not give up. 

So then, whenever we have an opportunity, 

let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.   

                                  Galatians 6:9-10 NRSVue

 I can recall the early years of what was called Black Friday in the United States, the day following American Thanksgiving which became the retail version of The Hunger Games. Canadians watched news clips of crowds literally trampling over each other to get the best bargains as stores opened. Eventually retailers on this side of the border fought discounts with discounts and we too had Black Friday sales and pre-Black Friday sales even though this has nothing to do with a holiday in this country. Black Friday begat Cyber Monday for all the electronic deals.

Now we have Giving Tuesday, supposedly the day we expiate our bingeing sins by donating to whatever charities and causes manage to capture our attention. I can't be critical of organizations, including faith groups, for reaching out to prospective donors for support. We're told that charitable giving has declined over the past couple of years and we are aware that inflation is chomping away at money for the basics of life, let along our disposable income. According to a CBC piece about a recent study: 

Canadian charities are facing "unprecedented strain" due to a projected decline in donations and an expected growth in demand due to the pandemic, according to a new report. 

The Giving Report 2022, released on Tuesday by a group called CanadaHelps, says one in four Canadians, or 26 per cent, expect to use or are already using charitable services this year to meet basic needs. One in four Canadians, or 25 per cent, expect to give less this year than they did in last year, the report says.

My inbox has already been flooded by Giving Tuesday requests, including a couple by the United Church,  and  there are promises that my gift can be doubled, or tripled. I have no doubt that there will be many more "asks" by the end of the year.

 I imagine we'll respond to certain situations -- the crisis in Somalia is front of mind. In many respects, though. we take a "slow but steady" approach, giving throughout the year to our congregational family and a number of organizations we support, some of them Christian ministry related, some justice oriented, others environmental. When Premier Ford attempted to buy our votes with license sticker rebates earlier this year we gave that money away to several causes as special gifts.

Could we be more generous? Always. Even in these anxious times we are aware of our manifold blessings and we consider it an act of practical faith to focus on abundance rather than scarcity. While Giving Tuesday is okay, choosing to be purposeful in our giving all through the year is an essential aspect of what it means to be people of a generous God and followers of Jesus, the Christ. Generosity is a spiritual practice, discipleship, a way of life. 

Wouldn't it be great if we were falling over ourselves, at least figuratively, in response to the needs evident all around us? Here is a prayer from the United Church for this day:

O God, the season of waiting has begun.
We wait with gratitude for the gift of love at Christmas.
As we strive to find gifts to express our appreciation for those who make our world and lives better
may our gifts have more meaning;
may our gifts share your vision of love in the world.

Giving Tuesday is our opportunity to look beyond the sales flyers and promotional e-mails and see a new way forward, a way for healing and connection.
We live in a world of consuming,
a world where the person with the most toys wins,
and yet, you offer us a way filled with grace.

On this Giving Tuesday, help us to give freely from the heart!
We pray that our gifts will bring hope to the lost, peace to the hungry, love to the lonely, and joy everlasting.
A way where each of us has a piece of your heart to share with others;
a way where we do not win until we give, and in giving our hearts are filled.

O God, may we be able to joyfully share our gifts with many, with the vision of a better tomorrow;
knowing that when we do so, we become like the magi of old, offering our gifts to the refugee child, the child living on the margins, a child born in a stable in Bethlehem. Amen.

  Ruth Noble, Mission & Service Engagement Coordinator

As I share images of artwork in our home during Advent I need the reminder of the lessons of the birds around us. Please take a look at today's Groundling blog https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-le

ssons-of-birds.html

Peaceful Advent Protest

 

Greenbelt Protest this past weekend

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth...

Isaiah 11:1-4a NRSVue (Advent 2 reading) 

There is a tradition of themes for the season of Advent which identifies Peace for the second Sunday. I've been musing about the notion of peaceful protest in recent days with examples close to home and at a distance. Over the weekend there were rallies in many communities across Ontario voicing opposition to Bill 23 which will open up portions of the Greenbelt despite promises by Premier Doug Ford not to touch these important agricultural, forest, and wetland areas. From what I've heard and seen these were both passionate and peaceful assemblies, and in some respects voices raised on behalf of the voiceless. It's likely that the legislation will be introduced as early as today.

Meanwhile the testimony for the inquiry into the use of the Emergency Act earlier this year has come to an end. The Act, which is intended as a last-resort response to threats to national safety, was implemented as a response to the occupation of downtown Ottawa and the blockades at border crossings in several provinces. These protesters were entrenched, often belligerent to the point of being threatening, and unclear in their goals. While they have insisted they were peaceful in intent there was plenty of evidence to the contrary. In Alberta some of them were armed and plotting to attack police. 

