Walking Together, a Year Later

 

Pope Francis in Canada, July 2022

Near the end of July a year ago Pope Francis concluded a cross-country "penitential pilgrimage" to address what he admitted was the evil perpetrated against Indigenous peoples and persons through the Residential School System. These six days followed a visit by Indigenous leaders and representatives to the Vatican earlier in the year. Other Christian denominations were complicit in running these institutions of indoctrination and cultural genocide but the Roman Catholic church was the slowest to acknowledge responsibility, repent, and apologize.

A year later the question remains about what actually changed as a result of this tour. I've listened to several Indigneous leaders and journalists, some of whom went to the Vatican, and took part in the events in Alberta, Quebec, and Nunavat. Some of have been blunt in saying that not enough has transpired toward practical healing and reconciliation. Others have been remarkably gracious but agree that the pace of change and reparation has been far too slow. 

The $30 million reconciliation fund is only a third of the way toward fulfillment even though a campaign to raise $300 million for building restoration continues. The Vatican is reluctant to repatriate artifacts and sacred objects in its collection, many which aren't on display, claiming that these were gifts from Indigenous communities over time. 

Leaders also called for the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery a 1455 papal bull which was essentially sanctified evil. It authorized the conquest and enslavement of non-Christian Indigenous Peoples for the purposes of land acquisition and profit from natural resources. It was repudiated in March of this year but with an unsettling and disingenuous proviso: 

The ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ is not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church. Historical research clearly demonstrates that the papal documents in question, written in a specific historical period and linked to political questions, have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.

This may technically be true, but it is a dishonest assertion in any meaningful way, given the license it gave to explorers, armies, and prosyletizers over the course of five centuries. 

The bishops of Canada released this statement to mark the first anniversary of Pope Francis' visit to mark what has happened before, during, and since he was here:

In the time since Pope Francis’ visit, the Canadian Bishops released four pastoral letters on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples: to the First Nations, to the Inuit, to the Metis, and to the People of God. These letters came as a result of several months of encounters with Indigenous Peoples at the local level, through Listening Circles, the Indigenous delegation to the Vatican in April of 2022 and Pope Francis’ historic visit to the country in July.

Again, Indigenous leaders state that the progress toward reconciliation is simply too slow, especially for older victims of the system and that there hasn't been meaningful discussion of Land Back which Canada Council for the Arts chair Jesse Wente describes as “about the decision-making power. It’s about self-determination for our Peoples here that should include some access to the territories and resources in a more equitable fashion, and for us to have control over how that actually looks.”

What will year two of healing and reconciliation look like? We can pray that the Roman Catholic church picks up the pace in "walking together, and that the journey it is more urgent, honest, and practical. 

Kingdom Parables & Theobros

 [Jesus] put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." 

                   Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 NRSVue

A theobro is a conservative male, nearly always evangelical  (likely evangelical) obsessed with arguing Christian theology with others, often on Twitter. Theobro is the result of the combination of "theology" and "bro."

Have you heard the term "theobro"? As the definition describes, it's usually guys trotting out eye-rolling explanations of why they are right and everyone else is wrong, theologically, especially when it comes to the role of women in the Body of Christ. The Internet has given voice to this gang who are often circling like vultures around the social media presence of anyone who has a different point of view. It's astounding how imperious and malevolent they can be as "defenders of the faith."

I thought about the theobros when I read today's gospel passage in the midst of Ordinary Time, deep in the heart of summer. 

Jesus is mainsplaining deep theological principles with other self-appointed theologians. Oh, wait, he isn't at all. In fact, he rarely engages in theological duels anywhere in the gospels, instead telling stories or answering trick questions with enigmatic yet incisive questions of his own.

Here in Matthew he does some "throw spaghetti at the wall until something sticks" parable-telling. And while the gospel-writer may have made his own choices about gathering the parables together in this fashion there is something almost amusing about the "did you hear the one about" rapid succession of earthy, relatable stories about the way of God's reign -- no oie-in-the-sky-when-we-die here. Even at the conclusion, when Jesus asks if they understand what he's driving at, he throws in one more for good measure. 

Don't get me wrong, I am convinced that there is a time for theological explication and through the decades I've been concerned that we've drifted away from both an educated clergy and membership, although I've seen how laypersons are often eager to learn. 

That said, Jesus was not a theobro. We do need to remind ourselves that Jesus loved a good story, and even employed the leaven of humour. 

Say, did you hear about the theobro filter for social media? I wish... 

