The Genius of Leonardo

 I watched all four hours of the two segments of  Leonardo Da Vinci, the PBS documentary created by Ken Burns. In truth I saw about three and a half hours, maybe a bit more, because I drifted off during the latter part of the first episode. I don't feel that this was Burns's best work but it was still worthwhile in many respects. I've read the tour de force biography by Walter Isaacson who is interviewed in the series but there is a lot to be said for a visual presentation of the life and times of a person who understood perhaps more than any other human being that the eye is the window to the brain and therefore the soul. 

The term genius gets thrown around far too much but Leonardo was an extraordinary polymath whose mind was unceasingly at work. A surgeon is interviewed about his anatomical studies through human dissection which altered perceptions of the way our bodies function that had existed for centuries. More than this, the surgeon pointed out that Leonardo's understanding of musculature and speculation about the circulatory system were hundreds of years ahead of modern science.

Leonardo was an engineer who was consulted about fortifications even though he strongly condemned war. He was able to imagine and create aerial views of landscapes long before planes or drones. He was a keen observer of nature and the flight of birds in a way that allowed him to figure out the dynamics of flight. His notebooks, many of which have survived, ran to thousands of passages of drawings and written musings. Yes, he was a genius. 

As an artist he led the way in creating exquisite three-dimensional subjects on a two-dimensional plane and his principles of modelling and perspective were emulated by some of the greatest painters of the Renaissance. He didn't produce many paintings and many of the commissioned works he started weren't completed because he would move on to other projects or decide that they weren't done. He transported the Mona Lisa, arguably the most famous painting of all time, on a donkey when he moved from Italy to France in later life. 

The documentary noted that he was known for having a keen sense of humour and I wish we'd heard more about this, although there may not be much available. His depictions of nature in the backgrounds of portraits and religious works were often accurate representations of landscapes he knew. And while he wasn't particularly religious he knew the iconography and stories of Christian faith -- his livelihood depended on it. That said, he believed in a Creator and his conviction that everything is rooted in nature he expressed his admiration for what he experienced around him. 

It's helpful for me to reflect on this documentary and I hope you get a chance to watch it, even if a nap mid-episode is needed. 

Here are some of the resources PBS has made available.

https://www.pbs.org/show/leonardo-da-vinci/

Evil Empires & the Desire for Justice

 We are called to be the Church:

    to celebrate God’s presence,
    to live with respect in Creation,
    to love and serve others,
    to seek justice and resist evil,
    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
       our judge and our hope.

From A New Creed of the United Church of Canada, 1968

Some of us are old enough to remember President Ronald Reagan and the speech in which he referred from 1983 during which he referred to the Soviet Union as the Evil Empire. Over the course of 40 years what is now Russia was drawn back  into the fold of international relations only to be ostracized again because of its totalitarianism.

We could say that there are now multiple evil empires, including Iran, supposedly an Islamic theocracy which is using its proxies and agents to create havoc around the world. We heard recently that there had been an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump and in the last few days about a credible threat on the life of Canadian Irwin Cotler. If Cotler's name is less familiar, he was a the Justice Minister and Attorney General in the federal Liberal government of the early 2000s. He was an eloquent defender of human rights around the globe and continues to be a critic of the Iranian regime. 

Now 84, Cotler is on the board of the Advancing Human Rights NGO and the international chair of the Montreal-based Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He served as Canada’s first special envoy on Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism from 2020 to 2023. 

Yesterday the House of Commons adopted a motion to condemn Iran’s alleged plot to assassinate former justice minister Irwin Cotler and affirm Canada’s steadfast support for the renowned champion of human rights.

 While Cotler was in the Liberal government I heard him give an eloquent speech on the subject of human rights (probably CBC Radio) that impressed me so much I contacted his office in the hope of getting a transcript. To my surprise, his parliamentary assistant told me that this was an extemporaneous address but he would see what he could do. Sometime later a package arrived in the mail -- remember snail mail? -- with a close approximation of his remarks and I may still have it somewhere...somewhere...somewhere. 

