Clergy Witnesses in Frigid Minneapolis

 

                                          Clergy on the street in Minneapolis 

 “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native-born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Levitcus 19: 33-34 NRSVue 

This photo  probably resonates with Canadians who are experiencing a blast of Winter weather at the moment. Today thousands of US clergy are gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota as part of a broader protest against the pestilential invasion of the city by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). These masked marauders are usually masked, aren't willing to show identification, and have been given draconian powers to arrest persons they feel are "illegals", sometimes breaking into homes without warrants and even using lethal force. The agents have stormed places of worship and courthouses, hosptials and schools,  with impunity. 

Those who are taking part in today's organized protest must be aware that there could be consequences for their peaceful and lawful assembly including being gassed and/or arrested. Many of them have come equipped with whistles to blow as ICE agents show up and some are live-streaming arrests. They are doing their best to be witnesses to truth rather than lies and 

We can pray for these faith leaders, the pastors and priests and rabbis who know that what is unfolding is contrary to the message of the biblical prophets and the Good News of Jesus Christ. I admire their courage and hope we never come to this sorry reality in Canada. 

Clergy observe and document the actions of immigration enforcement agents, Jan. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)

Sentimental Value in a Snowstorm

 

Yesterday afternoon we ventured out in the snow with a surprising number of other oldsters to watch the acclaimed Norwegian film, Sentimental Value. A lot of the dialogue is in Norwegian but we are at a stage of life where subtitles are our friends. The acting is powerful in both languages and the story carries us along through the minefield of broken relationships and unrelenting emotional tensions in a particular family. This paragraph from The Guardian sums up the general storyline well:

Stellan Skarsgård plays preening auteur Gustav Borg, whose career is on the slide; many years ago, he left his wife, Sissel, a psychotherapist, and two young daughters, abandoning the family home – the house where Gustav himself was brought up. Now their mother has died and Gustav’s daughter Nora (Reinsve), a famous stage actor starring in a production of A Doll’s House, is suffering anxiety attacks.

This death brings the Dad back into their lives but he doesn't undergo a miraculous change in character. Yet he writes a film script which may be his last and we slowly come to realize that this is an attempt at reconciliation and demonstrating something akin to love for the daughter who has made her mark in theatre rather than film. 

There is an intriguing scene of only a minute or so which comes during a reading of this script by a famous flim actor and it is actually repeated later with the daughters. These are the the only overtly spiritual vignettes in the picture and they concern prayer and forgiveness: 

• Rachel Kemp: [reading the monologue off Gustav's script during the table read] I had this kind of... crisis. I was alone in the house again, lying in my bed, crying. I know everyone lies in bed crying, but... 
• Someone said praying isn't really talking to God. It's acknowledging the despair. To throw yourself on the ground because that's all you can do. Not unlike lying with your heart broken, thinking... "Please, call me.", "Please, forgive me.", "Please, take me back." And...
• [she starts tearing up]
• 
  
• Rachel: I had fucked up. And I was alone, and crying. And then, for the first time, I sat down on the floor... and prayed. I don't know who I said it to, but, I said it out loud, "Help me, I can't do this anymore. I can't do it alone. I want a home. I want a home."

I'd apologize for the profanity, but -- hey-- there is was. 

Is this an admission of wrong-doing, a plea for forgiveness by the Prodigal Father, rather than by a wayward child ? Sentimenal Value is two hours-plus but it held us to the end. This moment alone could be worthwhile discussion starter about the meaning of prayer and forgiving the seemingly unforgivable.  

Facts About MAID in Canada

I have pondered how we come to the end of this Earthly life even before attending seminary in the late 1970s. While I was an undergrad at Queen's University I took an excellent ethics course offered by Professor Zion who got me thinking about the subject for the first time. While at Emmanuel College I was influenced by an fine study produced by the Anglican Church in Canada I wrote an essay on what was then termed euthanasia and wish that I'd kept the monograph.

Even thought these influences led me to consider what we now call Medical Assistance in Dying as unethical and immoral in almost all circumstances my outlook has changed through the decades, even though I still feel that there must be strong guardrails to protect the vulnerable, including those experiencing mental illness. 

As our citizens live longer, thankfully, we see that more people live with serious illness and at times we are better at keeping them from dying than making sure they can live with dignity and a reasonable level of health. Why wouldn't we allow compassion for those are convinced that they have come to the end of this stage of the journey? 

