Do Not Fear, O Soil

 

Do not fear, O soil;

    be glad and rejoice,
    for the Lord has done great things!
22 Do not fear, you animals of the field,
    for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
    the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

Joel 2:21-22 NRSVue

We spent time at the National Art Gallery in Ottawa not long ago and walked through the exhibit called  Sylvia Safdie: Nature, Earth and Being Human.

 “As a child I collected objects from the earth: seeds, pods, stones, bones and other organic materials. I stored these in a small cave near my house and spent hours assembling and reassembling them. Looking back, I now realize that it was my refuge from the world and a place where I held my own communion with nature. My studio then became akin to my cave, and the collections of organic elements have since become the language of my work.“   

The photos above are of soil Safdie has collected over the years in an amazing variety of shades. This installation is quite intriguing although don't get too close or the security guy will ask you to step back, we learned. 

                                                                Sower -- Vincent Van Gogh

Can hanging out in a room full of soil samples be a spiritual experience? It felt that way and it got me thinking about a report I heard about Bill S-230, championed by Ontario senator Robert Black, which passed its first hearing at the House of Commons in April after moving through the Senate last month. It proposes developing a a Canada-wide strategy for soil health protection, conservation and enhancement.

According to the CBC report: 

The bill resulted from the Senate’s 2024 report on soil, which found that although enhanced practices have improved soil management and increased crop yields since its 1984 report, continued soil degradation and loss of agricultural land still persists across Canada.

The 2024 report laid out 25 recommendations to better recognize soil as a strategic national asset. They include directing the federal government to work with various levels of government to support soil health, build and enhance funding for soil-related incentives, among others.

We know that there are many threats to soil health including depletion and toxic substances. Wildfires are now so intense that they consume all the nutrients and living things in the soil, making regeneration next to impossible. 

There are lots of references to soil in scripture beginning with Adam, the "adamah", the groundling or red clay creature. Jesus told earthy and agricultural parables. So, whether it's coming upon a art installation or a bill in the House we Groundlings can pay attention and honour this aspect of Creation. 

Julie Maw is vice-chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario and runs a third-generation grain farm with her family that rotates crops of corn, soybeans and wheat. She believes this legislation, if passed, can create additional tools to allow farmers to keep producing and help overall food security.

Cherishing & Supporting Religious Diversity

 

I'm a sucker for graphs and images such as this one and I'm always curious about religious diversity. We now live in a world I couldn't have imagined as a child in the 50s, one in which we can be informed about the religious practices of others beyond caricatures and stereotypes. This said, we are also in a disturbing moment of rising hatred toward those of other religions and the need for governments to address anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 

I am encouraged to see that according to Pew Research Canada has the highest level of religious diversity in North America and ranks "very high" amongst all nations. We should be proud of this. 

Yet we are aware of alarming incidents of increasing vandalism at synagogues and mosques and harassment of those who wear religious garb. I have expressed my alarm at what is discriminatory legislation in Quebec with bans on wearing religious symbols and clothing in public as well as gathering for public prayer. All of this is regressive and none of it should be acceptable.

I write this as a Christian who is committed to my faith and its unique tenets. I also have respect for other religions and have benefitted from dialogue and mutual projects such as refugee sponsorship with wonderful people from other faiths. 

I hope that we live up to this high standard and will contintue to work to ensuring it. We can't take religious diversity for granted. 

David Attenborough at 100

 

Sir David Attenborough, the nature film-maker and environmental activist extraordinaire is 100 today. He is still remarkably astute and alive, continuing to work on project and speaking out on behalf of all creatures in an age of peril. 

We watched his recent documentary David Attenborough’s A Gorilla Story in which he harkens back nearly half a century to a demanding expedition into the mountain forests of Rwanda. His film crew for this Life on Earth episode had to negotiate with a suspicious military and other dangers -- gorilla researcher Dian Fossey facilitated the excursion and she was murdered there a few years later. 