Cotler did not mention evil empires nor did he make reference to religion, He grew up in a Jewish family but I have no idea what his personal religious sensibilities might be. I'm glad that the Iranians were unsuccessful in their plot on his life and while he has been somewhat controversial in his staunch defense of Israel during the current conflict (he does support a two-state solution) we can admire who he has been and what he still represents in overcoming evil in our world. 

I would note that the United Church does acknowledge the reality of evil and our commitment to seek justice. And if you're curious, here are the "evil empire" remarks made by Reagan four decades ago to a group of evangelical Christians: 

Yes, let us pray for the salvation of all of those who live in that totalitarian darkness—pray they will discover the joy of knowing God. But until they do, let us be aware that while they preach the supremacy of the State, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world .... 

So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride—the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.

Farewell & Thankyou to Our Lady of Calvary Abbey

 

              Our Lady of Calvary Chapel with worshippers from the surrounding communities

When we lived in Halifax I took time away from my busy ministry in a downtown congregation to go on retreat at the Cistercian monastery near Rogersville in rural New Brunswick. I ended up doing so three times over several years because I appreciated the solitude and atmosphere of Our Lady of Calvary Abbey. During the first visit I realized how extensive this agricultural community was and on subsequent winter visits I took my cross-country skis to explore the farm trails through the woods and fields.

I would go by train and because Rogersville was an irregular stop with a tiny station I had to instruct the conductor that I was getting off or they would have sailed on through. On my first visit the brother who picked me up let me know that one of the other monks had died and when I attended my first daily office the plain, locally constructed coffin was in the centre of the choir section where the monks sat for the services. 

Some of you may recall a blog in which I wrote about getting permission to stop at the hermitage of one of the brothers who lived in the woods. I smelled the wood smoke from his tiny abode while out skiing and realized the cabin was nearby. He was very welcoming and it turned out that he was one of two American brothers at Rogersville who had lived for a time at the Trappist Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane, the Kentucky home of perhaps the most famous of 20th century Christian monks, Thomas Merton. This brother had recently returned from a visit to the doctor in Moncton and observed that everyone seemed harried in their daily busyness. The other amiable American asked if he could accompany one day and produced skis that looked as though they had been fashioned from pieces of the ark. 

Our Lady of Calvary came to mind recently so I looked to see if they had an online presence. I discovered on their website that they had closed earlier this year. When I visited there were eight or nine brothers, most of them aged, and even though more had joined them over time they were down to three when the decision was made to close the monastery and a nearby Trappistine convent. 

I shared this news with son Isaac who as a university student also spent time there and worked with the brothers and outside employees in the barns. He commented on their humour while working and watching them shed their overalls to make a beeline for the chapel, magically reappearing in their robes.

                                                                     Brother Leo, Guest Master 

I appreciated Brother Leo, the friendly guest master, who had been a stone mason in Halifax when he felt drawn to the monastic life. He always made sure that I knew where we were in the prayer book because this was a French-speaking community. He loved the psalms, most of which he knew by heart after years of chanting them. He was more robust during the years I visited than in the photo, above. 

We were both saddened by the news of the closure, although it seemed inevitable. I always felt calmer and renewed when I departed. This isolated faith community was not only a Christ-light but a sort of prayer power station. Thank you to the monks and nuns of those communities whose "ora et labora" -- prayer and work -- made a difference through the decades. If I recall correctly those words were above the doors to the chicken barn. 

Hannah's Prayer of Hope in Tough Times

                                                       Hannah Invokes God -- Marc Chagall 1956

 Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord;

    my strength is exalted in my God.

My mouth derides my enemies
    because I rejoice in your victory.

 There is no Holy One like the Lord,
    no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
 Talk no more so very proudly;
    let not arrogance come from your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
 The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble gird on strength.
 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.
 The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low; he also exalts.
 He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
    and on them he has set the world.