                                                  A Theobro in his natural habitat...wrong finger? 

The Honesty of Sinead O'Connor

 

Until the philosophy,

Which holds one race superior
And another inferior,
Is finally and permanently
Discredited and abandoned,
Everywhere is war.

Until there is no longer first class
Or second class citizens of any nation.
Until the color of a man's skin,
Is of no more significance than
The color of his eyes,
I've got to say "war".

That until the basic human rights,
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race,
I'll say "war"

Until that day the dream of lasting peace,
World-citizenship and the rule of
International morality will remain
Just a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never obtained.
And everywhere is war.

Until the ignoble and unhappy regime
Which holds all of us through,
Child-abuse, yeah, child-abuse yeah,
Sub-human bondage has been toppled,
Utterly destroyed,
Everywhere is war.

War in the east,
War in the west,
War up north,
War down south,
There is war,
And the rumors of war.

Until that day,
There is no continent,
Which will know peace.

War -- Bob Marley (see below as well)

When the rock musician Prince died seven years ago I was reminded of his immense talent even though I was never much of a fan -- I'm not sure why. When I heard of the death of singer Sinead O'Connor a few days ago it was much the same. Great voice and a huge hit in Nothing Compares 2 U, which it turns out was written by Prince. 

I was more aware of how odd O'Connor seemed to be with with her shaved head and performances which poked various institutions in the eye. The most provocative I recall was on Saturday Night Live in 1992 when she sang a striking version of Bob Marley's War to close out the show. She replaced some lyrics with the words "child abuse" and held up a photo of Pope John Paul II and tore it into pieces, looking straight into the camera. "Fight the real enemy," she said. Apparently this gesture earned her a ban from Saturday Night Live and there was no end of backlash. I naively thought she was rude and perhaps unfair to the pontiff. 

Here's the reality. She was correct. Unbenownst to the world the Roman Catholic Church had been covering up tens of thousands of abuse cases in Ireland alone by that time. In the past year concerns have been expressed that John Paul II covered up paedophilia when he was a cardinal in his native Poland. It is the terrible blight of Roman Catholicism and it was hidden for far too long. Although Pope Francis has moved toward greater honesty and accountability he has also made some egregious errors, for which he has apologized personally and repented for on behalf of the church. 

O'Connor was also open through the years about her struggles with mental illness, and she once posted a suicide note on Facebook, although she was found and received medical assistance.Last year she lost a son to suicide, a terrible blow. She died suddenly at age 56 without a cause of death established, so far. Some of her friends have called out the hypocrisy of some of the tributes, including musician Morrisey:

The press will label artists as pests because of what they withhold … and they would call Sinead sad, fat, shocking, insane … oh but not today! Music CEOs who had put on their most charming smile as they refused her for their roster are queuing-up to call her a 'feminist icon,' and 15 minute celebrities and goblins from hell and record labels of artificially aroused diversity are squeezing onto Twitter to twitter their jibber-jabber … when it was YOU who talked Sinead into giving up … because she refused to be labelled, and she was degraded, as those few who move the world are always degraded."

Children, children.

Fight!
We find it necessary.
We know we will win.
We have confidence in the victory
Of good over evil

Fight the real enemy!

The Era of Global Boiling?

Have you been wondering why my blog posts have been later in the day this summer? No? I'll do some 'splainin' anyway. We are early risers so we get out for a paddle or a cycle as early as we can. We enjoy the solitude and the birdsong, and this morning we communed with the green herons, the kingfishers, the turtles, and --wait for it -- a family of otters. 

We also head out at our version of the crack of dawn to beat the heat. As we slid into the Moira River at 7:30 it was a pleasant 21C but by this afternoon it will be 29C and feel closer to forty. That is still mild compared to many places on the planet where actual temperatures are exceeding 40C and some flirting with 50C. Even affluent people are becoming prisoners within their homes and air-conditioning while the poor and elderly are often succumbing to the deadly heat.

Earlier this week UN secretary general, António Guterres shared that scientists have confirmed that this July is on track to be the planet's hottest month on record. In fact, it is probably the hottest in 120,000 years. 

Guterres also pronounced that the era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived.”The term "global warming" can sound almost benign, incremental rather than catastrophic. There is no doubt about global boiling though. It immediately conjures up the image of the frog who stays in a pot of water with the temperature rising until it expires, except that we humans have are hands on the controls of the stove and are also in the saucepan. 

