COP31 and Loving our Neighbours

 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

                               Hebrews 11:1 NRSVue

I wonder how many times during 20 years of blogging I've written about the commencement of the annual United Nations environmental conference, this year in Turkiye. I realize that as the years have gone by these international conferences -- this one is COP31 -- grow larger and it seems as though less is accomplished, despite the growing urgency about our rapidly heating planet. 

I confess that I have attempted to "put lipstick on a pig" in my brief blog entries each time around and it wears me down. It's not because climate change is a "hoax, scam, con job" as the Denier-in-Chief has described it. And it's not because the complex challenges of addressing this global issue are insurmountable if we have the will to address them.  It's the Groundhog Day (I'm getting in my critter metaphors today) of representatives from nearly 200 nations wearliy cheering the final resolutions from these events, only to see them ignored. The United States, the second largest contributor to greenhouse emissions won't be at COP31, having abdicated any role in leadership to addressing the issues. 

Is that my cynicism showing? Despite sounding like Eeyore (there I go again) I reluctantly admit that as a Christian I can't abandon hope. And as a parent and grandparent I can't shrug and turn away. Thou shalt not be Eeyore. 

I come back once again to the example of Katherine Hayhoe, the Canadian climate scientist who lives in Texas (now there is an example of improbable hope) who is a Christian. I've heard her speak in Kingston and she was inspirational. She figures, wisely, that we begin with the commitment to caring for our neighbours rather than be crushed by the massive weight of the issues. It's interesting that another Texas Christian, James Talarico, ran and won a senate seat using "love your neighbour" as a focal point for his campaign. These two may be on to something. 

There will be non-governmental representation at COP31 including Indigenous leaders, grassroots movements and churches. The World Council of Churches are calling for  an equitable, orderly, and rapid phase-out of coal, oil, and gas. 

The United Church has invited members to "Light Candles for Cop" as an act of faith. https://united-church.ca/news/light-candle-during-cop31-love-creation

Here is what the UN website for COP31 says about the purpose of COP31

So, what's on the table in Antalya?

Behind the diplomatic language are decisions that could affect millions of lives. Several major issues remain unresolved:

1. Climate finance: Developing countries want wealthier nations to fulfil their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement, while disagreements persist over funding responsibilities, access to finance and how global financial flows can be directed towards climate action.
2. Just transition: Countries agreed last year to establish a mechanism to support the shift to cleaner economies – but still need to decide how it will work.
3. Adaptation: Negotiators will continue to work on measuring progress while developing countries press for greater financial support.
4. Cutting emissions: Governments remain divided over how to strengthen emissions action and deliver on existing commitments.

COP31 will also launch the second global stocktake, the Paris Agreement’s formal process for assessing collective progress towards its long-term goals.

But, haven’t we already lost the fight against global warming?

Scientists warn that the world is set to temporarily exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming threshold, a situation known as overshoot. But how far temperatures rise, and for how long, still depends on the choices governments, businesses and societies make today.

“Overshoot is not surrender. Overshoot should really lead to a much greater degree of urgency,” Mr Hart says, calling for faster emissions cuts and greater investment in protecting vulnerable communities.

Despite the warning, he sees reasons for optimism.

“The good news in this horrible situation of overshoot is that the world has never been better equipped to solve this challenge,” he says, pointing to the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, solar energy and battery storage.

What's giving us hope?

• Electric vehicles: Ten years ago, fewer than one in 100 new cars sold worldwide was electric. In 2025, it was one in four, and that share is expected to reach 28 per cent in 2026.
• Solar power: The world added more than 600 gigawatts of solar power capacity in 2025, accounting for over three-quarters of new renewable power capacity.
• Battery storage: Global battery storage capacity is now 11 times higher than in 2021. In 2025 alone, the world added 108 GW – 40 per cent more than the previous year. These systems allow electricity generated by solar panels and wind turbines to be stored and used later
• 
  

Resisting Evil this Remembrance Sunday

 “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.

 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 

 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

                Jesus, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5: 11-16  NRSVue

A couple of weeks ago the Globe and Mail newspaper published an opinion piece by former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with the eye-grabbing headline: As prime minister, I saw firsthand that Vladimir Putin is truly evil.

Harper lays out how he came to this conclusion, admitting that initially he was not all that concerned with the influence of the Russian leader, and then says:

Of all the famous people I have met, I still get asked more about Mr. Putin than about any other. I guess it is because he is a real-life Bond villain. And make no mistake, for all his strong attributes, he is a truly evil individual. He has knowingly and deliberately inflicted great and avoidable harm in his country and around the world.

