Fire Storm

 I have never watched an episode of the successful TV series, Fire Country and never will. It's about a convict who joins a prison firefighting program to shorten his sentence. While the premise seems implausible, in the States prison inmates are often coopted into what amounts to slave labour for businesses and companies, so why not firefighting. The IMDB synopsis offers: "A huge untapped potential, but ruined by the high school level melodramatic dialogue. Viewers tune in for the fire action, not the silly high school drama."  I managed to figure that our from seeing the occasional trailer. I have to admit, though, that the developers have tapped in to the grim reality of the growing threat of wildfires in California, where it is set, as well as British Columbia where it is filmed.

A television series may be populated by good-looking heroes who save the day but we are watching in real time the terrible destruction wreaked by wildfires that can't be contained. Five of them are currently burning around and in Los Angeles, one of the largest cities in the United States and they are basically uncontained. As I write an estimated 10,000 buildings, mostly homes have been destroyed, hundreds of thousands of residents are now fire refugees, and people have died. Schools, places of worship, shops and restaurants have been reduced to ashes. I have no doubt that the efforts of firefighters have been heroic but they quickly ran out of water and their efforts were no match for the fierce winds fanning the flames. The wealth or stardom of some of the residents in areas of LA did not insulate the residents from destruction. 

One of last year's celebrated books was John Vaillant's Fire Weather.One of the reviews called it "prescient" because it vividly addresses the almost incomprehensible scope and ferocity of wildfires and the previously unimaginable threat not only in remote areas but to towns and cities. 

Once again I saw an article using the phrase "biblical in proportions" to describe the devastation in California and once again I was mildly annoyed. The implication is that this is somehow related to a severe judgement by the Creator, akin to the flood in Genesis. Of course, in that story God promises never to punish humanity in this way again. There is no assurance in this covenant that humans won't be able to do this to themselves and there is little doubt that what is happening in terms of severe weather events is accelerated by climate change. No place is prepared for the enormity of these events and politicians are either deniers (the Orange Menace, PP) or unwilling to make changes that might annoy their constituents. So why blame God, even if it is a mindless use of a term? Granted the scenes from the fires do seem apocalyptic. 

We can pray for those who have experienced terrible loss and those who put themselves in harm's way to battle these fires. We can also pray that our leaders will step up and make heroic decisions for the sake of all creatures and the future of the planet. 

Jimmy Carter, Christian

 

Today is the state funeral for former US President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral, a place of worship that seats four thousand. There is a clergy person whose sole responsibility is the logistically demands of such a service, including getting four former presidents and current President Joe Biden in and out of the building. The flower organizer began in this role in 1964 (she's now 83) overseeing several other funerals for presidents while this is the first state funeral for the talented organist who is in her 20s.  

 I have to wonder if Carter would give a slight shake of his head and offer a characteristic wry smile at all the pomp and circumstance that goes with this event. When Carter and his family worshipped in Washington during his presidency they joined a Baptist church near the White House and daughter Amy was baptized there at age nine. I like that the Carters transferred their membership from the Baptist congregation in his hometown in Plains, Georgia. According to the First Baptist website 

During the 48 months of his term, President Carter attended Sunday services at First Baptist more than 70 times, according to the National Archives. More than a dozen times he taught Sunday School to the church’s Couples Class from the Sanctuary balcony.

This was impressive attendance for the so-called Leader of the Free World. I doubt that Jimmy was golfing on those other Sundays.

We know that in his post-presidency life Carter returned to the small congregation in Plains where he grew up and taught Sunday School as well.  He eventually left the Southern Baptist Convention over their rigid views regarding women in leadership. In a 2000 newspaper interview he said

“I’m familiar with the verses they have quoted about wives being subjugated to their husbands. In my opinion, this is a distortion of the meaning of Scripture. … I personally feel the Bible says all people are equal in the eyes of God. I personally feel that women should play an absolutely equal role in service of Christ in the church.”

Carter may have been the most genuinely Christian of all presidents in terms of personal devotion, walking the walk in service to others, and even in his principles to avoid military conflict as president. He was proud of that record and felt that it was consistent with his devotion to the Prince of Peace. 

Later today there will be a funeral service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, and he will be laid to rest on the family property. Again, thank God for the witness of Jimmy Carter. 

The Reality of Grief for God's Creatures

Southern Resident killer whale Tahlequah carries her dead calf near Puget Sound on Washington state's northwest coast on January 1. 

Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died,[so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-15 NRSVue

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand
If there's a rock n' roll heaven
Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band
They've got a hell of a band

The Righteous Brothers

In 2018 an orca or killer whale in Puget Sound off Washington state  known as Tahlequah, captured our attention by carrying her dead calf for 17 days and more than 1600 kilometers in what certainly seemed to be an act of mourning.