As huge swaths of our country and many others are consumed by wildfires and iconic tourist attractions are closed because of the heat risk I also think of a speech made in 2019 by a then 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, the Swedish cllmate activist whose solitary protest spawned a world-wide movement. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland she "spoke truth to power", beginning with the words; "our house is on fire, I am here to say, our house is on fire."

As with many truth-tellers and prophetis, including those from the bible, Greta Thunberg has been mocked and denigrated, dismissed as being a child who should be in school or delusional because of being on the autism spectrum. Among the truth-haters was the former president of the United States, the insurrectionist now being charged for obstruction of justice. 

We heard the frogs as well during our paddle this morning and this was heavenly music to our aging ears. They haven't reached the boiling point yet, even though Creation is in crisis. 

Creator God, open our eyes, our ears, our hearts to the truth about this wondrous world. 

At the risk of including too much in one blog entry, here is the entirety of Thunberg's address in Davos, her forceful and discomfiting call to action. 

Our house is on fire. I am here to say, our house is on fire.

According to the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], we are less than 12 years away from not being able to undo our mistakes. In that time, unprecedented changes in all aspects of society need to have taken place, including a reduction of our CO₂ emissions by at least 50%.

And please note that those numbers do not include the aspect of equity, which is absolutely necessary to make the Paris agreement work on a global scale. Nor does it include tipping points or feedback loops like the extremely powerful methane gas being released from the thawing Arctic permafrost.

At places like Davos, people like to tell success stories. But their financial success has come with an unthinkable price tag. And on climate change, we have to acknowledge we have failed. All political movements in their present form have done so, and the media has failed to create broad public awareness.

But Homo sapiens have not yet failed.

Yes, we are failing, but there is still time to turn everything around. We can still fix this. We still have everything in our own hands. But unless we recognise the overall failures of our current systems, we most probably don’t stand a chance.

We are facing a disaster of unspoken sufferings for enormous amounts of people. And now is not the time for speaking politely or focusing on what we can or cannot say. Now is the time to speak clearly.

Solving the climate crisis is the greatest and most complex challenge that Homo sapiens have ever faced. The main solution, however, is so simple that even a small child can understand it. We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases.

Either we do that or we don’t.

You say nothing in life is black or white. But that is a lie. A very dangerous lie. Either we prevent 1.5 degree [Celsius] of warming or we don’t. Either we avoid setting off that irreversible chain reaction beyond human control or we don’t. Either we choose to go on as a civilisation or we don’t. That is as black or white as it gets. There are no grey areas when it comes to survival.

Now we all have a choice. We can create transformational action that will safeguard the future living conditions for humankind. Or we can continue with our business as usual and fail.

That is up to you and me.

Some say we should not engage in activism. Instead we should leave everything to our politicians and just vote for a change instead. But what do we do when there is no political will? What do we do when the politics needed are nowhere in sight?

Here in Davos – just like everywhere else – everyone is talking about money. It seems that money and growth are our only main concerns.

And since the climate crisis has never once been treated as a crisis, people are simply not aware of the full consequences on our everyday life. People are not aware that there is such a thing as a carbon budget, and just how incredibly small that remaining carbon budget is. And that needs to change today.

No other current challenge can match the importance of establishing a wide, public awareness and understanding of our rapidly disappearing carbon budget, that should and must become our new global currency and the very heart of future and present economics.

We are now at a time in history where everyone with any insight of the climate crisis that threatens our civilisation – and the entire biosphere – must speak out in clear language, no matter how uncomfortable and unprofitable that may be.

We must change almost everything in our current societies. The bigger your carbon footprint is, the bigger your moral duty. The bigger your platform, the bigger your responsibility.

Adults keep saying: “We owe it to the young people to give them hope.” But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.

I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house is on fire. Because it is.

Tisha B'Av and Democracy in Israel

 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;

    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
    a light to the nations,
7     to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.

            Isaiah 42:6-7 NRSVue 

Since our April trip to Israel I have been more aware of Jewish celebrations and commemorations.

Yesterday evening marked the beginning of Tisha B’Av (the Ninth of Av), an annual fast day in Judaism. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date. With the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans the holy items for religious observance may have been pillaged and carted away to Rome, as pictured above on a bas relief from the Arch of Titus. 

In our time the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is home to the Al Aksa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, a source of major contention between Muslims and Orthodox Jews. The Western Wall is Herod's 2000-year-old retaining wall for the Second Temple platform and a place of prayer for observant Jews. 