We should also be aware that there are continuing protests by Indigenous groups against the development of pipelines on traditional lands in British Columbia in the immediate area and in other provinces. These have been, by and large, peaceful. 

Around the world there have been protests in Iran and now in China which are pushing back against oppressive regimes which prohibit public gatherings. Some of the participants have been arrested and in Iran scores have died, including children. 

In Advent we're a long way from Palm/Passion Sunday but that event was also a public and peaceful protest against the "powers that be" only days before Jesus was arrested, tried, and executed by the Roman regime. There isn't much doubt that this procession put Jesus on the radar of authorities. Was the birth of Jesus a form of peaceful challenge to the world order in itself? 

As I say, this is pondering on my part, maybe even meandering! We have taken part in peaceful protests through the years, including marches through city streets. Did they make a difference? It's hard to say. I do feel that as people of faith and followers of Christ we must be passionate rather than passive about what matters for the shalom, the deeper peace intended for human relations and for all of Creation. 

                                              Christ's Entry into Brussells in 1889 -- James Ensor 

I'm offering some "earthy" Advent reflections on art in our home through my Groundling blog. I hope you'll take a gander. 

https://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/11/interpreting-creation.html

Advent Patience in 2022

 

A scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation you wonder? Have we time warped back to the Griswold's street from 1989. No, it's 2022 and this is the view of our next door neighbour's place, although you can't hear the music. In the past two years the coronavirus has metasticized into the christmasvirus with an astonishing expansion of their...display. While Ruth laughs at my muttering as we drive onto our court this really is harmless, although when the breeze is blowing and the figures are swaying it is like something from a horror flick rather than a comedy.

This went live several weeks ago when a mild spell had people out in shorts and they weren't alone. To be entirely forthcoming, we have put up Christmas lights and yesterday we bought our tree for this year, although it will enjoy being outside for a little while yet. We are willing to wait because this is Advent, the beginning of the church year, the time of patient, reflective waiting for the coming of the Christ. 

I've written before about the annoyance of members in some congregations I served through the years about our intentional period of preparation for Christmas without succumbing to what is the commericialization of the time of year. As a concession to the pressure we put up a tree early but decorated it week by week to acknowledge Advent. We lit the Advent candles, week by week, and involved people of all ages and circumstances in doing so. 

We are now in a time of instant everything and "patience" is almost a dirty word. Surely, though, there is a place for anticipation in our lives even if it goes against the flow of our culture. 

Today we will gather with others at Trenton United collectively dressed in blue which is the liturgical colour of Advent. Perhaps we can all offer the prayer which was up in the Kingston Penitentiary chapel when I was a chaplain intern there years ago, "Lord give me patience and give it to me now!" 

5 Stalks of Grain & Holomodor Remembrance

Back in July we visited a travelling exhibition about the Holodomor, the famine inflicted upon the people of Ukraine by Russia ninety years ago. I wrote about the experience in this blog and the link is below.

Today, the fourth Saturday of November is the “Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day” in Canada, a memorial established by the government of Canada in 2008. While there may not be much in the way of public recognition some have noted that this event is even more poignant in light of what is currently taking place in Ukraine as Russia does everything possible to inflict hardship on the nation it has attempted to invade. Electricity and water is out for millions and food is often in short supply. 

In yesterday's Globe and Mail there was an article by Michael Bociurkiw, a global affairs analyst and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington whose background is Ukrainian. 

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the brazen stealing of grain and destruction of agriculture infrastructure has reawakened within me and others memories of the Holodomor – the man-made famine of 1932-33 ordered by Stalin in which at least four million Ukrainians died. It was the “largest policy of mass killing in Europe in the 20th century” until the Holocaust, wrote Yale University’s Timothy Snyder.

I've heard from a couple of sources about a new graphic novel called Five Stalks of Grain written about that Russian genocidal campaign of mass starvation which is now known as the Holomodor. I'm hoping that our library will purchase it because there are so many Canadians with a Ukrainian background, as many as 1.4 million. We need to know about this history. 

As we pray for peace in Ukraine let's also remember that we can support those who have come to Canada for refuge since February. We can also be mindful that Ukrainian Orthodox clerics were persecuted mercilessly during the Holodomor and today the Russian Orthodox church is supporting this unjustifed war, much to its shame. 

https://lionlamb-bowmanville.blogspot.com/2022/07/holodomor-then-and-ukraine-now.html

Will We Move Beyond LGBTQ Hatred?

