The Enduring, Necessary Story of Ruby Bridges

Earlier this month an elementary school in St. Petersburg, Florida, stopped showing a 1998 Disney movie about Ruby Bridges, the 6-year-old Black girl who integrated a public elementary school in New Orleans because of a complaint lodged by a single parent who said she feared the film might teach children that white people hate Black people.

I have been fascinated by the story of the courage and faith of Ruby Bridges for many years, perhaps because I discovered that she had been born exactly one month before me in 1954. a month. How could a contemporary have gone through so much at the same time I was starting school? 

 Ruby was a bright kindergartner in a segregated school who was chosen along with several others to begin attending newly integrated schools in New Orleans in 1959. She was the only child to attend William Frantz Elementary school and on her first day she walked through a phalanx of irate white people. 

Bridges and her mother were escorted to school by four federal marshalls the first day that Bridges attended the school. In the following days of that year, federal marshals continued to escort Ruby while her mother looked after her younger siblings. Because of the objections of white parents Ruby was educated by herself for the first year. On the second day, however, a white student broke the boycott and entered the school when a 34-year-old Methodist minister, Lloyd Anderson Foreman, walked his five-year-old daughter Pam through the angry mob, saying, "I simply want the privilege of taking my child to school ..." 

In New Orleans, a child psychiatrist, Rober Coles witnessed this remarkable, dignified child "walking through a screaming mob to integrate a public school."He volunteered to support and counsel Ruby and her family during this difficult period.and eventually wrote about the experience. As he worked with Ruby he was fascinated by her prayers for those who persecuted her and was convinced that the faith of her family helped to keep her grounded.

Ruby described those first days: 

Mama assured me. “Remember, if you get afraid, say your prayers. You can pray to God anytime, anywhere. He will always hear you.” That was how I started praying on the way to school. The things people yelled at me didn’t seem to touch me. Prayer was my protection. After walking up the steps past the angry crowd, though, I was glad to see Mrs. Henry. She gave me a hug, and she sat right by my side instead of at the big teacher’s desk in the front of the room. Day after day, it was just Mrs. Henry and me, working on my lessons.

There is a concerted effort in a number of US States to suppress education about slavery, racism, and the Civil Rights Movement. Books have been removed from school shelves and teachers have been warned that they could be fired for telling the truth about America's history. In many high schools and colleges Critical Race Theory has been demonized, even though it's critics often don't really know what it is. The large Southern Baptist Convention has been split by the debate about CRT. It's all rather bleak. 

In recent years Ruby Bridges has startled audiences by saying that she feels racism has become worse in some areas than it was in the 1960's. Sadly, it appears that she is prophetic. 

An End to the Doctrine of Discovery

Pope Francis is in the hospital with a respiratory illness and we can all pray for his recovery. He is 86 years old and the demands of Holy Week and Easter are just days away. It takes stamina for any pastor or priest to navigate through this most important eight days in the Christian year, let along for an octogenarian with a wonky knee and only part of one lung. 

While this news from the Vatican has been at the forefront, I would respectfully offer that a much more important story has emerged from the Holy See this morning. This is the announcement that the Roman Catholic Church will rescind the Doctrine of Discovery. This centuries-old doctrine facilitated one of the most egregious land grabs and violations of the rights of Indigenous peoples ever devised. When Pope Francis visited Canada last year on his apology tour it was hoped that this repudiation would be included but it didn't happen. 

I think this portion of the CBC report will do a much better job than I can in describing what this means. I imagine that Indigenous peoples around the world will be exclaiming "finally!" 

The Vatican on Thursday formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands and form the basis of some property law today.

A Vatican statement said the 15th-century papal bulls, or decrees, "did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples" and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.

It said the documents had been "manipulated" for political purposes by colonial powers "to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities."

The statement, from the Vatican's development and education offices, said it was right to "recognize these errors," acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness.

The statement was a response to decades of demands from Indigenous people for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity.

Uganda & Anti-LGBTQ2S+ Legislation

Did you see or hear the news last week about new legislation in the African nation of Uganda which criminalizes LGBTQ2S+ persons simply for identifying as such? In was unnerving to see members of the Ugandan parliament nearly unanimously standing and cheering when the bill which includes the possibility of the death penalty in some circumstances was passed. The law, officially called the Anti-Homosexuality Act, is believed to be the most severe ever introduced in an African country

What I find even more chilling is that this bill is supported by church leaders in Uganda, including some from the Anglican communion. And we know that there has been a concerted effort for years by some evangelicals from the United States to introduce these repressive laws, as well as by Russia. 