Late this past December she gave birth again but researchers were immediatelyt concerned about the health of her latest calf and on New Year's Eve it was confirmed dead. Once again Tahlequah has been carrying her dead "child" and who knows how long this will continue.

We can't know the minds of other creatures yet it seems clear that many species including elephants, dogs, certain birds, and other cetaceans are aware of the deaths of their companions and family members and they grieve, sometimes with ritual behaviour. 

Humans mourn as well, often with specific rites including expectations for interrment and length of grieving. What I learned during my decades in ministry was that even when we have our conventions around funerals and memorial services they certainly aren't always the same and the nature of grief is unique to each person. 

Individuals who loved and cared for a lost loved one with devotion sometimes moved on relatively quickly, or so it seemed. In some circumstances the deceased was a miserable so-and-so who made every day difficult for those around him/her yet the sense of loss was profound and lasting within the family. Some expressed grief with great emotion and others just didn't. 

Having a Resurrection hope was great comfort for certain people yet not for others. I was often surprised by the elaborate notions of the afterlife that some held, perspectives that I didn't share and wondered how they developed them in the first place (see song lyrics above). I did my best to keep my eyebrows from shooting up!

In the past few weeks I've become aware of the deaths of two elderly women (more elderly than me!) who had been "promoted to glory", as the Salvation Army used to describe it. Both were former parishioners from different congregations so it was my role to be their pastor -- my job. Still, they were intelligent, creative, faith-full individuals and I was fond of both of them .I felt the pang of loss when I got the news. 

There are so many unique persons I have mourned over time, along with a few pets, and I suppose I carry them in my heart and mind, and I hope I always will. I wonder if it's appropriate to say a pray for Tahlequah in her grief? 

Governing Righteously & With Justice

 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son;

That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice;

That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness. 

He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that water the earth.

In his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more. 

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.

All kings shall bow down before him, and all the nations do him service.

For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper. 

He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy.

He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, and dear shall their blood be in his sight. 

PSALM 72:1-7, 10-14 NRSVue

Many of you will know that yesterday, January 6th, was the Feast of the Epiphany in the Christian liturgical calendar. Following the twelve days of the Christmas season the church recognizes the journey and arrival of the Magi or Wise Men, astronomers and astrologers. They sought a king, the Messiah, and found the toddler Jesus, born a Jewish peasant. 

Sadly, January 6th is also a day of infamy in the United States when the former president, now inexplicably the president-elect, fomented an insurrection. The supposedly sacrosanct Capitol building was overrun by hooligans who wanted to subvert democracy and put an emperor or dictator -- not a duly elected president -- into control. While this effort failed, those who were convicted of crimes from that day may soon be pardoned. So much for democracy and the rule of law. 

I read the lectionary passages from yesterday which include the "arise your light has come" passage from Isaiah and the story of the Magi found only in Matthew's gospel. There were also verses from Psalm 72 which speak of a ruler who "shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper. He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy." In no way does this biblical vision jibe with the relentlessly "us and them" rhetoric of the incoming president and his vice-president who have demonized immigrants and plan to deport millions of them. The president-elect has surrounded himself with unelected, self-serving billionaires to the extent that he has been tagged with the moniker "President Mump" in recognition of his new advisor who is apparently the wealthiest man in the world. 

It's curious that this Psalm 72 selection omits verse 8: 

May he have dominion from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

This is the source of the official motto of Canada "mari usque ad mare" and why in 1867 we were declared a dominion. Yesterday, January 6th, also marked a significant regime change in this country and we'll see how far to the right Canadians are willing to travel in the days ahead. Will we continue a social contract where people are governed righteously and the poor with justice? 

1 Arise, your light is come! The Spirit's call obey;

show forth the glory of your God, which shines on you today.

                        Voices United 79

The Many Facets of Forgiveness

 

Yesterday I preached on forgiveness with the Trenton United congregation and afterward a member said that my message was helpful, for which I was grateful. I commented that I could speak on the subject for ten Sundays in a row (that won't happen!) to examine the many facets of of forgiveness.

Later in the day I saw that former pastor and scholar Richard Hays had died. I've read articles by Hays and appreciated his thoughtfulness but I hadn't realized that for years he was anti-LGBTQ2S and his work on this subject was often quoted by conservatives. His mind changed though because of his scholarly research but also because of interactions with LGBTQ2S students in the seminary where he taught and in different congregations. In 2024 his final book was published in which he explains his change of heart. According to RNS:

For much of his career, he was perhaps best known for his 1996 book, “The Moral Vision of the New Testament,” in which he argued that same-sex relationships were “one among many tragic signs that we are a broken people, alienated from God’s loving purpose.” His well-respected scholarly work was cited by Christian leaders who viewed same-sex relationships as sinful and who opposed LGBTQ affirmation in churches.

This past year, Hays publicly changed his mind — in what he described as an act of repentance for the way his work had been used to harm LGBTQ people and to divide Christians — in a new book, “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story,” co-authored with his son, Christopher Hays, an Old Testament scholar. 