When I saw the reminder about Tisha B'Av it occurred to me that the nation of Israel which was re-established 75 years ago is in peril of falling once again, this time ideologically. When modern Israel came into being David Ben Gurion spoke about becoming a moral beacon, quoting from Isaiah and the call to be "a light to the nations."

There is a bleak irony that this fast day is taking place in the same week that the Israeli parliament passed legislation which is more gloom than illumination, drastically limiting the scope of the Supreme Court and, in the minds of many, destroying democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in protest and there was a rally a few days ago which filled the plaza in front of the Western Wall, the base of the Temple Mount.

 Sadly, some members of the current coalition government are from ultra-right Jewish parties which have no respect for those from other religions, including Christians, and are contemptuous of Palestinians. Today one of those ministers led a thousand nationalists setters to the Al Aksa compound, even though these provocative acts are forbidden by the Chief Rabbi. 

We can pray that sight will be restored to the leadership of a nation which is in peril of losing its way, and that Israel can be that beacon of light, both within its borders and to the world. 

Leprosy and the Lazaretto

                                                                   The Rich Man and Lazarus 

  “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,  who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 

 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

Luke 16: 19-26 NRSVue 

Yesterday I wrote about reading The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese's story of a family in India across three generations, from British colony to independence and through two world wars. I mentioned that leprosy and care for those with the affliction are recurring themes and essential to the sage. 

When I think of leprosy the story of Jesus and the ten lepers comes to mind. Through the centuries those with leprosy have been social outcasts, in part because of the fear of contagion, which is actually low, and because of disfigurement for the sufferers. Hansen's disease or leprosy affects nerve endings and removes the "gift of pain" which would warn patients of potential damage to digits and limbs. 

                                                      

                                                            Ten Lepers Healed -- Brian Kershisnik 

In The Covenant of Water a physician named Rune Orqvist has a nighttime vision which leads him to re-establish a derelict leprosarium, reclaiming it from the jungle, working alongside those with leprosy who have lost family and livelihood because of their disease. 

Another term used for the community is lazaretto, which intrigued me. I did some sleuthing, aka snooping on the internet,  and It turns out that this is a 16th century Italian word for a ship or colony established for those with infectious diseases or who must be quarantined. 

While it might refer to the friend of Jesus named Lazarus, who was raised from the dead in John 11 it is more likely a reference to the other Lazarus in the gospels, although this one is a figure in a parable of Jesus. An afflicted man who seeks mercy in the life to come receives it, while a haughty wealthy man is turned away. It's one of the few times where Jesus serves up some "hellfire and brimstone" in his teaching.

This Lazarus was venerated as a patron saint of lepers, even though he was not an actual person, and in the 12th century crusaders founded the Order of Saint Lazarus. 

Who knew? Well, now some of us do!

The Covenant of Water & St. Thomas Christians

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper...

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

                                         2 Kings 5:1, 10 King James Version 

 I ministered in Sudbury, Ontario for eleven years and all during that time the pastor with a small United Church congregation not far away was the same person. He was originally from India and on several occasions through the years he reminded me that he came from the St. Thomas tradition of Christianity in his homeland. He would say that the journey by the disciple Thomas, who is often unfairly labelled at Doubting Thomas, was one of the first evangelist ventures of the early church. It's claimed that Thomas died in Madras, India, in 53 CE. 

I've just finished the novel The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese, a 715 page magnum opus set in India. Verghese is a physician and a professor at Stanford Medical School who weaves his medical knowledge throughout the three generations of the story of a family, beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Verghese was born in Ethiopia to Indian parents who were teachers and Christians from the Syriac tradition which traces its origins to the 1st century and Thomas. In India they are known as St. Thomas Christians and while they are a relatively tiny entity in a country whose population exceeds 1.4 billion souls there are still roughly 6 million of them.

                                                                    Mar Thoma/ St. Thomas Cross 

The family tradition in The Covenant of Water is St. Thomas Christian and in some respects this is a remarkably Christian book. It does not set out to proselytise, nor does it overlook the inconsistencies and hypocrises of this "brand" of Christian, yet it is also a loving and nuanced representation of a sustaining faith. 

From the outset I was quite taken by the references to scripture and the importance of prayer along the way, some of them subtle and evidence of a ready awareness of biblical stories (all taken from the KJV), as well as blessings for important occasions. In his notes at the end of the novel Verghese mentions that he drew upont the liturgies and prayer books of the St. Thomas tradition. The scourge of leprosy is a recurring theme in the saga and Verghese makes passing reference to the dramatic story of Naaman, a Syrian commander, and the timid prophet Elisha. 