I was intrigued by the headline and content because the word "evil" is not used all that often to refer to persons or systems anymore, even in Christian worship settings. The Lord's Prayer is still repeated in most mainline/old-line churches nearly every Sunday but lots of contemporary congregations don't bother, even though when Jesus was asked by his followers what to pray he included "deliver us from evil." 

There are a couple of paraphrases of the Prayer of Jesus or The Lord's Prayer in Voices United, one of our worship resources. One says:

do not put us to the test, but rescue us from evil  (p 916a)

The other offers: 

From trials too great to endure, spare us.

From the grip of all that is evil, free us. (916 b)

In many churches today, including Trenton United, this will be Remembrance Sunday, a huge deal in Great Britain I discovered while there years ago. Some advocates of peace are uneasy with the recognition of participants in wars during a service of worship. As a pastor I never saw it as a glorification of war but a solemn reminder of the sacrifices of many in the face of evil. 

I figure there has to be room to recognize evil in all its forms and to pray that we are freed from the grip of evil so that justice and love will prevail in our world. We can be advocates for light in the darkness as the people of the Christ.

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.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
    God is with us.
We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.

from a New Creed, The United Church of Canada

While I have your attention, this is also Aboriginal Veterans Day in Canada. 

Budgeting an End to Homelessness in Canada?

 

A person sleeps on the street in downtown Montreal, on Monday, Sept. 10, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.  A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Matthew  8:18-20 NRSVue 

  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Ezekiel 36: 26-27 NRSVue 

 I listened to a political pundit who was formerly a provincial budget planner who reminded us that budgets at every level, including federal, tend to be performative rather than transformative. Politicians want us to know that they are doing Very Important Things with our tax dollars, real and imagined. The reality is that there are a lot of fixed costs and not much leeway, but announcements are made. 

He was speaking in response to Thursday's federal budget with the kinda cheesy title: Masters of our destiny. Have these folk been watching too many Marvel films? There is lots to digest in this budget but I was really intrigued by the commitment to end homelessness in Canada within ten years. The government estimates that there are 65,000 homeless people in the country and has pledged a little over 11 billion dollars over the next four years and nearly 18 billion in future years to address community mental health and addiction facilities and create stable housing. 

As a "democratic socialist" Canadian and a Christian I support this initiative whole-heartedly. I am aware though that a commitment was made nearly a decade ago to halve homelessness and instead the numbers have grown across the country in nearly every town and city. Here in Belleville, population 56,000, those without shelter is a major issue with encampments everywhere. When we moved here in 2013 some people argued that there weren't signs of homelessness in our community, although folk were "living rough" even then. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney describes the pledge to end homelessness as a $30-billion co-ordinated national plan. John Woods/The Canadian Press

Yesterday Prime Minister Mark Carney stood with Premier Wab Kinew to announce a commitment of a billion dollars for Winnipeg and Manitoba. According to the Globe and Mail: 

Speaking at the construction site of Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, a First Nations-led affordable housing project located in Winnipeg’s former Hudson’s Bay building, Mr. Carney said the homelessness crisis has no easy answers.

“We understand both how difficult this will be, but equally how imperative it is that we all succeed,” he said, as the scent of burning sage wafted through the space. He was flanked by about 50 supporters and dignitaries, including First Nations chiefs and front-line workers who spend their nights patrolling Winnipeg’s streets supporting unhoused people.

“Ending homelessness is hard, it’s good and it’s right, and it will require more than compassion. It will require ambition, execution and partnership amongst all levels of government, with contributions from philanthropy and business,” Mr. Carney said.

I would agree with the Prime Minister, adding that we need to be rooted first in compassion as a nation in order for the ambition, execution, and partnership to unfold. There is a lot of hard-heartedness out there and we need to be vocal in our compassion. As a Christian the foundation is the love of Christ, 

Have you noticed that there are rarely homeless people in the background of press conferences about ending homelessness? 

Let's pray for new hearts so that the promises are fulfilled. I'm all for transformation. 

Jesus for Everyone

 

Two months ago I shared that New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine had been elected president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America. This delighted me because in the past few years I led study groups on three different books by Levine, who is an insightful communicator about Jesus, the gospels, and the early church. An important aspect of that insight is that she is a Jew so she brings that perspective to appreciating Jesus and his message, even though she is clear that she is not a Christian. Those who took part in our study groups appreciated her insights which provoked lots of discussion.

Shortly after the election by her scholarly peers the backlash began from anti-Semites who claimed that she was "anti-Christian,” and that she is attempting to undermine Catholicism. They clearly have not read her books, but why bother getting the facts. Others denounced Jews for not accepting Jesus, and tacked on anti-Zionist comments, conflating the actions of modern-day Israel with Jews everywhere.