The goal was to film the gorillas from a safe distance as Attenborough discussed opposable digits on our hands. To their total surprise and eventual delight the gorillas approached David and began to play with him. One named Pablo, a three-year-old playfully climbed up on him as he spoke.  Two other young ones pulled off his shoes. Pablo grew up to be the leader of this troupe of gorillas.

Attenborough began doing nature programs in 1954 but this experience ranks near the top for him:  “The words I used are, ‘There’s more meaning in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than any other animal I know’, And I stick by that. I think that’s true.”  

These mountain gorillas were on the road to extinction but happily, the efforts of Fossey and Attenborough's documentaries have reversed that course and their numbers are now robust. 

I feel that Attenborough has done more than any other film-maker to invite us into what the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber described as the I/Thou relationship rather than I/It. Buber wrote about these encounters in terms of God and other humans, but why not with other creatures? As humans we have objectified and demeaned other species to their peril and ours. Attenborough has invited us into enchantment and respect. 

What a marvelous life and legacy for David Attenborough. Well done and thank you!

Sunset Alert!

 

                                                                             Ruth photo

Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord;
    praise the name of the Lord.

 Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.
 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

                                                             Psalm 113: 1-3 NRSVue

As the sun begins to set, its light must traverse a thicker layer of the atmosphere, particularly near the horizon. This elongated path through the atmosphere results in more scattering of the shorter blue and violet wavelengths, leading to their dispersal across the sky. The longer wavelengths, particularly red, orange, and yellow, are less affected by scattering and continue on their trajectory, creating the warm, golden glow that characterizes the sunset.

source: Weather Geeks 

A couple of evenings ago Ruth let out a gasp and pointed out the window. I leapt to my feet -- well, kinda -- and saw a glorious sunset I was missing because of my position in our family room. We went onto the deck where Ruth took the photo at the top of the page. She messaged it to our three adult children who began responding with their pictures. All of the households had noticed the sunset as well and the photographers are aged 10 to 72. Everyone was in awe and we all made the appropriate "Zowie!" responses to the other images. We shared our delight from hundreds of kilometres apart, everywhere from a rural setting to downtown Toronto.

                                                                             Emma photo

What is about humans that we are astonished and moved by a sunset and want to share the experience with others? The scientific explanation is great but our souls are stirred by what we experience at sunrise and sunset, as different cloud formations pass overhead, as lightning flashes. The Northern Lights or an eclipse have a similar effect. I'm sure that many scientists who study these phenomena are enchanted as well

                                                                                  Jocelyn photo

I figure that we are hard-wired for beauty and attending to what we see and hear and feel around us is essential to our being. These are spiritual experiences, whatever "spiritual" means to us. The great Jewish rabbi and writer of the last century, Abraham Joshua Heschel, when asked by an interviewer what he believed his greatest gift to be, replied: “My ability to be surprised.”

Our surprise and astonishment can be elements of praising both Creator and Creation. There are times when life seems unfair and desperate and mean, then we have a revelatory moment and are compelled to express gratitude. 

Don't the hours grow shorter as the days go by?
You never get to stop and open your eyes
One day you're waiting for the sky to fall
The next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all
When you're lovers in a dangerous time
Lovers in a dangerous time

                                 Bruce Cockburn 

                                                                                     Emily photo

 I continue to turn to the poems of the late Mary Oliver and this one is brief, yet perfect. 

Instructions for living a life.

Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

GG Louise Arbour, Champion of Justice

 

Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with Louise Arbour, who he named as Canada's next governor general, in Ottawa on Tuesday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Take away from me the noise of your songs;

    I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like water
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

                       Amos 5: 23024 NRSVue

I find the office of Governor General something of a head-scratcher. Why does Canada still need a GG in a time when many citizens are indifferent to the monarchy and with it the role of the Crown's representative. I do think that most of our Governors General have deported themselves with dignity, wisdom, and grace. I imagine the majority of those who still pay attention continue to scratch their heads over Julie Payette, but you can't win 'em all. Mary Simon held her head high despite the criticism regarding her lack of French and the racism she endured because of her Indigeneity was relentless. 