I'll confess that I'm pleased with myself for completing the novel given the "monkey mind"realities of our social media, "four minute read" society. I just don't focus the way I once did but this is a compelling, inventive, satisfying story. 

                                                    The Incredulity of Saint Thomas -- Caravaggio 

The United Church & a Call to Search the Landfill

                                 

                                        Credit: Art: (c) Ariwasabi | Dreamstime.com, (c) Slay19 | Dreamstime.com

Last week I wrote a blog entry about the calls to search a landfill in Manitoba for the remains of two Indigenous women were were murdered. I admitted that I wasn't sure if I supported this initiative while conceding that Indigenous leaders and others I respect feel is would be the moral and ethical thing to do. I wondered if the United Church of Canada would make a statement and hoped that it would. https://lionlamb-bowmanville.blogspot.com/2023/07/search-landfills.html

I received this UCC press release today and while I'm not sure it addresses my ambivalence I'm grateful that the United Church has issued a response. In the end I may realize that I've been wrong, but it won't be the first time. I figured I should share it with you, patient readers. 

The United Church Calls on Manitoba to Search the Landfill

Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were murdered in 2022, and their bodies were left in a Winnipeg landfill. Morgan and Marcedes’ families and communities have been calling for a search of the landfill ever since, and the province has refused. The federal government will not take action alone.

 Landfill searches for non-Indigenous murder victims have been successfully undertaken in the past, yet Manitoba remains unwilling to act in this case. This is an act of racism, and demonstrates a lack of humanity. It has emboldened others to commit racist acts against those calling for the basic dignity that has been afforded to others to be shown for Morgan and Marcedes.

 

The United Church of Canada believes that the inherent dignity of every human being must be respected. In life, and now in death, Morgan, Marcedes, and thousands of other missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirit people have been denied the dignity and respect that they deserve.

 

In December 2022, the Rev. Michael Blair, General Secretary, wrote to Winnipeg Chief of Police Danny Smyth asking that he revisit his decision to not search the Prairie Green landfill at that time. The Prairie-to-Pine Regional Council has just released a statement calling for members to raise the issue with officials and contact their local MLAs.

We call on the government to bring Morgan and Marcedes home to their loved ones.

We are in solidarity with Camp Morgan and Camp Marcedes in Winnipeg. #SearchTheLandfill

Judicial Independence & Protesters at the Western Wall

 

                                           Protesters at the Western Wall in Jerusalem this morning 

It's hard to believe that tomorrow marks three months to the day from our return to Canada after a varied  and beautiful trip to Israel. We flew there on Good Friday and had discussions with Ruth's sister and brother-in-law for a Plan B if they couldn't get to the airport to pick us up. There had months weeks of huge public protests which included blockage of the highway to Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv, not far from where they live.

Fortunately for us, the protests against sweeping changes to the Supreme Court were suspended when the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced that the legislation would be tabled until the next session of the Knesset. The majority of Israelis are concerned that these changes will undermine an independent judiciary and democracy.

When we arrived in Israel we drove immediately to Jerusalem and while we were offered a rest day we had a quick nap and hit the streets of the old city. Eventually we were in the plaza at the base of the Western Wall where orthodox Jews go to pray. The area was busy because it was Passover, and we were aware of a large police and military presence. It was also was also Ramadan and Muslims were gathered in large numbers at the Al Aksa mosque, just above the plaza. 

This morning Israelis were out again in the hundreds of thousands with the vote on the changes likely taking place tomorrow. The plaza at the Western Wall was filled again, this time with protesters. This assembly marks the conclusion of a five-day march across the country by thousands. They know that this is a spiritual issue as well as political and a complication is that lots of ultra-orthodox Jews, including some cabinet ministers, support the limiting of judicial power. 

Nations around the world have expressed their concern and opposition to the trend of this government,  which has been defiant. We can offer our own prayers today and during the week before us. 

Barbenheimer & a Three-Person'd God

 

Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend

Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

I, like an usurp'd town to another due,

Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;

Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,

But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,

But am betroth'd unto your enemy;

Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,

Take me to you, imprison me, for I,

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

  Batter my heart, three-person'd God -- John Donne

Barbenheimer. Who knew that this would be a trending phrase in the summer of 2023? It refers to yesterday's release of two films which have already received strong reviews and are now in theatres everywhere -- yes, even Belleville. 