Yesterday, US Vice-President Kamala Harris was in another African nation, Ghana, where she discussed human rights, including rights for LGBQ2S+ persons. She is well aware of current proposed legislation before the Ghanaian parliament called the "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Value" -- a bill that would imprison those that identify as LGBTQ2S+ and criminalizes advocacy for LGBTQ rights.

This is all a reminder of the terrible stigmas and misinformation which still exists in our world. When we were sponsoring additional Syrian refugees back in 2016 I suggested to our group that we consider LGBTQ persons but we opted for family reunification, certainly a good choice. Still, nations such as Canada and the United States need to voice opposition to such legislation and provide safe havens for those fleeing persecution. 

Dem Dry Bones & the St. John's Bible

 

Ezekiel 37:1-14 St. John's Bible 

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

             Chorus from Dem Bones 

The Hebrew scripture passage which tells of the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones was read during worship this past Sunday and we even sang Dem Bones, a spiritual written more than a hundred years ago. This got me looking about for art images. The one you see above was created by Donald Jackson for the marvellous St. John's Bible, the first illuminated or illustrated manuscript created in hundreds of years. I've written about it before and I have a copy of the gospels with their fascinating calligraphy and illustrations. 

If you can look closely at the artwork you'll see the contemporary connections. Here is the description of the Dry Bones page from the bible: 

This illumination illustrates Ezekiel 37:10-14, in which God sets Ezekiel in the middle of a valley filled with dry bones, representing a destroyed society cut off from faith. Ezekiel preaches the word of God to the bones, and God promises the bones that He will “put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.” You will find many human bones in this illumination, as well as the figurative bones of civilization.

In The Art of the Saint John's Bible, Susan Sink relates how Donald Jackson began work on this illumination with an Internet search, looking for documentary photos of human suffering.

“The skulls are based on photos taken of genocide and war in Armenia, Rwanda, Iraq, and Bosnia. The piles of broken glass suggest the broken windows caused by car bombs…. At the center is a pile of eyeglasses, a well-known image from the Holocaust. […] For Donald Jackson the waste of ecological disaster is part of the larger image…. The three automobile hulls are one sign of the spiritual death of society.” (Sink, vol. 2, p. 82)

Yet throughout the image we find glimmers of hope. Note the splash of oil on the right-hand page, with a rainbow sheen connecting the dry bones to the exultant rainbow at the top. Remember the gold squares from the Creatoin image?They are present here, indicating divine watchfulness.

Finally, note the seven menorahs, a sign throughout the Saint John’s Bible of creation and covenant. Sink notes: “Here the seven gold and black bars are intersected by arcs that end in points of light. Seven menorahs with seven points of light rise out of and transcend the wreckage and wrongdoings of humankind….” (Sink, vol. 2, p. 83)

Protest and Passover in Israel

 

This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance...

And when your children ask you, ‘What does this observance mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed down and worshiped.

Exodus 12:14, 26-27 NRSVue

After 11 weeks of protest against changes to the judiciary in Israel the last few days have heated up as hundreds of thousands have takem to the streets. In the most recent protests, public figures have joined those opposed to "reforms" which would move Israel's democracy away from vital checks and balances toward a much more authoritarian, government. The current regime is a "deal with the devil" government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under investigation for a variety of crimes. and right-wing Jewish representatives working together. While the changes to the judiciary were not mentioned during the election late last year they have apparently been in the works for years.

We are interested in what is unfolding for a number of reasons, including our scheduled trip to Israel at the end of next week. While we're looking forward to moving around the country without impediment we also understand the importance of this resistance to authoritarianism. 

At one of the weekend rallies one of the speakers used language rooted in the Jewish tradition to describe the struggle. Here is a portion of a report in the Times of Israel:

Speaking at the main rally in Tel Aviv, historian Yuval Noah Harari said civil servants and military forces must obey the courts and not the government, should Israel end up in a constitutional crisis.

Addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harari said: “We know you are responsible for all that is happening… You are not an emissary. You are definitely not an angel. After 2,000 years, we still remember pharaoh. And we will remember you. There’ll be no streets, squares or airports named after you. But we will tell the story of the man who tried to enslave us and failed.”“You are surrounded by people with no backbone. But we have backbones… We will not be slaves. Next year we will be free people,” he added, in a reference to the upcoming Passover holiday.