  

                                                   Jeopardy Host Ken Jennings with Amy Schneider

There is no longer Jew or Greek;

 there is no longer slave or free; 

there is no longer male and female,

 for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

                          Galatians 3:28 NRSVue

Earlier this week the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions came to an entertaining conclusion when Amy Schneider won her third and decisive game. Along the way Amy has become a minor celebrity, as many Jeopardy champs do, with an invitation to the White House and throwing out the first pitch at a couple of Major League Baseball games. Amy has also been open about being a transgender person and explained a large tattoo on one arm which is of Princess Ozma, kidnapped and enchanted to be a boy but eventually freed to be the princess she always was. 

It is impressive that society has shifted in awareness and acceptance to the point that a trans person can be in the public eye and able to thrive in this way. Yet only a couple of days before her achievement a gunman walked into an LGBTQ2S+ night club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and opened fire, killing five and injuring many more. This a horrific event and may be the outcome of the hateful rhetoric of recent months which vilifies LGBTQ persons and falsely accuses them of grooming children.Some of the "thoughts and prayers" politicians are hypocrites having openly engaged in these conspiracy theories. 

                                               Club Q Colorado Springs Memorial to Murder Victims

 Often these are religious people, supposedly Christians, who have no qualms about engaging in conspiracy theories and hate speech. In the toxic mix of conservative supremacist religion and right-wing politics the racist and homophobic tone becomes harsher. Elizabeth Pixie lost a friend in this shooting and angrily observed: 

They can call it religion, they can call it politics, they can call it saving people. Whatever fluff or s--- they want to sprinkle on it, they can do that, but at the end of the day, these people are murderers.

The murders in Colorado Springs brought to mind the even more deadly Pulse night club shooting in Orlando, Florida, in 2016. This was so obviously a hate crime and while it occurred thousands of kilometres away I organized a midday vigil at Bridge St. Church where we tolled the bell for the 49 innocent people who were killed. Many of the people who attended were not part of our congregation, and one gay couple began attending worship and became quite involved. A Bridge St. member in his 90s, a quiet man, showed up as well, somewhat to my surprise. He told me with some emotion that he was there for his daughter, who is a lesbian. I was quite moved by that act of solidarity. 

There were other members of the congregation who were not happy that Bridge St. hosted this solemn occasion, especially because it was covered by the media. Apparently they didn't appreciate this public expression of acceptance. Nor did they like the fact that we provided space for the LGBTQ prom at the end of the high school year. I attended this event long enough to welcome the teens without realizing that one day a young member of our extended family may one day be attending something similar, although I hope that by that time there will no longer be prejudice and stigma. As Christians we express our love for her and affirm who she is. We're grateful that she attends a Roman Catholic school which is very supportive of LGBTQ2S+ students, as is her church home. 

It is a terrible irony that this past Sunday was the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998.It's chilling that the Colorado Springs murders occurred on the same weekend. We still have a long way to go. 

Thanksgiving Gratitude

 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment,  

for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it,  

but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 NRSVue

"The medieval mystic Meister Eckhart once suggested that if the only prayer we ever said was “thank-you,” it would still suffice."

Yesterday we had coffee with one of Ruth's step-sisters and her husband who are in Canada to celebrate a family birthday. She was born in Canada, he is an American from the deep South, and they have lived in Israel for the past 35 years...are you keeping up here? Their kids all live in the US now and they will retire there, so they are strongly connected in many ways. We touched briefly on the fact that today is Thanksgiving across the border, a celebration as big, if not bigger than Christmas in the States.

While our October Thanksgiving is now in now just a speck in our collective rearview mirror it can't hurt to ponder giving thanks.We are living in a time when scarcity is the zietgeist rather than abundance. The stock market has taken a dizzying tumble this year. The phrase "supply chain issues" has become part of our vocabulary and we all shrug our resignation. There aren't enough medical personnel to staff our hospitals or medications for our kids. Even the Earth seems to be in deficit with the ominous prospect of environmental collapse. The term "glacial" used to mean "slowly" but the actual glaciers are disappearing at alarming speed. 

To be grateful is a radical choice these days, so why not serve up another, hopefully generous, helping of Thanksgiving today in solidarity with our American cousins and people around the world? The writer of 1 Timothy encourages us to consider contentment in simplicity as Godly, and we need much more of this sort of godliness rather than the resentment and privilege version which is so prevalent.  