I'm intrigued by yesterday's announcement of Louise Arbour as the new Governor General. She is highly respected as a jurist, not just in Canada but around the world. She served on Canada's Supreme Court but I was more aware of her work prosecuting war criminals such as former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milošević for crimes against humanity after his involvement in the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo.

She also led the tribunal that prosecuted high-level perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide saying: "National, ethnic, racial or religious intolerance is the plague of the modern world," Arbour has never been afraid to speak the truth and as UN human rights commissioner she was critical of Israel's actions against the people in Gaza during a 2008 conflict with Hamas, not a popular opinion with the Conservative government of that time. 

Reading about her human rights stance on behalf of refugees, immigrants, and those of different religions paints an impressive picture of a fearless person. 

Arbour attended a convent school as a young person and was known for her irreverence on the school newspaper. I have no idea whether she a person of faith today but as a Christian I admire her commitment to the plight of others, a biblical and prophetic outlook. We'll see where her honesty takes her during the next five years. 

Does Red Dress Day Still Matter?

 

May 5th is Red Dress Day in Canada, a memorial for Aboriginal women and girls who have gone missing through the decades, victims of misogyny and our Canadian society's disregard and even contempt. I have a sense that the importance of this day has faded in recent years at a time when there has been a resurgence of anti-Indigenous sentiment. It was as though some Canadians grudgingly decided that there might have been some injustices as part of the colonial agenda, even took some ownership, then searched for ways to deny and denigrate Indigenous peoples and culture. At times I have found this disheartening. 

I hope that as people of Christian faith will continue to honour this day and pray for a deepened commitment to Truth and Reconciliation within the United Church of Canada and in our broader society. Here is a description of Red Dress Day from a British Columbia source and links to visual representations of the day, including one from the United Church: 

May 5th is known as Red Dress Day and is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. It is a day to remember and honour the countless Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people who have disappeared or been victims of violence, often receiving little to no legal justice. Learning about the history behind Red Dress Day, and the continuous challenges that Indigenous communities face, is essential in understanding its true significance. 

The origins of Red Dress Day can be traced back to 2010, when Métis artist Jaime Black initiated the powerful art installation, “REDress Project”. Black used red dresses as a visual representation of murdered or missing Indigenous women across Canada. The haunting sight of empty red dresses hanging in public places, from trees to lamp posts, was meant to call attention to the startlingly high rates of violence that Indigenous women experience. 

The REDress Project gained recognition worldwide, igniting discussions about the violence against Indigenous women and the underlying issues that perpetuate it. People wear red dresses or ribbons on May 5th to commemorate the lives lost due to violence and to call for justice. Red Dress Day took hold in Canada but has since spread internationally. It has evolved into a day of solidarity, reinforcing the Calls to Justice made by the 2019 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This inquiry is closely related to Red Dress Day.  

“Indigenous women in the provinces were more likely than non-Indigenous women to have experienced violent victimization, with the comparison being 64 per cent of Indigenous women versus 45 per cent of non-Indigenous women in Atlantic provinces, 62 per cent versus 43 per cent in central Canada, 61 per cent versus 48 per cent in the Prairies, and 65 per cent versus 50 per cent in British Columbia.”  – CBC News, 2022 

Notwithstanding these concerning figures, MMIWG2S cases frequently remain unsolved, leaving families in the dark and without closure. Red Dress Day is an emotional symbol of how important it is to continue raising awareness and advocating for systemic change. It draws attention to the ways that colonialism, racism, and sexism intersect to further marginalize Indigenous women and place them more at risk to be subjected to violence. To effectively tackle the problem of MMIWG2S, society needs to face its ingrained prejudices and strive for solutions that prioritize the perspectives and experiences of Indigenous people. 