Many of us grew up as low-grade homophobes, if that's not an oxymoron. We may not have been particularly mean-spirited but we were often mildly mocking and dismissive without realizing that LGBTQ2S persons were in our families and congregations, afraid to come out, yearning to be accepted. We made what were shallow "love the sinner, hate the sin" pronouncements that were disingenuous. I was one of those persons and I regret it. My experience with friends and colleagues beginning in my seminary days in the late 1970s brought about my change of heart and mind and I trust that this change of perspective is consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for their patience and guidance. 

Back to forgiveness. A pastor in the US, Zach W. Lambert, tweeted about his experience with Hays a few months ago:

Richard Hays (one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars) passed away yesterday. His final book, The Widening of God’s Mercy, came out just a few months ago. In this book, he details how his mind changed on LGBTQ+ inclusion and affirmation after building relationships with queer Christians and studying the Bible alongside affirming scholars. He also apologizes for his previously non-affirming stance. I was with him in October at an LGBTQ+ Christian conference where he reiterated his repentance and asked for forgiveness to a room filled with hundreds of queer people. Through tears, a young man shouted “thank you, Dr. Hays! We forgive you!!” It was a powerful moment that I’ll never forget. In his late 70s and with failing health, Dr. Hays could have easily chosen never to address his changing belief publicly or correct his earlier work. I’m so grateful he chose this brave path instead. I believe Richard is with Jesus now and hearing those beautiful words from his Savior, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Hays had his personal epiphany and on this Day of Epiphany we can ask God to widen our mercy in Christ's name.

Forgiveness in the Year of our Lord 2025

 

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. 

Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

John 20:19-23 NRSVue

This morning I am leading worship at Trenton United, our home congregation. We'll be ushering in the New Year on the demanding subject of forgiveness. I can say with confidence that during almost four decades in ministry I had more conversations with parishioners about forgiveness or unforgiveness than anything else, other than physical illness. I could add that it probably began when I was a chaplain intern at Kingston Penitentiary during seminary, which was forgiveness boot camp. 

I chose the story from Genesis about Joseph forgiving the brothers who sold him into slavery and the John passage where the Resurrected Christ tells his astonished disciples that there was a give and take to forgiveness. While the former has a Hollywood ending the latter has always intrigued and even mystifed me. 

I also shared about the forgiveness project of the early 2000s in schools in a conflcted area in Northern Ireland. Even though the Good Friday Peace Agreement was signed in 1998 anger and hatred continued to simmer and erupt. The school project was to establish Forgiveness schools with intentional practices for reconciliation, including kids in conflict putting on Forgiveness Glasses (above) to see their adversaries in different ways. Despite the skepticism of teacher and principals the tone of the schools changed.

In a world of anger, hatred, and violence at every level of human encounter we can pray that forgiveness is a "down to Earth" necessity and possibility, not "pie in the sky" wishful thinking. I suppose we're all in the school of forgiveness for a lifetime, seeking mercy, offering it to others, starting again. 

A poster in one of Irish schools begins with "in this class" but it could say "in this family" or "in this congregation...

In this class 

I am loved 

I am smart 

I am brave

I am thankful

I am forgiving

I AM CHOOSING LOVE

Holidays & Partner Violence Shouldn't Go Together

 

Calgarians gather during a candlelight vigil for Ania Kaminski and her father Stanislaw Wardzala in the northwest Calgary community of Tuscany on Friday, January 3, 2025. Jim Wells/Postmedia

One of our neighbours, a smart and pleasant young woman worked Christmas Eve and Day, then New Year's Eve and Day. Ugh. She did so in her professional role as a mental health worker alongside police officers responding to situations of domestic disturbance and violence. Apparently nothing says "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" like violent encounters with those you supposedly love.

 The gender-neutral term "intimate partner violence" is used commonly now but we know that the vast majority of these situations are men hurting and killing women. 

Over the holidays there were two high-profile cases in Canada, one in Calgary and the other in Halifax where men murdered their partners and killed the fathers of the two women. They then killed themselves, in one instance leaving three children orphans. It is hideous cowardice and far too common a scenario. 

Experts say that despite years of education and awareness campaigns there has been a steady rise in intimate partner violence. Some call it an epidemic, a crisis the Ontario government is reluctant to declare as such through the proposed Intimate Partner Violence Act, Bill 173.

As I've written before, there is little training or encouragement in Christian communities to address this ugly reality. For years conservative churches encouraged women figure out how to be better wives or just tough out the abuse of partners. While that is changing there has to be an awakening within denominations and congregations about this. Every congregation will have people dealing with partner violence in some way and shame is often an impediment to reaching out for help.  

I know, a gloomy topic at the beginning of the year but we can decry this sin and ask how we can make a difference. Holidays and IPV should never go together.