Advent is just around the corner with this Sunday marking the beginning. In many congregations the theme of Hope will be emphasized, the light which shines into the dark places. This is a season of mindful preparation for the coming of the Christ, the child born into poverty by just about any standard. Perhaps these four weeks can open us to seek out the opportunites for practical generosity and gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. 

Praise the Lord for the Joys of Winter

 

                                                                    Our Sweeties at Winter Play

 

1.Praise the Lord for the joys of winter,

praise the Lord for a world transformed,  

 

praise the Lord for the trees and houses adorned. 

Praise the Lord for snowy angels, praise the Lord for the chance to play

praise the Lord for this  heavenly display.

Praise the Lord for our children’s laughter,

praise the Lord for their sleds on hills, 

praise the Lord for their rosy cheeks, for tumbles and for spills.

Praise the Lord for the game of hockey, blades on ice let us fly with ease, 

gifts of sport made to cheer us and to please.

Winter Joys lyrics Shirley Porter, tune: Natalie Sleeth's hymn 

Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet (Voices United 245) 

 During the first eleven days of November we basked in unseasonably warm weather, even though we knew that it was ominous, likely an indication of global heating. This is Canada, after all, and temperatures in the mid to high teens Celsius are not the norm in our neck of the woods.We paddled and cycled and one morning we sat on the deck for our morning coffee. On Remembrance Day we cycled to the cenotaph. 

The next ten days have seen a marked drop in temperatures and on Friday we woke up to the inevitable -- snow. The precipitation was heavier in some parts of Southern Ontario than others but thank God we didn't experience the Snowmaggedon of New York State, immediately to the south of us. 

It's strange, really. We weren't looking forward to snow but our attitude changed as soon as we saw it. There is something quite beautiful about falling snow. When I was out shovelling the driveway on Sunday morning the blue of the sky, the blues of the snow itself, and the crescent moon were wonders to behold. 

It seem that kids and critters are better able to receive the gift. We saw videos of our grandchildren playing outside, including the two and a half year old who really has no recollection of previous winters. They were delighted and so were we. 

Do you remember my musing last year about the lack of hymns which genuinely celebrate Winter and its manifold pleasures? Blog reader, church musician, and sister-in-law Shirley wrote lyrics for the tune I suggested as being joyful enough to do the playful aspect of the season justice. She captured it all so well, so here it is again.

Bye the bye, I won Snow Tire Roulette when my winter tires were installed on Friday, just in the nick of time. Praise the Creator for Winter! (we'll talk again in mid-February.)  

2. Praise the Lord for the fun of snow forts, purple shadows at day’s end, 

joys of winter help our spirits mend.

Praise the Lord for our walks through woodlands,

creatures leave their footprints there,

 God’s creation marks the snow with care.

Praise the Lord for the squeak of footsteps on the freshly fallen snow, 

Praise the Lord for windows etched with frosty white tableau.

Praise the Lord for the time of winter, time to sing and time to play,

Praise the Lord every season, every day!

Banning Slavery on the Ballot

  

There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect[a] and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ... Ephesians  6 :5

I know what my American cousins think of the Orange Menace but I've never asked their opinion of what seems to me to be a baffling, overwhelming system of governance in which transitions with elected leaders seem to take forever, election campaigning begins almost immediately following inaugurations, and then there are mid-terms. And why does everyone including dog-catcher have to be elected? 

During the recent mid-terms I was startled to discover that five states were voting on abolishing slavery...what!? Of course, slavery officially ended in the United States with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the liberation of slaves was finally enforced in Texas in 1865 -- now recognized as Juneteenth. According to a Global News article: 

Voters in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont have officially abolished slavery in all forms by voting to amend their state constitutions, removing a legal exception that still permitted slavery and involuntary servitude as forms of punishment for crimes.

The initiatives on the ballot Tuesday don’t force immediate changes in the states’ prisons, where inmate labour continues to be used, but they may invite legal challenges over the practice of coercing prisoners to work under threat of sanctions or loss of privileges if they refuse the work.

But in Louisiana, voters rejected the proposed Amendment 7 that would have reworded the offending part of its constitution, partly because it might have legalized slavery again.Louisiana’s Constitution currently states: “Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, except in the latter case as punishment for a crime.” The amendment would have changed that to: “Slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, but this does not apply to the otherwise lawful administration of criminal justice.”