We will be in Israel during Passover which begins April 5th, and commemorates the meal leading to freedom for the Jewish people from the slavery and oppression of the Egyptian pharoah. I will be sure to share my thoughts on the experience of being there during this momentous time. 

Israelis block the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv during a protest against the government’s planned judicial overhaul, on March 25, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Let's Keep Talking About the End of Life & Christian Faith

 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

                                            John 11:32-36 NRSVue

There have been an overwhelming number of articles, opinion pieces, interviews about Medical Assistance in Dying since the beginning of 2023. I have been doing my best to stay informed and consider the array of issues, but it's difficult to keep up. During our well attended study group on Medical Assistance in Dying last Fall at Trenton United we attempted to consider as many the considerations as possible. We spent a whole session on palliative and hospice care with an excellent guest from Hospice Quinte and then arranged a tour of the facility. 

Some of the voices raising concerns are ethicists, advocates for those with chronic illnesses, psychiatrists, and pastors/theologians. The majority are articulate and asking the questions which need to be asked. No doubt they influenced Justice Minister David Lametti in deferring new legislation on MAiD until March of 2024 which would have allowed assisted death for those with mental illness. It's been suggested, rightly it seems to me, that Canada already has some of the broadest MAiD legislation in the world and the changes would have taken us into a whole new realm. 

One article criticizes the United and Anglican churches for not categorically condemning assisted dying although the author does not bother to quote the offical United Church statement. Nor does he talk about providing opportunities for Christians to enter into conversation on what can be an emotional and contentious subject. He praises the stance of the Roman Catholic church, a denomination in which an Alberta bishop instructed priests not to perform Christian funerals for those who chose MAiD -- how is that for compassion? 

Some critics of MAiD make it sound as though people are being coerced, practically dragged from their homes and summarily executed by heartless MAiD doctors. There doesn't seem to be much discussion of how we have developed medical technology to increase longevity without addressing quality of life. It just isn't helpful. Is it a mortal sin to hasten death for some, but not a sin to medically intervene to extend life for those who suffer? 

I have just finished reading The Last Doctor: Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying by Dr. Jean Marmoreo, with Johanna Schneller. Dr. Marmoreo has been a MAiD provider since it became legal after 40+ years of medical practice. She viewed doing so as a way of continuing the journey of medical care with patients to the end of life, but she prepared herself by spending a year and half in additional training in palliative medicine as part of her preparation.  

When the library let me know the book was available I almost didn't pick it up because there is so much out there on the subject these days. I am now really grateful that I have read it because of Dr. Marmoreo's description of her experience and honesty about her own misgivings and learning along the way, acknowledging the concerns and reservations expressed by many. 

She does not address the religious aspects of this discussion and practice, but I still found it really worthwhile. Marmoreo and Schneller are an excellent story-telling team. Dr. Marmoreo continues in her conviction that MAiD should be an option for Canadians but as a compassionate person and physican she doesn't shie away from the issues, including our lack of societal support for those with chronic health problems. 

Death and grieving death are both grim realities and profound mysteries which we cannot fully comprehend. We hear about this in today's Lenten gospel reading and we are reminded that Jesus, the Christ, our resurrection hope, wept at the loss of his friend. 

In our study group we attempted to explore the subject of Medical Assistance in Dying within the context of our relationship with a God of justice, and a God of mercy. I do hope that the United Church continues to respond to MAiD legislation in this country and that all of us make the effort to be informed.  

The Resurrection of Lazarus --Henry Ossawa Tanner

President Biden in Canada & a Border Agreement

 

Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. Exodus 23:9

  The foreigners residing among you must be treated as native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34

This is the basic rule of thumb: Don’t burden foreigners. Notice that the Scripture gives Israel a reason why — because they knew how it felt to be a foreigner. Israelites were to call on their empathy for refugees because they had been treated cruelly as refugees who were made into slaves in Egypt. They weren’t to cheat them or take advantage of them in any way.

And since we, as believers, were once strangers outside God’s kingdom, we can identify with the idea of not belonging as the reason why we treat refugees or displaced people without discrimination.Treat foreigners or refugees as citizens and with love. 

                                                            from the World Vision website

Canadians seem to like American Democratic presidents, don't they? Barack Obama spoke to our Parliament and it was a love-in, and much the same happened yesterday with Joe Biden. President Agent Orange?...not so much.