While this is disheartening it's not surprising. My response was to buy her latest book. Jesus For Everyone: Not Just Christians. The Introduction begins:

Jesus is fascinating. The stories he told, his arguments with fellow Jews, even the way the Gospel writers variously describe his teachings and his works, are packed with challenge, insight, and a fair amount of humor. This material is more than the stuff of ancient history. Jesus' teaching can help us negotiate not only everyday hassles, but also global problems. 

Does this sounds like someone who is anti-Christian? I am a Jesus follower who believes in his teachings, his Passion, the profound mystery of the Crucifixion, and the transformative truth of the Resurrection. While I take a different path from Levine in regard to Jesus as the Christ, God-with-us, I respect her deeply and will continue to learn from her.  

On her Facebook page Levine offered “Hate and demonizing, name calling and slandering, are not good forms of evangelism. And now, ironically again, I have to explain that these nasty posts are not indicative of the best of the Church.”

I would encourage everyone to actual read Levine's work to find out why she is so widely respected. Doing so may even deepen your faith in Jesus. 

Here I Am & Leonard Cohen

If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game

If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory then mine must be the shame
You want it darker
We kill the flame

Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame
A million candles burning for the help that never came
You want it darker

Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my lord

from You Want It Darker Leonard Cohen

 Saturday marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Leonard Cohen, poet and musician and mystic, and there have been concerts to commemorate his passing. Cohen died in California at 82 and Rolling Stone decided he was the 103rd greatest singer of all time. I find that a little weird given that he had to be cajoled into singing publicly by Judy Collins and as a singer he was a good poet, an opinion perhaps not widely shared. 

Cohen began life in Montreal and was raised in the Jewish faith. Through the decades he explored Buddhism and he was much more than a dabbler or dilletante. He spent five years in seclusion at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center in California and was ordained as a monk. He was given the Dharma name Jikan which means silence 

The excellent writer Pico Iyer, himself deeply intrigued by Buddhism, visited his long-time hero Cohen and observed "I could hardly believe that this rabbinical-seeming gentleman in wire-rimmed glasses and wool cap was in truth the singer and poet who’d been renowned for thirty years as an international heartthrob, a constant traveler, and an Armani-clad man of the world."

Some of us will remember Cohen's 60s hits, Suzanne and So Long, Marianne, long before Hallelujah of the 1980s, which became the Amazing Grace of a generation.The latter is an enigmatically spiritual song with references to Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba. There have been a lot of covers of Hallelujah (far too many) but KD Lang's is the best. 

I've written about Cohen a couple of times, the first not long before his death. I reflected on what turned out to be one of his last songs, You Want it Darker. It includes the Hebrew word "hineni" which is part of a prayer in which the Jewish cantor recites: Hineni he’ani mima’as. Here I am, impoverished in deeds and merit. But nevertheless I have come before You, God, to plead on behalf of Your people Israel.

The cantor and choir of the chorus in the recording are from the synagogue of Cohen's youth, Montreal’s Shaar Hashomayim, The cantor, a tenor is Gideon Zelermyer, with the Shaar choir, and their voices are powerful, ethereal. 

Cohen also reflected on Yeshua, Jesus, the Jew: 

As I understand it, into the heart of every Christian, Christ comes and Christ goes. When, by his Grace, the landscape of the heart becomes vast and deep and limitless, then Christ makes His abode in that graceful heart, and His Will prevails. The experience is recognized as Peace.

Here are the links to those earlier blogs: 

https://lionlamb-bowmanville.blogspot.com/2016/10/darkness-and-light-in-leonard-cohen.html

https://lionlamb-bowmanville.blogspot.com/2025/03/leonard-cohen-and-mezuzahs.html

A Vote for "Love Thy Neighbour"? (with a u)

                                       President Donald Trump doing some self-reflection on Monday

  Merry Christmas in November to millions of  decent Americans this morning. Last night the politics of anger and ugliness was soundly rebuked across the nation and I am one of the untold millions of onlookers from other countries who is breathing a sigh of relief, although few of us are naive about what will be the ongoing machinations of the Grifter-in-Chief.

Among the Democrats who were elected is the first Black woman governor, the first Muslim senator, the first openly gay senator, and the first Native American governor. Seemingly impregnable Republican strongholds were breached, one for the first time in nearly a century. 

One of the most intense races was in Texas where a corrupt wolf-in-sheep's clothing senate candidate who has been having an affair with a Christian influencer (huh?) was challenged by James Talarico, an articulate John Boy looking candidate who was pursuing a Masters of Divinity while serving in the Texas House of Representatives. Talarico has talked the talk and walked the walk of a different kind of Christianity based on inclusion and respect for everyone. This was pounced upon by his opponents and grossly misrepresented. The president attempted to demean him with the moniker Talafreako, to which James turned the other cheek and won the election. 

