Praise for the Sturgeon Moon & the Creator

O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established;

what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? 

Psalm 8:1-3 NRSVue 

Last night was the second full moon of August, so a "blue moon". It was big and beautiful because this Sturgeon Moon was also the second Super Moon of the month , coming exceptioally close to the Earth. 

                                                                Man in the Moon illustration, 1935

Humans have long been fascinated by the moon and once thought that the mentally ill were affected by the full moon -- lunacy. Ruth is sure that her sleep patterns are affected by the phases of the moon. 

In 1969 the Americans put astronauts on the surface, a momentous event I watched as a teen. Countries still see lunar landings as a great achievement. Recently the Russians crashed a lunar explorer on the south end of the moon and shortly afterward India landed successfully, to great national celebration. 

The bible is a "mooney" book, with a number of references to the satellite which may once have been part of our planet before spinning off as the result of a collosal collision. In one of those serendipitous, providential moments, yesterday's psalm reading was Psalm 8, which includes the verse: "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established..."  Wonderful. 

You may have been fortunate enough -- blessed? -- to get a good view from your location last night and were filled with wonder. I do hope so! 

Here are some lyrics, slightly altered, from a great song by the crusty Canadian, Neil Young, who may be as old as the moon. 

Come a little bit closer
Hear what I have to say
Just like children sleepin'
We could dream this night away

But there's a full moon risin'
Let's go dancin' in the light
We know where the music's playin'
Let's go out and feel the night

Because I'm still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I'm still in love with you
On this Sturgeon (harvest) moon...

And why not get your groove on with Dancing in the Moonlight?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SebH8En9ZOY

A Faithful Response to Opioid Addiction

For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.

They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.

They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.

Therefore the people turn and praise them and find no fault in them.

                                                   Psalm 73: 3-10 NRSVue

I Iistened to CBC Radio's Q with Tom Power and a sobering interview segment with Peter Berg, the creator of a new docu-drama called Painkiller. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-50-q/clip/16006302-peter-berg-aysanabee

It's about the opioid crisis, with a focus on the evil empire of Purdue Pharma,  producers of the highly addictive OxyContin which was marketed as a safe painkiller even though Purdue knew it was highly addictive. 

Purdue was eventually convicted of fraud and agreed to pay fines of billions of dollars in a deal that meant that none of the Sackler family went to jail even though at least a million people have died in the United States from opioid overdoses. Here in Canada tens of thousands have died and a dozen people perish every day in this country, with numbers on the rise. While OxyContin is not a contributor to all of these deaths it created the tsunami of opioid addiction. 

Why do the wicked prosper? This is a question which recurrs in scripture and for which there is no ready answer. We hope that the God of justice will give them their come-uppance but too often it seems that wealth and power shields them from the consequences of their actions. 

I've written before about another excellent drama called Dopesick which tells the grim story extremely well. It demonstrated how difficult it was for prosecutors to bring the perpetrators to any form of justice and the reality is that the Sacklers are still billionaires. While they have become social pariahs and lost prestige there are no broader consequences for the deaths of those who were loved and lost. 

The COVID epidemic affected the elderly the most, but the opioid epidemic is a scourge of the young. Many parents ask why various levels of government appear to be relatively indifferent to this crisis. They tell stories of beloved children whose addictions often developed covertly or were known but timely treatment was unavailable. These people are not simply grim statistics and they ae not disposable. 

 I have wondered many times how communities of faith could take a stronger role in raising the issues and getting involved in practical response. There have been a couple of deaths, likely drug-induced, literally outside the doors of Bridge St. Church, the last congregation I served before retirement. Excellent work with the poor and marginalized is being done out of this facility yet these losses are haunting. 

Apparently some churches observe Opioid Addiction Sunday as an opportunity to raise awareness and to pray for the afflicted. Perhaps we all should. 

Prayers of the People for Opioid Addiction Awareness Sunday 

We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to remove all the conditions that lead people to despair: homelessness, limited access to health care and education, un-employment or poverty level wages

For we already have the power to enfranchise “the least of these” and to give hope If we would only use our power justly. 

We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to root out blame, prejudice, and stigma of every kind: 

For we already have eyes with which to see the good in all people If we would only use them rightly. 