President Biden's whirlwind trip to Ottawa was also a working event and there were a few important decisions made about Haiti, Great Lakes protection, NORAD. One which we can all watch has to do with the Safe Third Country Agreement which addresses migration into Canada. In particular, the concern has been the thousands of people from many countries, most in North and South America, who have made irregular crossings into Canada at out-of-the-way Roxham Road in Quebec. There is now a deal in place to close that porous crossing and according to a CBC report; "the deal would see Canada announce openings for 15,000 migrants from the Western Hemisphere to apply to enter the country legally..."

The concern is that closing Roxham Road will put many of those desperate to get into Canada at greater risk by seeking out other irregular access points. In the past few years people have suffered injuries including severe frostbite and a family with childen died of hypothermia attempting to cross the border in Western Canada. 

I tend to pay attention to any stories regarding Roxham Road. When son Isaac began ministry in the Eastern Township we actually crossed into the States while visiting them not far from this area. A friend has been supporting someone who fled Nicaragua who crossed there and has spent years in immigration limbo. After Trump was elected a  cousin in the States asked about Roxham Road on behalf of a Venezualean couple they knew who feared being deported. 

Canada gets a mixed review on immigration during the Trudeau years but I will always be grateful to the Liberal goverment that the church and community group in which I was involved in Belleville was able to welcome nearly two dozen Syrian refugees from the same family following a closed-door policy under the Conservatives. So many faith communities heeded the biblical call to hospitality and welcoming strangers. And many more have done so for Ukrainian refugees.

 The two goverments wasted on time in closing the Roxham Road crossing. As of midnight this was on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada

We should all appreciate that this is a complex issue. Still, I pray that as a country we don't harden our hearts to the plight of the growing number migrants and refugees around the world.

Safe Third Country Agreement remains in effect

The STCA continues to be in effect. Individuals entering Canada across the land border with the US

• are subject to the expanded application announced on March 24, 2023, and
• will be returned to the US unless they meet one of the relevant exceptions under the STCA

Changes to the Safe Third Country Agreement

On March 24, 2023, Canada and the United States announced the expansion of the STCA across the entire land border, including internal waterways. The expansion takes effect as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 25, 2023. If you crossed the border to make an asylum (refugee) claim and don’t meet one of the Agreement’s exceptions, you’ll be returned to the U.S.

Lenten Repentance & the Land Acknowledgement

 

Respectfully, we begin by acknowledging that we are in the ancestral and unceded Traditional Territory of the Algonquin People. We recognize the Algonquins as the stewards of these lands and resources – in the past, in the present and in the future.

Have you heard about the one-person play/monologue called The Land Acknowledgement, or As You Like It, written and performed by Cliff Cardinal?  He is a funny guy and this is a witty and biting Indigenous take on the earnest Land Acknowledgements which are the staple of just about every event these days. From the excerpts I've seen and interviews I've heard, Cardinal points out this can become a form of facile virtue signalling which doesn't require any real work toward truth and reconciliation, not to mention giving land back to the rightful residents. He doesn't hold back on skewering the Roman Catholic church, either. 

I was delighted to hear about this show because of my own impatience and I may figure out a way to see it because there are times when I roll my eyes at these acknowledgements which can be, well, lengthy, and awash in sincerity.

 Don't get me wrong, I have actually employed a Land or Acknowledgment or two myself. I was involved in the Algonquin Park Summer Ministry until recently and I made the contact with the Algonquins of Ontario to ask what what they would like to be said at the beginning of the worship services in the park. After all, this is their traditional land and they have been involved in protracted negotiations with the Ontario government regarding a shared use agreement. I have also included a verbal Land Agreement during Creation Time. 

It's just that in some "the importance of being earnest" congregations there has been a whole lot of wrangling over whether they should be spoken every single week. I shake my head at the fact that most United Church congregations no longer include a psalm each Sunday yet some dutifully read their particular acknowledgement. I'm all for doing more "heavy lifting" when it comes to education and reciprocity, but wouldn't it make more sense to study the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and ask how we can implement them? 

Here is a portion of the Mirvish blurb about The Land Acknowledgement: 

As more people saw the show, it became clear that what Cliff was doing with his new work was examining the relationship between the Indigenous community and the settlers. He was showing us what a young and insightful artist from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation sees in the aftermath of the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools. He was offering us the unvarnished truth of the state of the reconciliation process this country has been attempting for the last few decades. He was using theatre to do what it has always done: to take a few moments and pay attention to someone other than our own selves.