 When it comes to news about Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada we tend to hear about the individuals who are attempting to access MAID but can't receive it, or feel that they are forced to choose it because of various medical reasons. Late last year a younger woman felt that she must access MAID because she was thwarted in attempts to receive adequate medical support and treatment. Early this year a family went public about their loved one, again younger, who despite her incurable illness and being in great pain was transferred from one hospital to another to access MAID because the religion-based centre wouldn't allow it in their facility.  These situations are very real and heart-wrenching and of course they are eye-catching.

What isn't as newsworthy or sensational is the annual report on MAID issued by the federal government --did I hear some yawns?  It isn't personal but it is informational and I think it's important that we get a sense of what's happening because of the emotion and noise around what is or isn't happening. The information we have been given was offered at the end of 2025 and reflects the statistics from 2024. 

The concerns that there would be a disproportionate number of racialized persons and those with disabilities and would skew younger over time hasn't proven to be the case through six years since MAID was legalized. We need to remember that even though there are individuals who may go public with their desire for MAID it doesn't mean that they will meet the criteria.

We do need to be vigilant in safeguarding those who are considering MAID and as Christians we can be prayerfully engaged in reflecting gospel values of compassion and respect for the life God has given us. I continue to be a strong supporter of hospice and palliative care and have arranged tours of our excellent area facility.

While the United Church has been criticized for demonstrating any openness to MAID I do feel that we are attempting to understand the compassionate response for the time in which we live. It's not that long ago that some of the Christian denominations that categorically condemn MAID refused Christian burial for those who died by suicide. 

At the risk of making this blog into a tome, here are some of the significant points from the Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada

While the total number of MAID provisions increased in 2024, the rate of growth decreased substantially, consistent with the trend from 2023. (See section 2)

• This report details 22,535 reports of MAID requests that Health Canada received in 2024. A total of 16,499 people received MAID; the remaining cases were requests that did not result in a MAID provision (4,017 died of another cause, 1,327 individuals were deemed ineligible and 692 individuals withdrew their request).
• The annual rate of growth in the number of MAID provisions has decreased significantly over the past several years, from 36.8% between 2019 and 2020 to 6.9% between 2023 and 2024.
• These findings seem to suggest that the number of annual MAID provisions is beginning to stabilize. However, it will take several more years before long-term trends can be conclusively identified.

The vast majority of people receiving MAID in 2024 had a reasonably foreseeable death. (See section 2)

• A person whose death is "reasonably foreseeable" (i.e., they are close to death) is referred to as "Track 1" These made up 95.6% of MAID provisions.
• "Track 2" refers to MAID recipients who were assessed as having a natural death that was not "reasonably foreseeable". These made up a small minority of MAID provisions (4.4%).

Consistent with 2023 findings, those who received MAID under Track 1 were older, and more likely to have cancer as an underlying medical condition. (See section 3)

• The median age of individuals receiving MAID under Track 1 was 78.0 years, and 60.9% were over 75 years of age.
• A slightly greater percentage were men (52.2%) than were women (47.8%).
• Cancer was the most frequently reported underlying medical condition, cited in 63.6% of cases.

Consistent with 2023 findings, those receiving MAID under Track 2 were predominantly women, slightly younger, and lived with their illness for a much longer period of time. (See section 3)

• The median age was 75.9 years, and 53.5% were over 75 years of age.
• A greater percentage were women (56.7%) while 43.3% were men. This represents a small narrowing of the gap between women and men when compared to 2023 (when 58.5% were women and 41.5% were men). This is also consistent with overall population health trends where women are more likely to experience long-term chronic illness, which can cause enduring suffering but would not typically make a person's death reasonably foreseeable.
• People assessed under Track 2 lived longer with a serious and incurable condition than those assessed under Track 1: 34.1% of those under Track 2 lived with a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability for more than 10 years, compared to 7.4% of those under Track 1.
• Neurological conditions and "other" conditions (such as diabetes, frailty, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain) were the most commonly cited underlying medical conditions.

The number of people assessed as being ineligible in 2024 was proportionally much higher for Track 2 than for Track 1. (See section 2)

• Although Track 2 provisions represented 4.4% of MAID cases in 2024, they represented close to a quarter (24.2%) of all MAID requests that were assessed as ineligible.

More people in 2024 who received MAID responded to self-identification questions on race and Indigenous identity, but findings are still subject to limitations. (See section 4)

• A total of 15,927 people who received MAID responded to the question on racial, ethnic or cultural identity. The vast majority (95.6%) identified as Caucasian (White). The second most commonly reported racial, ethnic or cultural identity was East Asian (1.6%). These percentages are close to those reported for 2023 (95.8% Caucasian; 1.8% East Asian).