We cannot merely pray to you O God, to end epidemics of all kinds, For we already have the resources to treat, and the knowledge to prevent the spread We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end addiction 

For Jesus has already entrusted us with forgiveness and compassion to share in His name 

Therefore, we pray instead for Your strength, determination, and the faith to risk stepping out, 

To DO, as your way of “giving hands and feet to our prayers.” To become instead of merely to wish.

Prophetic Justice Like Water & a Present-Day Tragedy

 

                                                                   Ruth at Ein Gedi, April 2023

I hate, I despise your festivals,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them,
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
    I will not look upon.
23 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 5:21-24 NRSVue

Not long ago I saw these verses from the Hebrew scripture book of the prophet Amos in which God expresses total disdain for empty worship which is all show and no go. The imagery of justice as a raging torrent is powerful and so fitting in Israel. It can be a land of extremes when it comes to waterways. During periods of the year rivers and streams can be bone dry only to become highly dangerous when a rain storm at a distance turns them into surging flumes, often filled with rocks and boulders. There is nothing reassuring in this passage when it comes to phoney religion and Amos tells us that God's justice is meant to be a constant and unstoppable force. 

When we were in Israel in April we visited Ein Gedi, a stream which descends through a beautiful canyon and is described in 1 Samuel in relation to an incident wih King Saul and David, the eventual monarch. An unusual thunderstorm the day before had our family hosts checking to see if the Nature Reserve would be open for hiking and while it was, a portion was closed as a precaution. 

There was a news item four days ago about a rockslide at the falls pictured above at Ein Gedi which killed an eight-year-old boy and injured others. A family outing at a popular spot ended in tragedy. Our folk in Israel reminded us that we sat at the spot where the slide occurred and I took the photograph, above, from that location. 

So often visiting places in Israel helps to give the 3-D image of the words on the pages in the bible. Even though we've been to Israel before, returning created a sense of this once again, and we are grateful. How sad, though, for the child who died, and the loss for this family. 

Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem prepares to receive casualties from a rockslide in Nahal David hiking trail in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Aug. 24, 2023. Credit: TPS.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

 

                                                         Who do you say that I am? Lee Vincent 

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 16:13-16 NRSVue

Open our eyes Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him
And say that we love Him
Open our ears Lord
And Help us to listen
Open our eyes Lord
We want to see Jesus

Maranatha Praise Chorus

I've been thinking about Jesus a lot during the past few days after looking ahead to the Sunday readings (yesterday) in the Common Lectionary. Jesus' disciples were brave and cowardly, insightful and dumb as a post. In other words, a lot like us. Wandering around Galilee they would squabble about who would be first in the kingdom, try to act as bouncers for their Master, and be genuinely befuddled about his true identity and purpose. 

In the hills above the lake/sea is biblical Casarea Philippi, now the Banias Nature Reserve in an annexed area of the Golan Heights. While there -- was this some sort of spa day? -- Jesus asks the disciples who others say he is and then who they see standing in front of them. Peter has his "aha!' moment, although he goes on the blow it and gets compared to Satan. Ouch. 

Through the years I would ask search committees of congregations interviewing me for a ministry position if they saw themselves as a Christ-centred community of faith. The response was often "crickets" -- people genuinely struggled with the question and in one instance a clergy presbytery rep pre-emptorally answered "no." I couldn't get away fast enough.

 I'm not sure how we got to the place where this might have seemed like a trick question, or beyond their ken. Or how we could end up with a "celebrity" clergyperson in UCC ministry who had dispensed with Jesus and God and crowed about it -- heard much about her lately? 

At the same time I am keenly aware of the Jesus-y folk who invoke his name and yet seem to be doing so as some sort of dog-whistle for conservative values which veer into white privilege and supremacy. To me this is a form of blasphemy. 

Matthew 16 continues with Jesus speaking about his impending suffering and Peter's inappropriate response: 

 And Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

 I don't want to be part of a "Jesus optional" church, even if that is due to earnest indifference rather than intention. And I sure can't stand those who crucify Jesus for their own ends, often misappropriating the cross to justify exclusion and triumphalism. 