I will continue to read the Land Acknowledgement which goes up on the screen at Trenton United in the scroll before worship. It is an important reminder of "our home on Native land". 

Cardinal's show should nudge us all to revisit the 94 Recommendations and ask how we can be part of repentance (always a worthwhile Lenten theme) and constructive change 

https://www.reconciliationeducation.ca/what-are-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-94-calls-to-action#:~:text=Build%20cultural%20competency%2C%20empathy%2C%20and,to%20advance%20understanding%20of%20reconciliation.

Blessed Ramadan to Canadian Muslims

Midnight Sun Mosque -- Inuvik 

Ramadan Mubarak, or Blessed Ramadan to the nearly five percent of Canadians who are Muslim. Last evening marked the beginning of this month-long period of fasting with the sighting of the crescent moon.

 Muslims believe that Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the holy book Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years ago.During Ramadan Muslims fast from from pre-sunrise to sunset, so anywhere from 12 to 18 hours, depending on where you are in the world. 

Ramadan is also a time to be charitable and there is an emphasis this year in Canada on providing support for those who are food-insecure. One of the organizations is Give 30 and I've written in the past about corresponding with its founderer, Ziyaad Mia.

Ramadan moves around in the calendar and I recall reading a few years ago about the challenges for Muslims living in Canada's Far North when Ramadan occurred nearer the Summer Soltice and the sun barely set each day. The decision was made to follow the daily  schedule for Ottawa to give these folk in the north a break for their fasting regime. 

I appreciate that Ramadan is determined on a lunar rhythm, as is Jewish Passover, and Christian Easter. After the sun sets, moon sighters face west, with a clear view of the horizon to look for the new moon to begin the month. We will be in Israel during the intersection of Ramadan, Pesach, and Easter this year and, needless to say, we hope this will be a calm time as tensions rise in the country which is so important to all three religions. 

I pray that this can be a contemplative season for Muslim observers, and a safe one. We know that Islamaphobia is a reality in Canada with cowardly attacks on Muslim women going about their everyday lives and on mosques where folk engage in prayer.It really is disturbing.  We uphold freedom of religion in this country and becoming better informed moves us toward acceptance and meaningful interfaith dialogue. 

Love Letters to H20 on World Water Day

 

 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and command the rock before their eyes to yield its water. Thus you shall bring water out of the rock for them; thus you shall provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

                            Numbers 20:7-8 NRSVue

There is still a fair amount of snow in the woods in our part of Southern Ontario but many of the streams and rivers are swelling and running vigorously as the days warm. Snow as one form of accumulated precipitation will become another before long, and in a few months we'll be enjoying yet another as vapour rises off lakes and other bodies of water on Summer mornings 

This is World Water Day and Canada is blessed with the holy, small-t trinity of water in a way that few other countries on Earth enjoy.Yet it may be because of the abundance that we are inclined to take drinkable, swimmable, fishable water for granted. 

Keepers of the Water are First Nations, Métis, Inuit, environmental groups, concerned citizens, and communities working together for the protection of water, air, land, and all living things within the Arctic Ocean Drainage Basin. Keepers of the Water understand that clean, fresh water is invaluable to life and the environment for a sustainable, balanced, and just future for the survival of all of the life we share on this incredible planet.

Our daughter-in-law, Rebekah, is just back from the annual retreat for the organization she works for called Our Living Waters which is "a collaborative Network of organizations working together to achieve the ambitious goal of 'all waters in good health by 2030'" As the name and description of purpose suggest their work is to assist the many organizations which address water quality across the country to stay aware of the important work everyone else is doing. 

I want to recognize this day because most religions uphold the sacred nature of water, including Christianity. There are ablution rituals, including bathing, and most Christians baptize believers, some by total immersion in water. Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan and he described himself as Living Water (John 4:10). Indigenous spirituality on different continents recognizes the importance of water and designates Water Keepers. 

I heard an interview with Claudiu Murgan who has a new anthology called Love Letters to Water with 34 contributors from a variety of perspectives. One of them wonders if we should say a prayer each time we drink a glass of water. There was a time when I would have dismissed this as "new agey" but knowing what we do about the disregard for precious water and its increasing scarcity, saying that prayer might bring us back to our senses. 

