While in congregational ministry we had what were then called intergeneratonal worship services where the "sermon" was presented in dramatic form which would be accessible to all ages. One skit which was used at Thanksgiving was "Stone Soup", based on a tale of stranger who shows up to a village claiming to be able to cook up a delicious soup from a stone. As he proceeds he notes that it would be enhanced by cabbage or onions or carrots, which villagers provide, bit by bit, until the magic of the stone soup is actually the collaborative effort of the community.
This morning I listened to an interview with the Rev. Alexa Gilmour on CBC Radio Metro Morning from Toronto. She helped found the Stone Soup Network in Toronto which reaches out to those on the margins in a city where it can be a challenge to make ends meet for those who are employed, let alone those who are unhoused. She talked with the host about the death of a person on Christmas Day who perished of the cold, while another person died in an encampment fire this past weekend. Shelters and warming centres are filled beyond capacity in Toronto, in practical terms, and more and more people are "living rough" around the city.
Faith leaders within the Stone Soup Network are encouraging citizens of Toronto to let municipal leaders know that shelter and sustenance for the homeless must be a priority in a wealthy city. I was grateful that Alexa put these stories of loss in the context of the Christian story of the birth of the Christ in a stable, and the Christian imperative to see "the least of these" with eyes of compassion and care.
Sudbury Homeless Encampment in Memorial Park
I am so impressed that members of our congregation, Trenton United, support the warming centre in our building through the use of space and volunteer work. Today Ruth will do her weekly shift in the "stone soup" team of volunteers at Bridge St. United, a ministry which feeds lunch to roughly 100 people every day. The dedication of these team members is examplary and the goal is to provide nutritious and tasty food. Ruth mentions the gratitude of those receiving meals nearly every week.
The need is also signficant and requires broader, collaborative solutions. There are encampments around Belleville which we see regularly when we walk, and while they shift locations they have existed for years.
Recently I've spoken with parishioners in congregations I served in the past who say that this has become a reality in their communites, including an encampment in a park adjacent to the church building in Sudbury. In many municipalities across Ontario the crisis of unhoused people is growing and we must be prayerfully aware and civically engaged for better outcomes. https://stonesoupnetwork.ca/
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