It's okay to wrestle with our understanding of Jesus and we've probably all changed our outlook over time. Perhaps we need to return to this passage several times a year as a spiritual spa and reaffirmation day. On those Sundays, we could ask the Jesus questions and also repeat the Not-So-New Creed of the United Church with the essential phrase: " to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope."

We are not alone,
    we live in God’s world.

 We believe in God:
    who has created and is creating,
    who has come in Jesus,
       the Word made flesh,
       to reconcile and make new,
    who works in us and others
       by the Spirit.

We trust in God. 

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.

Exeter Cat-thedral?

 As a 19-year-old I took a pause from formal education for a year and during that time I spent a couple of months kicking around Great Britain and France, mostly on my own. I did land for a few weeks with some of my mother's family in Exeter, the city of her birth. Most days I would walk into the city centre and enter the historic cathedral, which dates back nearly a thousand years. I loved the majesty and tranquility of this sanctuary and while I did explore nooks and crannies I often sat just inside the entrance for my own moments of contemplation.

I was aware of the complex astronomical clock in the transept and in much later return visits discovered the fascinating Green Men carved high above the nave. However, I just found out that there is a cat flap door for the resident cathedral mouser which was chiseled out in the 14th century. Stapledon is the current divine feline but how many cats have come and gone through the centuries? As with some other cathedrals in England, Stapledon actually has a voice on the cathedral website. 

The term cathedral comes from cathedra which refers to the raised seat of the presiding bishop. If Stapledon is anything like our two cats he/she/they probably looks at the enthroned bishop and observes "you're sitting in my chair."  And, no doubt, wants us to know that this is a cat-thedral -- they do appear to be wearing a clerical collar. 

Remembering the Slave Trade and its Abolition

 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see.

This week a  neighbour, a young woman, was standing in her front yard playing a recording of a song which I quickly recognized as Amazing Grace. I have no idea why, but it was a reminder that this testimony of saving faith, written in the 18th century, has staying power. Sometimes it's sung with lyrical beauty, although too often in a ragged "it's the only hymn we know" fashion.

You may be aware that it was written by John Newton, who was converted from a profane, destructive lifestyle and eventually became an Anglican clergyman in England.  He had been involved in the Atlantic slave trade and while he denounced Christianity he eventually found his way back to Christ -- or Christ found him. 

Even after his conversion Newton continued in the slave trade through several voyages where he sailed the coasts of Africa, transporting enslaved people from various ports to North America. Eventually he became an abolitionist and his autobiographical prayer/poem, Amazing Grace, was set to music and became a favourite in the African-American community -- remember President Barack Obama singing it at the funeral of a murdered Black pastor in 2015? 

While I've  complained that Amazing Grace is dog-eared and should be retired it does serve as a reminder of the horrors of the slave trade. Perhaps we can sing it with renewed vigour and purpose given the vision-impaired wretches who are attempting to minimize the effects of slavery in states such as Florida. 

Gratitude for a Life Lived Quietly and With Integrity

 

                                             Susan Diane Elizabeth Trollope July 5, 1943 to July 5, 2023

A Blessing in Midst of Wildfires:

Let there be gentle rain, off and on,

and cooling temperatures until all fires are out,

and all people and flocks are safely housed and cared for.

May caregivers care well for those fighting fires:

nourish, shelter, and love them into healing.

May goodly rest fortify the strength and will to persist

for all who are affected by these fires from coast to coast.

May God be with all who face fear and heat and smoke.

May God bless those who work to stop the fires.

May some balance come for those displaced, lost, or hurt.

They are not alone. We are not alone.

May God send peace into all the upset, frustration, and fright.

Thank you, God, for what you are doing in and through us. Amen.

 

                           Diane Trollope, Sudbury, Ont.

The editor of our United Church region included this blessing in the weekly online newsletter which was posted yesterday. It's unlikely that Karen was aware that the author, Diane Trollope, died last month at the age of 80. Diane was a diaconal minister in our denomination until health issues affected her ministry relatively early in life. She was a member of the St. Andrew's congregation I served in Sudbury, Ontario, for eleven years and I realize now that she was in her mid-forties when I first met her. She had already stepped away from paid accountable ministry by that time and we had conversations through the years about whether she could return, only to realize that wasn't likely to happen.