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-system-services/annual-report-medical-assistance-dying-2024.html

A Special Year of St. Francis, 2026

 

This year, 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, one of the most remarkable figures in the history of Christianity. Born into a life of privilege Francis chose poverty and almost immediately attracted others to his radical lifestyle. The Franciscan order was recognized during his lifetime and two years after his death he was declared a saint. 

Francis has been the patron saint of animals for as long as I can remember -- centuries! -- and the Feast Day of St. Francis falls on October 4 each year, the day after the anniversary of his death. Fittingly, it is also World Animal Day. In 1979 Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology as well, the larger picture of the interconnection of all living creatures. According to that Papal Bull:

Among the holy and admirable men who have revered nature as a wonderful gift of God to the human race, St Francis of Assisi deserves special consideration.  For he, in a special way, deeply sensed the universal works of the Creator and, filled with a certain divine spirit, sang that very beautiful "Canticle of the Creatures".  Through them, Brother Sun most powerful and Sister Moon and the stars of heaven, he offered fitting praise, glory, honour and all blessing to the most high, all-powerful, good Lord.

                                                         Dancing St. Francis -- Santa Fe New Mexico 

On January 10 Pope Leo proclaimed a Special Year of St. Francis to commemorate the 800th anniversary and I wonder what Protestants might do during this year to honour this remarkable Christian. I will go back to the 2015 environmental encylical called Laudato Si,  issued by Pope Francis, the only pontiff to adopt Francis' name. The name Laudato Si is Latin for "Praise be to you, O Lord" the beginning of the Canticle of the Creatures written by Francis more than 800 years ago. 

In the introduction Pope Francis offered (my emphasis): 

Francis helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories which transcend the language of mathematics and biology, and take us to the heart of what it is to be human. Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them “to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason”.

His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint Bonaventure tells us that, “from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister’”. Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behaviour. 

If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled.

 What is more, Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5); indeed, “his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world” (Rom 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.

                                    Francis Preaching to the Birds -- Leicester's parish church of St Martin

MLK Day & the Goal of Peace

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Jesus of Nazareth Matthew 5:1-12 NRSVue

 This is Martin Luther King Day in the United States, a national holiday honouring the Baptist pastor and courageous leader of the non-violent Civil Rights Movement. King was only 35 years old when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute at Stanford University 

On the morning of 14 October 1964, Martin Luther King, sleeping in an Atlanta hospital room after checking in for a rest, was awakened by a phone call from his wife, Coretta Scott King, telling him that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Although many in the United States and abroad praised the selection, segregationist Eugene “Bull” Connor called it “scraping the bottom of the barrel” (“Cheers and Scorn”). Presenting the award to King in Oslo, Norway, that December, the chairman of the Nobel Committee praised him for being “the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence. He is the first to make the message of brotherly love a reality in the course of his struggle, and he has brought this message to all men, to all nations and races”. 

MLK was a flawed person in some respects -- aren't we all? He was hospitalized several times for exhaustion which was also carefully hidden depression. Yet his devotion to the principles of non-violence and justice reflected the message of the biblical prophets and the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 

Not all American recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize stand the test of time -- both Henry Kissinger and Barack Obama come to mind. There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. King was a shining example of peace within his nation and the world. 

We are all aware of the absurdity of the current preening pres essentially demanding the Peace Prize even as he foments division within the US and creates chaos with allies and enemies alike. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if this MLK Day could overcome deepening cynicism and awaken a desire for peaceful coexistence that trascends racial, national and religious divisions? You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

Blessed World Snow Sunday

 

Happy World Snow Day, a Sunday to boot! 

I've long thought that Northern Hemisphere Christians missed the boat when it came to imaginatively developing the metaphor of Snow/Ice, Liquid, and Vapour to describe the Trinity. God-in-Three Persons, and water in three states. 

So many Canadians grumble about snow anymore as though this is some recent invasive species. When did we develop Snowheimers? I love the on-the-street interviews with new Canadians who express their delight in the white stuff. Our next door neighbours host international high school students who are often from countries where snow is unheard of. When the first snowfall occurs they are out front making snowpersons and engaging in snow wars. Our grandchildren all love snow and so do we. 

Last year around this time we invited the Trenton United congregation to Listen and Look with Jesus, a month of observing the world around us. A number of people expressed their delight at seeing snow rollers in their thousands in fields and on the Bay of Quinte, formed by a windstorm. Some of us oldsters had never seen them before. 