 He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will perish in darkness,
    for not by might does one prevail.
 The Lord! His adversaries will be shattered;
    the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    and exalt the power of his anointed.”

1 Samuel: 1-10 NRSVue 

From time to time the daily lectionary readings substitute a biblical passage fot  a psalm and I'm not sure why. Over the past four days the reading has been what is usually called Hannah's Prayer from 1 Samuel and it supposedly her response to the realization that she was pregnant after years of disappointment.  After all, in that patriarchal society "barrenness" was always the woman's problem and even though she was loved by her husband she felt shame, a circumstance deepened by the provocation and mocking by his other wife (so much for biblical marital values.) To make it worse, the priest assumed that as she entreated God through prayer she was drunk, although he eventually understood the depth of her faith. This prayer is the celebration of her pregnancy with the child who would be Samuel the great leader and prophet of Israel. 

This is a powerful passage which may have been the source of or inspiration for the Magnificat, Mary's Song in the gospel of Luke celebrating her pregnancy with Jesus.  While more of a fuss will be made over that passage at the end of Advent, Hannah's prayer offers a series of improbable role reversals in a "might makes right" world. 

I am struggling not to be aghast and discouraged by what seems to be an alarming rise in totalitarianism around the world, sometimes only thinly disguised, including in the United States. That this is a prayer by a women who feels vulnerable because she seems to have no control over her fertility is especially meaningful. We could all do to contemplate these hopeful verses and let them serve as an antidote to despair. The pillars of our worldview may seem shaky these days yet ultimately our foundation is God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. 

One last comment: there is very little art about Hannah's prayer or Mary's song that is more than maudlin propaganda. And most of the art regarding Hannah is about her humbly beseeching God in prayer, not her celebration of possibility and promise.

"Bee" Doers of the Word?

Daniel Chew, 9, won the finals for his age group at the National Bible Bee Championships this week in Orlando, Fla.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 NRSVue

Bee doers of the word, and not hearers only...

James 1:21

I will never cease to be amazed by the children who participate in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States. How do these kids do it? How can they possibly cram so many words I've never heard before into their young brains? 

Now the New York Times tells me that there is another "bee", a bible verse memorization event Ivolving hundreds of children called The National Bible Bee: 

The Bee has achieved a quiet kind of celebrity status in some Christian circles, and video clips of its young competitors sometimes circulate beyond those communities on social media. The competition demands astonishing feats of memorization that make the televised National Spelling Bee look like a game of tic-tac-toe. Competitors at Daniel’s level memorized more than 570 verses, which they were expected to be able to recite on command.

At the senior level, ages 15 to 18, participants memorize 938 Bible verses, adding up to more than 20,000 words. In some rounds of competition, making even a single error in a long passage — an errant plural or wrong verb tense — leads to elimination.

I don't know whether to be impressed or unsettled -- perhaps both. It sounds a bit like indoctrination yet why is it okay to learn random, esoteric words but not scripture. I went to Vacation Bible School in an era when the memorization of daily theme verses was rewarded at the end of the week and no one thought anything of it. Sure, it was competitive and rote but I don't think we suffered lasting damage. I've never been good at memorizing scripture, word for word, but I'm glad that I have the gist of lots of passages. One of the few verses I can recall is the one from James, above, slightly modified. 

Jesus quoted scripture to Satan during his forty days in the wilderness and again while dying on the cross. These would have been verses he memorized in a semi-literate society. If we have any doubts about the power of "learning by heart" take a look at Taylor Swift concert footage and see the adoring fans singing every word of her songs as a vast choir. Our eleven-year-old grandson has an astonishing repertoire of NHL hockey facts going back decades tucked into his agile brain. Are we hard-wired to do this, particularly when we're young? 

Is it too late to start memorizing scripture? Maybe for this old dog, but the Bible Bee is fascinating. 

You are Such a...Mennonite?!