We may go to see the Barbie film with its supposed feminist vibe despite the concerns we had as earnest parents of two daughters about the body image projected by their collection of dolls which may still be around somewhere. The Barbie of the late 50s was essentially the first doll which wasn't an infant or a child and over the years her persona changed to reflect the different decades.

We will definitely take in Oppenheimer, a brooding biopic of the figure who was central to bringing the atomic bomb into being. Robert Oppenheimer was a physicist who eventually regretted his involvement in what was known as the Manhattan Project, brought to fruition in the high desert of New Mexico. The test before the bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was called Trinity, which borders on blasphemous given the destruction which was unleashed. The website for the Los Alamos National Laboratory includes this description of Oppenheimer's use of the term Trinity: 

As he had done throughout his life, Oppenheimer continued to foster his love of literature during the Manhattan Project. Two of his influences were John Donne and the Hindu scripture "Bhagavad-Gita." Oppenheimer recalled both during the Trinity test.

John Donne and Trinity 

Seventeenth-century poet John Donne was one of Oppenheimer’s favorite writers and an inspiration during his work with the Manhattan Project. 

In 1962, Manhattan Project leader Gen. Leslie Groves wrote to Oppenheimer to ask about the origins of the name Trinity. According to a copy of the letter that is a part of the collections of the Lab’s National Security Research Center, Oppenheimer said, “Why I chose the name is not clear, but I know what thoughts were in my mind. There is a poem of John Donne, written just before his death, which I know and love.” Oppenheimer then quoted the sonnet “Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness” about a man unafraid to die because he believed in resurrection.

Oppenheimer continued, “That still does not make a Trinity, but in another, better known devotional poem Donne opens, ‘Batter my heart, three person’d God.’ Beyond this, I have no clues whatever.” “Batter my heart” expresses the paradox that by being chained to God, the narrator can be set free. A great force could enthrall the narrator to do greater good. Richard Rhodes, who wrote the book "The Making of the Atomic Bomb," proposed that “the bomb for [physicist Niels] Bohr and Oppenheimer was a weapon of death that might also end war and redeem mankind.”

John Donne poetry and the Bhagavad-Gita? I have to learn more, and I'm willing to sit through a three-hour film to further my education. 

No Place for Hatred Toward Jews

                                                            Word of Life Synagogue Victims

The trial for the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 continues in a Pittsburgh courtroom with testimony from those who survived, including injured police officers. This was a horrendous act of anti-semiticism, the worst in US history. The perpetrator's hatred was fuelled by conspiracy theories about Jews which are rampant on the internet.Some of the victims' family members want the death penalty while others consider capital punishment as contrary to their religious values. 

While the trial has progressed there has been another story of anti-semiticism swirling around, this one involving Robert Kennedy Jr., a member of the fabled family which includes JFK and Robert's father, Bobby. This Kennedy was the founder of the admirable organization called Waterkeeper Alliance which has done tremendous work to "protect rivers, lakes, bays, sounds, and other water bodies around the world." There are Waterkeepers organizations in Canada and I invited one of their staff to speak at Bridge St, Church on a Sunday morning. 

Sadly, Kennedy has drifted into bizarre conspiracy theories and bogus science in recent years, including the discredited connection between vaccines and autism. Several of his family members, including a sister, have denounced his nuttiness.

                                                    Robert Kennedy illustration from The Atlantic 

 In April Kennedy announced that he was running for the presidential nomination as a Democrat, which has sent shudders through the party because of his controversial views. At a gathring last week he claimed that the coronavirus could have been a bioweapon developed to affect some groups and to spare others. Here is a portion of what he said, filmed by an attendee: 

There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. Covid-19 attacks certain races disproportionately.  “Covid-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”

Keep in mind that at least a million people in China, probably many more, died of COVID. A Jewish writer from New York City has noted that Jews were accused of spreading the virus even though many died in that city. 

After the fact, Kennedy vehemently denied saying these things, even though the film footage is clear. Once again family members have condemned his remarks and distanced themselved from him. 

Why am I connecting these two stories? One could be construed as the actions of an insane "lone wolf" who engaged in terrible violence. But the other is chilling as well. Kennedy is a person of influence who has an audience which presumably listens as though he is speaking in an informed and straightforward way. Both involve vile anti-Jewish lies and are connected to a hatred which goes back two millennia. often promulgated by the followers of Jesus, who was himself a Jew. 

I am reminded, as a Christian, that I must take every opportunity to speak against what is a deadly virus of misinformation, There is no place for hate. 

                                                                         

                                                                            Word of Life Synagogue