Here is the Toronto Star link to an article by Andrew Stegemann, executive director of Waters for Life which addresses, the perils, possibilities, and imperatives of water stewardship 

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/03/17/canada-has-a-moral-and-societal-obligation-to-invest-in-fresh-water.html

Christi Belcourt 

Iraqi Christians, 20 Years On

 

Iraqi Christians 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  

But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also,  and if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well, and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.  Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.  

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...

Matthew 5: 38-44 NRSVue

Iraqi Christians are threatened with extinction 20 years after the US-led invasion

This is the grim headline from an opinion piece by Natasha Dado published as part of the widespread journalistic response to the 20th anniversary of the commencement of the Iraqi War. 

The United States launched a "shock and awe" attack on Baghdad on the basis of faulty intelligence regarding "weapons of mass destruction" (they didn't exist.) The subsequent invasion of Iraq by the "Coalition of the Willing and the ouster of despot Saddam Hussein was declared a victory by President George W. Bush but proved to be a protracted disaster for the Iraqi people, undermined global confidence in the United States, and likely destabilized the region. 

Dado's piece describes the ancient history of Christians in Iraq and that this small minority group speaks Aramaic, the language. This subject is personal for her, with family members murdered and her mother's church bombed in 2010 with loss of life. Ironically, under Saddam Christians had felt safer and enjoyed more religious freedom and protections. In the lawless world created by the invasion Isis identified members of the faith by marking homes belonging to Christians with the letter “N” for Nazarene – Arabic for Christian.

As a Catholic Iraqi American, I have watched from afar as my culture and heritage slowly disappear. Indeed, since the start of the war, the Christian population has reportedly diminished by more than 80 per cent, from an estimated 1.5 million to 250,000, according to Christian leaders as well as NGO and media reports. More than 350 churches have been destroyed in attacks carried out by terrorists during this period.

The irony is that peace-seeking Iraqi Christians were made vulnerable to persecution and death by supposedly enlightened Christians seeking revenge for the 911 attacks which occurred half a world away. I am grateful that Prime Minister Jean Chretien was unwilling to involve Canada in this ill-fated war, despite the pressure and scorn.  

You may recall President Bush pronouncing the name of the country as "Eye-rack" even as he and American leaders were blind to what to the realities of the region and the havoc they were creating. Years later Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed regret for his part in the invasion, but few others have. 

The saying that "an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind" certainly applies here, don't you think? On this sombre anniversary we can pray for the Iraqi Christians who remain. 

Wonderful, Fruity, Copenhagen

 

 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. 

On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  

Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  

And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

              Revelation 22: 1-5 NRSVue

Well folks, I'm going for the hat-trick -- three days in a row where I'm reflecting primarily on passages of scripture. 

I saw recently that the city of Copenhagen, Denmark is planting tree and shrubs which bear fruit. There is already a project to plant trees at childcare centres and the plan is to put more trees and shrubs along municipal streets to connect people with literally low hanging fruit. Here is one description:

Copenhagen set to plant hundreds of communal fruit trees on city streets

Copenhagen’s city council recently voted to plant public fruit trees, including blackberry bushes and apple trees, in a variety of public green spaces such as playgrounds, cemeteries, churchyards, parks, sports facilities, etc., in an effort to reconnect people with local flora and food. For Astrid Aller, a Copenhagen City Councilor from the Socialist People’s Party who helped spearhead the initiative, this interactive urban orchard is a way of connecting residents to their communities. “We think of the city as something that we all own,” she told Atlas Obscura. “We want all this collectively owned area to be something that people can use and interact with.” 

I like the church property idea and, actually, a few weeks ago I spoke with a Trenton UC member about the possibility of planting a few trees on our steep lawn, which can't be used for much else. Well, why not fruit trees? 

When I read the article I thought of the passage from the last book of the Christian bible, the Revelation of John, and the last chapter. The bible begins in a garden (Genesis) and concludes in a garden (Revelation) but the latter is in the new Jerusalem, an urban setting. John's vision of this city includes a river with crystal clean water, and a variety of fruit trees, and no street lights blocking the stars.This is my idea of heaven!

There are plenty of Christians hoping for this "new heaven and a new Earth" and see it as exclusively a future promise. Why can't we get with the program now, in our commitment to "living with respect in Creation"? (A New Creed UCC)

Oh yes, my apologies to Danny Kaye for this blog title. 

I see a new heaven. I see a new earth

as the old one will pass away,

where the fountain of life flows and without price goes

to all people who abide in the land.