 

Bad news abounds in every day but I had a good chuckle yesterday over the suspension of a junior hockey player. According to the London Free Press:

London Knights overage forward Landon Sim was suspended five games by the Ontario Hockey League on Monday for referring to an opposing player as a Mennonite. The 20-year-old was ejected and assessed a game misconduct at the end of the first period of London’s 5-1 win at Sault Ste. Marie on Nov. 6. The OHL found Sim contravened the league’s code of conduct “intended to provoke an opposing player that was marginalizing on both religious and cultural grounds.”

This is too good to be true, yet it is! If this wasn't humorous enough, the reaction of the Mennonite community makes it even more fun:

“It’s classic – Mennonites get in the news for something odd and suddenly, everyone pays attention,” said Troy Osborne, a Mennonite historian and the dean of Conrad Grebel University College, a school affiliated with both the University of Waterloo and the Mennonite Church. “You wonder what the heck is going on because we’re pretty well known in (Southwestern Ontario) and you see (Mennonites) in the farmers’ market in St. Jacobs and places like that. We’ve been talking about that (OHL penalty) story and I don’t want to speak for the player involved, but it seems like Mennonites are more puzzled than offended by it.”

Osborne noted that there are Mennonite hockey teams and games can get fairly intense even though the background of the Anabaptists is oriented toward non-violence and peace-making. They are probably too busy having barn-building bees and making furniture. Of course there are different "flavours" of Mennonites, from the Old Order, horse and buggy crowd, to those who don't appear much different from everyone else except those attending Taylor Swift concerts. 

I'm going out on a limb to suggest that Landon Sim didn't really know what he was saying, and now he's sitting out five games for the alleged slur. It's hard to imagine what this punishment will teach him and he'll be living this one down for a while. Calling someone a Mennonite seems so...Amish. 

The Knowing and the Christian Church

 In my ongoing commitment to greater understanding of Indigenous peoples I'm reading Tanya Talaga's lastest book, The Knowing, She examines the sorry history of Canadian relations with Indigenous peoples through her quest to find out what happened to her Anishnaabe great-great grandmother Annie Carpenter, buried in a pauper's grave in Toronto, as well as the subesquent generations of her family. 

There is also a chapter near the end about Talaga's trip to the Vatican in 2022 with the delegation of Inuit, First Nations and Metis representatives who met with Pope Francis. Some of them were Roman Catholic Christians, others were spiritual in the ways of their traditionsm some were both. Talaga took part as a journalist who is Indigneous even though she paid her own way, She wanted to be part of this significant moment in history.

She writes about the experience of being in the Sistine Chapel and viewing Michelangelo's depiction of  the Last Judgment. These magnificent scenes were being created around the time of first contact in the Americas by European explorers. She isn't a Christian herself but wonders about how the priests and other religious persons who abused children would be judged for their crimes -- would God sentence them to eternal damnation?  

They also spent time in the vast Anima Mundi (soul of the world) collection of cultural artefacts sent to the Vatican by missionaries from around the world over the centuries. While there is pressure to repatriate these pieces which are part of the spiritual and artistic heritage of different cultures there is resistance to doing so.  Talaga felt that while many of them were put on display for the benefit of this audience they were not treated with the respect they deserved. There was a meal served in the midst of this collection, a strange choice in itself, but Talaga and two other Indigenous journalists were asked to leave because they weren't part of the official delegation. 

At the conclusion of the visit Pope Francis expressed sorrow and shame and sought forgiveness:“It is chilling to think of determined efforts to instill a sense of inferiority, to rob people of their cultural identity, to sever their roots, and to consider all the personal and social effects that this continues to entail: unresolved traumas that have become intergenerational traumas...” 

Francis also admitted that the ways in which Indigenous persons were harmed was antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

All this was needed and no doubt sincere. Not only did the pontiff apologize at the conclusion of this multi-day meeting, he subesquently visited Canada to apologize in several settings across the country.Yet Talaga justaposes the evidence of immense wealth at the Vatican against the faltering efforts of the Canadian Roman Catholic Church to raise the millions committed for reparations.

There is so much that I honestly don't want to know, yet as a Christian I can't turn away