On this day of memorial, let us keep in mind the lives that it represents. Lives taken too soon, leaving broken hearts in the communities they have left behind. Let’s pay tribute to the fortitude of Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and pledge to support those who are impacted by colonial violence.  

https://unitedchurchfoundation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Red-Dress-Day-posters.pdf

https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhibitions/

Encampment by Maggie Helwig for the Win

 

We have normalized delinquent, disorderly behaviour in our cities for too long

Robyn Urback

Back in November Robin Urback wrote an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail about the challenges of homelessness in Toronto with this headline and with her usual directness. She comes out swinging, as these two paragraphs demonstrate:  

For years, a vocal minority of social activists have effectively dictated public policy in Canadian cities. Homeless encampments in parks and beside playgrounds have not simply been tolerated, but recharacterized as legitimate neighbourhoods to be protected...

It is not simply a matter of restoring the use of public spaces for everyone, but restoring a sense of order, of social cohesion, of faith in the institutions of governance. Because the longer visible signs of social decay are allowed to fester, the more inclined those with means will be to simply check out – figuratively and literally – leaving those without the ability to relocate to deal with playgrounds littered with drug paraphernalia. No one wants to live in a place where they perceive the rights of those breaking the law to take precedence over those who have chosen to abide by them.

Urback doesn't quite call those who support those who are in homeless encampments as "liberal bleeding hearts"  but she comes close. There were many responses including one from a former Toronto city planner who seems to agree and speaks of the social contract that is key to a healthy community. 

Of course, the notion of a social contract and faith in the institutions of governance makes sense to those who are employed, housed, and have enough to eat. For those in society who figure that the rules favour a few and not those on the margins. including the working poor, these notions ring hollow. 

i don't disagree with the concerns for safety and access to public spaces. We all want our kids to be able to move about freely and all of us to be able to use our parks as they were intended. But after I read the article I returned to the book Encampment by Anglican priest Maggie Helwig. This is a grace and God-filled reflection on her work with those who are unhoused in the heart of Toronto, some of them living literally on the doorstep of the church called St. Stephens-in-the-Fields. She describes the huge difficulties of accessing a system of support for those without shelter and other basic necessities of life. She is both boundlessly compassionate and clear-eyed and frames her work in the context of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She includes excerpts from sermons that are powerful. 

Encampment is brilliant in my estimation, a view I've discovered is shared by actor and director Sarah Polley, who gives copies to friends.

Last week Helwig won her second award for the book, the  Shaughnessy Cohen Prize. She received the $40,000 monetary prize.at the Politics and the Pen gala, an annual fundraiser attended by some of Ottawa’s power players. According to the Global News report Helwig was direct herself: 

“There is a tendency among politicians these days to speak as if you were helpless, as if you had no real volition or power but are only slaves of the God of the economy. But the God of the economy is a human creation, and you do have power, and you do have choices about how you use it,” she said in her acceptance speech.

She encouraged the politicians, lobbyists and businesspeople to consider the experiences of unhoused people as they wield their power.

“Policies of neglect, exclusion and displacement have a body count. The median age of death for homeless women in Toronto is 36 years, and it is not much better for men,” she said before reading a list of 20 names, all belonging to unhoused people in her community who had died in the last couple of years.

Communities of all sizes in this country are toiling away at addressing the issues of poverty and the need for what Urback calls social cohesion. I don't question the sincerity of our local politicians, social service agencies, and faith communities as they do this important and often thankless work. I pray that by the grace of God we will find solutions that are good news and Good News, as bleak as circumstances may seem. We must remember that the "unhoused" are human beings with names and needs who desire a better life.

This is a long blog entry but a final note: Helwig has chosen to give her awards of $20,000 and $40,000 to those who need rent money to get into housing. She literally puts her money where her mouth is.