The Light of St. Brigid

 

There are two patron saints in Ireland -- Patrick and Columcille/Columba -- and one matron saint, Brigid. Yesterday, February 1st, was Brigid's Day and it's only been a few years that this was an official holiday in Ireland. 

As with other Celtic saints, the facts about Brigid are lost in the mists of time with many legends emerging through the centuries. Some believe this Christian figure was coopted from Brigid the Druidic goddess and we really don't know for sure. Brigid the abbess and possible bishop is lauded for her leadership and example as a proto-feminist figure. 

This year I wonder if we should celebrate Brigid for her matriarchal role in the midst of a patriarchal church. It is evident that south of the border there is a concerted effort to reassert an unhealthy and non-biblical male dominance in Christianity with plenty of "theobros" holding forth about the secondary role of women. While they use phoney terms such as "complementarianism" it sounds more like subservience. This language has filtered into segments of Christianity in Canada as well. 

We need to find our way in what seems like the darkness of these days. Part of Brigid's legend is that when she built her monastery and church in Kildare she continued a pre-Christian custom of keeping a fire alight. For her and her nuns the fire represented the new light of Christianity. 

Christ is the light for every age and we can keep the flame of hope burning. 

                                                                   St. Brigid's Well, Killdare

Here From the Beginning in the United Church

 Today marks the beginning of Black History Month in Canada. In the past I've blogged about jazz great Oscar Peterson's early years in the United Church in Montreal, as well as Wilbur Howard, the first and only Black moderator of the United Church who faced plenty of racism within the denomination. In 1990 Nelson Mandela and his wife Winnie visited Union United Church in Montreal, a congregation formed when Blacks were not allowed in White churches. 

I've written about Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1959 appearance on the Canadian quiz show, Front Page Challenge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbBGsEprJSE

There is plenty of Black history in the United Church and Canada but it tends to be relegated to the background. There is an exhibit called Here From the Beginning  https://herefromthebeginning.ca/  that is on the move across the country which may help to address this. While it actually began last Summer in Edmonton it will be Collingwood, Ontario today and tomorrow. Here is a description: 

This groundbreaking exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to discover the rich and resilient history of Black people within The United Church of Canada. Through stories of leadership, struggle, and triumph, the exhibition highlights the indelible mark left by Black individuals and communities on the church’s history, work, and calling.

There are 23 bilingual exhibit panels include topics such as: British North America and Nouvelle France: A look at Black communities before 1900, Discomfort in the House of God: Examining the challenges of inclusion, Standing Against Anti-Black Racism: Stories of resilience and activism and Black Clergy Network: Presenting the future of Black leadership in the church.

I don't know where the other stops will be for the exhibition but it sounds as though it is very worthwhile and an important reminder that while the United Church has been predominantly White in the experience of many of us, diversity is part of our fabric through the first 100 years of our existence.

Here is a link to Black History Month resources from the United Church of Canada:

https://united-church.ca/worship-special-days/black-history-month-1

https://united-church.ca/worship-special-days/black-history-month-1

                                                            Oscar Peterson with his sister, Daisy