These votes are reminders that slavery and involuntary servitude have been part of human societies for as long as we have been "civilized." Slavery existed in Canada as well, for Blacks and Indigenous peoples, as it did throughout the British Empire until the early 1800s. 

In many places it was Christians who challenged the practice, arguing that it was antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In North America the Quakers were involved in the Underground Railroad, although there wasn't unanimity and some risked their lives in helping enslaved people to escape their oppressors. White people have tended to write history, though, and Blacks such as Harriet Tubman were fearless in their efforts to free others. 

Sadly, other Christians have quoted New Testament passages which seem to accept slavery and justify their involvement in oppression. The apostle Paul wrote a letter pleading on behalf of a slave named Onesimus who seems to have escaped from his master, Philemon. This missive in now part of our Christian New Testament. 

There are still enslaved persons around the world and, as I wrote yesterday, there are concerns that foreign workers in Qatar are mistreated and are in a state of involuntary servitude which has resulted in the deaths of thousands. In the States thousands of prison inmates do back-breaking and often dangerous work, including fighting wildfires, with little compensation. Do you remember Paul Newman as part of the chain-gang in Cool Hand Luke from 1967? It still happens.

I suppose we can be grateful for those occasions when oppression is abolished, even if should never have been institutionalized in the first place.  

That's the sound of the men
Working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
Working on the chain gang

All day long they work so hard
'Til the sun is going down
Working on the highway and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moaning their lives away
Then you hear somebody say...

Chain Gang -- Sam Cooke 1960

The Not-so-Mighty Jordan River and COP27

 

                                   Jordan River Baptismal Site, with the biblical canoe prow to one side

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;

death of death, and hell's destruction, land me safe on Canaan's side:

songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee, I will ever give to thee 

                                Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah 

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see. Coming for to carry me home.

A band of angels coming after me. Coming for the carry me home. 

Oh,  swing low....

                                         Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 

We have a river full of Jordan imagery in our Judeo/Christian tradition. Joshua and the Israelites cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. Jesus is baptized in the river by his cousin John. I wonder how many hymns and spirituals draw on this imagery? 

When I took groups to Israel there were always people who wanted to stop at the baptismal site created by the tourism department but I really didn't like it because it was a long way from the area where Jesus would have been baptized and the line-ups and ramp down to the water felt very --surprise, surprise -- touristy. 

A number of times through the years members of congregations brought back containers of water from the Jordan, usually to be added to the font for the sacrament of baptism at a grandchild. I was always a little nervous about this because we had no idea what was lurking in those vials. It turns out my concerns had some foundation because there is plenty of pollution of every kind imaginable in the depleted Jordan of the 21st century.

One of the positive outcomes of the climate conference known as COP27 is that Israel and neighbour Jordan have agreed, in principle, to work together in cleaning up their act: 

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Israel and Jordan have reached an agreement on environmental issues, aimed at the preservation and recovery of the Jordan River, the historic waterway shared by the two countries, the place where Jesus' baptism took place, which is steadily running dry.

The signing of the 'declaration of intent' took place yesterday between the two delegations attending Cop27, the UN international climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

At the moment, the details are not yet known and it is not even clear how the two governments intend to work together to save the river. However, the first information leaked by Israel reveals a common intention to 'try to reduce' the pollution of the watercourse by building sewage treatment plants and improving sewage systems. The aim is to prevent towns along the river from discharging raw sewage into its waters.

The mission statement also wants to promote sustainable agriculture by controlling runoff from agricultural fields and reducing the use of pesticides.

I hope this "declaration of intent" is fulfilled, for so many reasons. As Christians we celebrate Jesus, baptized in the Jordan, Living Water. The river can be living water for these two nations as well. 

                                                                   Baptism of Christ -- Pheoris West

The FIFA World Cup and Human Rights in Qatar

 Latha Bollapally, with her son Rajesh Goud, holds a picture of her husband, Madhu Bollapally, 43, a migrant worker who died in Qatar. Photograph: Kailash Nirmal

Go Canada, Go! A lot of Canadians will be cheering on the men's national soccer/football team as it participates in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 36 years.  I know that this isn't even close to the Stanley Cup drought for the Maple Leafs but this is a much more modest feat of qualifying for what is arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet and truly pan-national. 

To say Canada is an underdog is an understatement. There is actually a betting line on whether the Canuck squad will score a single goal in the tournament, let alone win a game. 