On this World Snow Day I thank the Creator for snow in its various manifestations. Praise is a faith expression, whining isn't. I have my shovel at the ready 'cause I'm Canadian, eh? 

James Talarico & Justice in the Bible

 

                                                                                James Talarico 

Ezra Klein 

@ezraklein

"Economic justice is mentioned 3,000 times in our Scriptures, both the New Testament and the Hebrew Scriptures. This is such a core part of our tradition, and it’s nowhere to be seen in Christian nationalism or on the religious right."James Talarico

It's almost impossible to figure out who's who in the American mish-mash of politics and religion and I'm tempted not to even try. I didn't know Charlie Kirk from the proverbial hole in the ground until his death, only to discover that he was a star of the Republican and Christian right.

Similarly, I had no idea who James Talarico is until I saw this quote from Ezra Klein. Talarico is young, as was Kirk.both of them in their thirties. He is a Democratic political figure from Texas who is also a Christian but with a different perspective. According to one bio he is:

 Known for his articulate speeches, progressive faith-based politics, and viral public moments, Talarico has emerged as one of the most compelling new voices in Southern politics. In 2025, he announced his run for the United States Senate, bringing his focus on education, working families, and justice reform to the national stage.

I clicked on the link to his interview in which he points out, rightly, that Jesus never spoke about abortion, or gay people, let alone describe them as a sin or sinners. He is correct in noting that there are thousands of references to economic justice and the sin of injustice that offends God. And that these verses, including some of the sternest warnings Jesus uttered, are steadfastly ignored by Christians to the theological right in the United States and in Canada.

Being what some would describe and condemn as a liberal Christian because of my "going to hell in a hand-basket woke" views I am regularly baffled by the staunch ignorance by those who claim to be Bible-believing Christians of a core teaching of scripture in both older and newer Testaments.

When I might be inclined to dismiss American Christianity as a whole, I am reminded of the millions of Jesus followers, including many Evangelicals, who are determined to live the gospel with courage and compassion.

Goodbye Francois Legault

                                                             Quebec Premier Francois Legault 

Quebec Premier Francois Legault has announced his resignation well in advance of the Fall provincial election and I'm relieved  he's going. In some respects Legault provided strong leadership through his first two terms but in the last couple of years as the popularity of the CAQ party took a nosedive he supposedly appealed to older voters by introducing legislation that was barely disguised in its racism and Islamaphobia. Bill 94 and more recently Bill 9 have doubled down on enforcing bans on religious expression anywhere outside of places of worship in clear violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  

Many religious groups including the Roman Catholic Church and the National Council of Canadian Muslims have condemned this legislation noting that under the restrictions even traditional ceremonies such as Good Friday processions would be banned. Many colleges and universities have multi-faith prayer rooms and Bill 94 calls into question whether they would still be allowed. As we know, there are teachers in schools and now daycares whose employment is threatened if they continue to cover their heads. According to a BBC report last November regarding Bill 9: 

Jean-François Roberge, the minister responsible for secularism, told a news conference in French on Thursday that the bill was "part of an approach that respected individual as well as collective rights".

The measures proposed in Bill 9 would:

• extend the ban on wearing religious symbols to staff in subsidised daycares
• bar "collective religious practices" like prayer in public spaces, such as parks, without prior authorisation from municipalities
• prevent students and staff from wearing face coverings in daycare all the way through to post-secondary education

This is simple destructive and while CAQ claims that these bills uphold Quebec values this is a dubious claim and certainly not in keeping with the Charter. So, Premier Legault, it's a relief to see you go and likely your party with you. What a miserable stain on your reputation for limited political gain. 

Harini Sivalingam, Director of Equality Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) made the following statement in response to the passage of Quebec Bill 94 – An Act to reinforce laicity in the education network:

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association unequivocally condemns the adoption of Quebec’s Bill 94, a law that undermines the fundamental freedoms of students and school staff across the province.

Every student in Quebec deserves a learning environment that is safe, inclusive and respectful of individual rights. Bill 94 works against that goal by imposing sweeping restrictions that violate the Quebec and Canadian Charters, eroding the very principles of equality and freedom that should define our public institutions.

This legislation denies religious accommodations, prohibits visible prayer at school, and bans, among other things, the wearing of religious symbols by school staff. These measures will disproportionately harm women and girls, racialized communities, religious minorities, and newcomers – deepening existing systemic exclusion rather than addressing it.