Just the same, Diane was active in congregational life through visitation and while she couldn't be a paid member of our staff, so lived modestly on her small pension, we covered expenses as she made her way around town to see folk and she was included in staff functions. 

Diane often responded to the various social issues near and dear to her heart with poetry and thoughtfully written prayers. She was a caring person with a sense of humour and a desire to contribute where she could. Her obituary offered an impressive list of those interests and contributions:

 Justice, learning and education were her passions and that is what drew her to participate in church committees like the Sudbury Presbytery Mission in Canada Committee, St. Andrew’s Mission and Worship Committees, book study groups and Out of the Cold, and to accept the role of Team Lead of the Canadian Shield Regional Council Mission Grants Resource Team. She supported justice initiatives like Make Poverty History, affordable housing and indigenous rights and helped set up the Ministry to Long Term Care Programme.

We were saddened to hear of Diane's death in July, after the fact. I'm reminded again that many people live out their Christian vocations in ways that may not have much of a public profile yet build up the body of Christ in meaningful ways, and with a lasting impact. 

The obituary also provided a tender description of Diane's departure from this life 

Susan Diane Elizabeth Trollope died peacefully at Maison McCulloch Hospice on July 5, her 80th birthday, with loving friends by her side, singing her on her way.

Well done, good and faithful servant. 

Ukraine Independence and Peace

 

War is terrible but you find us, Loving God.

You find us anxious as conflict rages in the country of Ukraine.
You find us angry at the senseless loss of life,
you find us distressed as civilians are caught up in a terrible war,
you find us grieving over the death of innocent bystanders.

War is terrible but you listen to us carefully, Loving God.

You listen as we ask the politicians, “Can’t you work for a peaceful solution?”
You listen as we say to the aggressors, “Don’t put children or hospitals at risk.”
You listen as we give thanks for countries that welcome those displaced
with big hearts and open arms;
you listen as we fear for journalists who put themselves in danger
to report the truth.

David Sparks for the United Church of Canada

This is Independence Day in Ukraine and for a second year this date has special meaning as an unjust war grinds on in that country. There is a long history of Ukraine suffering under Russian oppression, including the Holomodor, the famine of 1932 and 1933 engineered by the Soviet government of Joseph Stalin which resulted in the deaths of between 3.5 and 7 million Ukrainians.The current war in entirely unjustified, a macabre vanity project of the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, who is being compared to Stalin in his ruthlessness. Today Ukrainians around the world are gathering in solidarity with the beleaguered and brave people of their homeland, including here in Canada.

You may have seen the grim estimates by US Intelligence of 500,000 combatants either killed or injured in these past 18 months of the war. These include 120,000 Russian soldiers and 70,000 Ukrainians. These figures don't include civilian casualties. There is no doubt in my mind that Russia is the aggressor in this fabricated war yet the reality of so many who have perished on both sides is heart-wrenching. Add to this the billions lost to these economies and untold billions more in military aid and support provided by nations supporting Ukraine. 

We could have a debate about the doctrine of Original Sin, but surely the warring nature of humanity is a colossal sin and our persistent folly. How many trillions are spent each year on armaments, and how is it that Canada and other nations sell them to countries such as Saudi Arabia with its deplorable human rights record? 

We have friends who say a quick prayer for Ukraine each time they say a blessing at a meal, and we can all pray for peace and independence for the courageous citizens whose resolve is unbroken. Prayers for a universal change of heart when it comes to "might makes right" can be included in our prayers. 

War is terrible but you give us hope, Loving God.

Hope that leaders will patiently give peace a chance.
Hope that despite the heartache, the terror, and the loss,
places of sanctuary will be found and acts of kindness will take root and grow.
Hope that feelings of revenge for broken livelihoods and broken bodies
will be replaced by a willingness to restore community and to forgive.
We pray in the name of Jesus, crucified one. Amen

David Sparks for the United Church of Canada

World Water Week & Acequia Spirituality

 

This is World Water Week so of course I have to note this United Nations sponsored recognition of the necessity of water for life on Planet Earth. I could probably write a blog entry on the subject of water for every day of this month, let alone for a week, although I may stick to just one. My long-suffering paddling partner, Ruth, loves to be out in a canoe or kayak but not with the same, um,  intensity. I would probably be paddling every day for most months of the year and it is nearly always a spiritual experience. Even a hike is better if it occurs along the edge of a body of water!