While we can be proud of this accomplishment for our athletes we might also feel somewhat queasy about the location for this extravaganza. It is being held in the tiny nation of Qatar, which is too small a country to host properly, and is too hot, but apparently had too much money for the selection comittee to walk away from granting them football's jewel. The tens of billions spent on creating the infrastructure and stadia is mind-boggling. Former football great David Beckham is being paid millions as an ambassador the tournament. 

Even more disturbing are the reports that hundreds and possibly thousands of workers brought in from other nations to build venues died in appalling conditions during the past decade. One estimate is 6,500 deaths in the past decade. 

Athletes, team members, and spectators have been warned that Qatar's laws are strongly anti-LGTBQ2S+ and that homosexual acts can be punished by prison terms or the death penality. 

So, why are Canada and many other nations participating in the World Cup? At times it seems that human rights really, really matter in Canada...until they don't...until it's inconvenient or not economically advantageous to uphold our principles. 

I do hope that the Canadian team exceeds expectations and it is exciting that they have qualified. We can pray that the world pays attention to the human rights issues beneath the sporting story and that there will be greater accountability in events to come. 

Neither a Borrower or a Lender Be?

 

 “If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as guarantee, you shall restore it before the sun goes down, for it may be your neighbor’s only clothing to use as a cover. In what else shall that person sleep? And when your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.

Exodus 22:25-27

Money
Get away
You get a good job with more pay and you're okay
Money
It's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

New car, caviar, four star, daydream
Think I'll buy me a football team

                           Money -- Pink Floyd

I had a "I did not know that" moment the other day while listening to an interview about home mortgages for Muslims. It turns out that a high percentage of Muslims in Canada are renters rather than owners because the Quran prohibits borrowing money which involves paying interest. While Muslims may have the money for a down payment and can afford a mortgage they aren't supposed to take one out in what we might assume is the conventional way. One person interviewed has an income which could support a substantial mortgage but has rented for twenty years. 

 There are organizations in Canada which enter into co-ownership agreements where one party eventually buys out the other, thereby avoiding the conventional notion of interest.These are termed Muslim or Halal mortgages, halal meaning permissable.  From what I heard in the interview, this can actually be more expensive because of estimating the eventual value of the property. 

While this may sound arcane, there is a strong Judeo/Christian tradition of prohibiting the lending of money or its equivalent, and charging interest, or high interest, on loans. There are several passages in the Older Testament, including the verses from Exodus 22 (above) which caution against taking advantage of others in this way.

Christianity followed this lead and beginning in the 4th century usury, charging excessive interest, was prohibited and considered a sin. A later Council decreed that persons who accepted interest on loans could receive neither the sacraments nor Christian burial. 

 Strangely, and conveniently, it was decided through the centuries that it was okay for Jews and Christians to loan each other money without violating the prohibition. It prompted the development of banking in which Jews became prominent and wealthy, and in dark times Jews were persecuted and killed for engaging in the practice they were encouraged to engage in by Christians. Sadly, today there are plenty of conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the world's money. 

I do have a form of PTSD from the astronomical interest rates of our mortgage rate in the late eighties and early nineties and I would heartily agree that this was a terrible burden for our young family. I thank God that the days of mortgage payments are in the rear view mirror for us but this is hard for so many today. 

Was Shakepeare giving a nod to all this in Hamlet?:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true...

When Jeopardy Commits a Sin

 

What happens when the Jeopardy nerd and the Bible nerd are the same person? You have an old white guy muttering at the TV because the final clue in a key Tournament of Champions game has the incorrect answer...or question. 

Final Jeopardy "answered": Paul’s letter to them is the New Testament epistle with the most Old Testament quotations. I pondered and figured Romans and then wondered if they would say Hebrews. Hebrews is not attributed to the apostle Paul by the foremost scholars even though some older versions of the bible do. Only about half of the New Testament letters -- seven -- are considered Pauline and Hebrews isn't one of them. 

Sam, the contestant who looks a lot like comedian Steve Martin, was leading heading into Final Jeopardy and he wrote Romans, but was ruled incorrect. This is a grievous error which demands a retraction, if not an international tribunal. I may be going a little over the top here but I'm not alone. It turns out many Jeopardy fans are Bible nerds as well, and some are theologians. They expressed their dismay on Twitter and just about everywhere else.

Hey, the Jeopardy writers are good, but they don't get all their clues right, as we have seen over the years. They often catch their mistakes or alternate answers within the game. I doubt that any of them went to seminary, but you never know. These games tend to be recorded well in advance, so its unlikely that the tempest in a teapot responses will make a difference. That would be a sin.