Talarico employed the image of the boy David against Goliath during the final days. Clever, although through the years I have grown wary of this story in 1 Samuel 17 because of its violence. I prefer James' message of love but the truth is a seemingly insurmountable foe was slain. In his acceptance speech he said: 

In this race, we went up against our own Goliaths: the richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world and the entire Washington, D.C. establishment. David wasn't as big or as strong as Goliath. He didn't have as many weapons, but he had hope. He had faith, and he had a slingshot. You were my slingshot. The people of Texas were my slingshot. And tonight, and tonight, we defeated Goliath.

Countries around the world, including Canada, will now watch, wait, and negotiate, aware that this heady moment may provoke a doubling down on Executive powers, but we'll savour the moment here in the 51st state. 

On Monday Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and a relentless Trump supporter posted this message on X 

Tomorrow is a pivotal day in our nation’s history I would encourage everyone to think about—and PRAY about—the consequences of how you cast your ballot. The two political parties are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Your vote does matter and could possibly change the future of our country. So VOTE, and ask God to give you wisdom.

Well, Graham's prayers were answered, but be careful what you pray for. Love thy neighbour -- with a u. 

                  Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks at an election night watch party in Atlanta after her victory.                                                   NICOLE CRAINE/The New York Times

philip lewis

@Phil_Lewis_

·

10h

'In 1860, an enslaved man named Sheppard Peek was listed among the possessions of William Peek. His value was placed at $1400. More than a century and a half later, Sheppard’s great-great-granddaughter, Keisha Lance Bottoms, was elected governor of GA'

Biblical Values this US Election Day

Rev. Benjamin Cremer

@Brcremer

·

1h

Someone told me to "vote according to Biblical values!" So I voted for welcoming immigrants, helping the poor, feeding the hungry, bringing healthcare to the sick, forgiving debts, caring for our planet, laying down our swords, and loving all our neighbors.

This is the fateful day for midterm elections in the United States. Midterms are often a referendum on how the government generally and the President specifically are doing. Usually the electorate is somewhat disgruntled and the party in power fares worse than it did during the election two years prior. 

This time around it seems that the stakes are much higher. Both congressional and senate control could shift from the Republicans to the Democrats with many races in play. President Trump is hugely unpopular and his approval is in the red in the majority of states. One significant group which continues to support Trump is evangelical Christians, the same sector of the population that ensured his narrow victories in two prior elections. 

Conservative Christian leaders have urged pastors to speak out in favour of Republican candidates because they address the "real" issues of abortion, the redefinition of marriage, transgender identity, and illegal immigration. For me these are all dubiously Christian given that Jesus didn't focus on any of them.

 Of course, our Jesus ethic does include the sanctity of human life, so it's important to consider how his teaching influences how we respond to the marginalized in our society. He did say that the reign of God gives priority to the poor, the marginalized, the imprisoned, a message steadfastly ignored by those on the political and theological right in the United States and here in Canada as well. I often wonder if conservative Christians have cut Matthew 25 out of their bibles. 

There is an excellent piece by Peter Wehner in The Atlantic with the title:  

The Issues Christian Voters Are Neglecting: What would a Christian political agenda look like if it were measured by the lives that could be saved, sheltered, and healed?

I can't include the entire article but here are a few paragraphs;

 Why, for example, have pastors and other Christian leaders who insist that they care about human life and flourishing not spoken out against the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, carried out by DOGE, and the disruption of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief? According to modeling estimates by Boston University’s Brooke Nichols, in the first year alone these cuts had resulted in more than three-quarters of a million deaths, more than 500,000 of them children. 

A study in The Lancet projected that if the USAID cuts are not reversed, they could cause more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, including some 4.5 million children under age 5. Might not those who claim to be shaped by a Jesus ethic want to speak out and make global development a first-order concern rather than an afterthought?

 Bono, the lead singer of U2 and himself a Christian, cited the Lancet study in a recent interview with The New York Times. “Let’s say they’re half wrong,” he said. “What Christian household, what Catholic household, what Jewish household, anyone of faith, in fact anyone of conscience, would allow the hemorrhaging of human life that is going to happen as a result of these DOGE cuts? It’s unconscionable.”

As a Canadian I have been praying for the outcome of today's elections because I am a Christian and biblical values don't have borders. I'm well aware that given Trump's relentless shift toward autocratic rule he could continue his agenda regardless of the outcome. I can hear the whining about voter fraud already. I will pray for a spiritual awakening in the United States, a shift back toward compassion and decency and genuine leadership in the world.