1 There, there on the banks of a river bright and free,

yielding her fruit, firm in her root, the Tree of Life will be.  R

                                          Voices United 713

Wonderful, Fruity, Copenhagen

In Praise of Lengthy Scripture Passages

                                               

                                             Christ Healing A Man Blind From Birth -- Brian Kershisnik

 As he walked along, [Jesus] saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.  We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 

 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9:1-5 NRSVue

 During Lent this year the gospel lessons for most Sundays are from John. We hear three one-on-one-ish encounters, the nighttime meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus, the healing of a man blind from birth (today), and the exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well -- his longest conversation with anyone in the gospels. The finale in these stories, next Sunday on Lent 5,  is the raising of Lazarus from the dead which includes a much bigger cast of characters.  

These are all fascinating, sometimes complex and even mystical moments. They are also lengthy, some might say looonnnnggg. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, and they aren't overly long, because the stories need length to tell them well. But we aren't accustomed to lots of scripture in worship services anymore. As I have noted, few congregations include a psalm now, which we always used to do as a form of responsive praise and prayer. For essentially all of my ministry I took a sort of "one from column A, one from column B" approach with either a Hebrew scripture passage or an epistle reading which were part of the lectionary, or table of lessons. Then a gospel passage, nearly always because we are Gospel people. 

                                                           Woman at the Well -- Bryn Gillette 

These Lenten passages are a unique challenge because of their length, and last week the story of the Woman at the Well was somewhat abbreviated and divided into two portions in our congregation. It was a good approach because there was still lots to chew on. 

To make things a little more complicated for next week, the Hebrew scripture passage is the wonderful Valley of the Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37, to accompany the "prequel" resurrection story of the raising of Lazarus. 

When I've visited some evangelical congregations through the years I've been surprised at how little scripture there is even though they claim to be "bible-believing." Long messages to be sure, but not a lot of bible. I hope we're not going to travel too far down that road. 

There is an irony that the word Lent means "lengthen" at a time when we are inclined to shorten in order to hold people's attention. What do we do in a time when many of us are afflicted with "monkey mind" when it comes to just about anything? Perhaps a new parable -- Jesus heals the terminally distracted. 

                                                     The Raising of Lazarus -- John Reilly

Psalm 23 & Our Life-breath

    

The LORD is my shepherd,

                              I shall not want.

    In grass meadows He makes me lie down,

                              by quiet waters guides me.

    My life He brings back.

                              He leads me on pathways of justice

                                             for His name's sake.

    Though I walk in the vale of death's shadow,

                              I fear no harm,

                                             for You are with me.

    Your rod and Your staff—

                              it is they that console me.

    You set out a table before me

                              in the face of my foes.

    You moisten my head with oil,

                              my cup overflows.

    Let but goodness and kindness pursue me

                              all the days of my life.

    And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

                              for many long days.

Robert Alter, "Psalm 23" from The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. 

Copyright © 2007 by Robert Alter. 

During our Psalm Study at Trenton United Church I encouraged participants to read the lectionary psalm for the day and I've attempted to keep up the practice since the study concluded weeks ago. On Thursday the psalm switched to 23, which is probably the most familiar of all, even to those who wouldn't consider themselves religious. This will also be the psalm for this coming Sunday in Lent. 

I decided to look at Hebrew scholar Robert Alter's version and to read the commentary he provides. His translation and insight brought a freshness to my understanding of what could be a "whatever" experience of this psalm:

3. My life He brings back. Although "He restoreth my soul" is time-honored, the Hebrew nefesh does not mean "soul" but "life-breath" or "life". The image is of someone who has almost stopped breathing and is revived, brought back to life. 

I found this meaningful given what we have been through with the COVID-19 pandemic and reports of those who were gravely sick and dying unable to breath. As I continue to read about Medical Assistance in Dying I am also mindful of the experience of the physicians "calling" death after breathing ceases. We are living on a planet which is developing a sort of COPD with an increasing number of de-oxygenated dead zones in oceans and other bodies of water. Our forests are being cut at an alarming rate even though we depend upon them for oxygen. 

The ability to draw in our life-breath can't be taken for granted, even though our lungs and diaphram do so without much thought on our part, 12-16 times a minute. 

I've never thought about Psalm 23 as an aid to meditative prayer but "my life (breath) he brings back" is a mantra for health and wholeness as individuals, communities, our beloved Planet Earth.