The UN theme in 2023 is Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World. We humans are not water-wise, especially in wealthier nations, and there are roughly two billion Groundlings who don't have an adequate supply of water for everyday living, let alone for recreation. In parts of the world procurring daily water is dangerous, with women putting themselves at risk to do so. Here in Canada many Indigenous communities have waited decades for governments to fulfil broken promises to provide safe potable water, an appalling reality in a rich country. 

Even in developed countries there is a growing concern that climate change is changing hydrological patterns, threatening sources for agriculture and daily use. A few weeks ago I saw that in Spain there is a growing movement to re-establish the thousand-year-old system of acequias, or water channels. These were ditches which criss-crossed hillsides to slow run-off of water, including snow-melt so that it could be used for crops and replenish aquifers. The system was introduced to Spain by the Moors and the Spanish word comes from the  Arabic word al-sāqiyah which means "the water conduit" or "one that bears water" 

More than a decade ago I was at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, one of the most arid states,  for a wonderful conference called Water and a Baptismal Life, which was about the spirituality of water.  While in Santa Fe for a couple of days I came upon the historic, the Acequia Madre, or Mother Conduit, part of the system which transports water to the city from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. While the Spaniards get the credit, when they arrived they were impressed that Indigenous peoples already had elaborate water ditch systems for irrigation.

Acequia Madre, Santa Fe, New Mexico

In New Mexico there is a concerted effort to find, rehabilitate, and use these acequias both for practical purposes and as a spiritual exercise which spans generations. When I made the connection between the efforts in Spain and New Mexico I did some snooping and discovered a PBS documentary released earlier this year titled Acequias: The Legacy Lives On. I felt that this was providential and wondered if we should be adopting "acequia spirituality" across traditions, an approach which seeks a new or renewed wisdom regarding water which is both practical and reverential. https://www.pbs.org/video/acequias-the-legacy-lives-on-ff9qji/

How many times have I written about the importance of "living water" as metaphor in scripture, both in the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament? Too many? Yet, virtually every religion regards water as holy, a gift from the Creator.

Following the Water and a Baptismal Life seminar, one congregation added an additional vow to their baptismal promises. Each baptism now asks, “As we bless this water of baptism, will you give thanks for God’s gift of water and promise to care for all the waters of creation?”

We can all answer that question with "we will, God being our helper" as an aspect of our acequia spirituality. 

Laudato Si, the Sequel?

 Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

from Canticle of the Sun -- St. Francis of Assisi 

Yesterday I saw a headline in a Roman Catholic news service that certainly intrigued me: Pope Francis writing a second environmental document after Laudato Si’. The papal encyclical called Laudato Si, or Praise Be to You was published in 2015 and in my estimation it is the most profound response to the environmental crisis I've read from any denominational source. It is actually a broad yet nuanced theological statement about Creator and Creation and our human response in terms of both praise and action. 

When it was first shared with the world in May of 2015 I resolved to read all of it, which I did while on a week of educational leave in July of that year. I travelled to Change Islands, Newfoundland, close to where I began ministry in 1980. I made my way through through the document while sitting outside, even though it was a frigid week and I was forced to wrapped myself in a blanket and wore a toque to keep from perishing.

In the Fall of 2015 I created a four-part study series at Bridge St. Church which was well attended and during which conversation was lively. One participant was a Roman Catholic who was not impressed that her priest chose not to announce our study even though our two congregations were just down the block from each other. So much for ecumenism.  

St. Francis Illustration by David Frampton 

According to the National Catholic Register, yesterday: 

Pope Francis announced during an audience with lawyers Monday that he is writing a second part to his 2015 environmental encyclical Laudato si’. The Pope said with this new writing, coming soon, he is updating Laudato si’ to cover current issues, possibly including war...

The title [Laudato Si], which means “Praise be to you,” was taken from St. Francis of Assisi’s medieval Italian prayer Canticle of the Sun, which praises God through elements of creation like Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and “our Sister Mother Earth.”

As it happens, last week we visited with friends we haven't seen in at least 15 years. He mentioned that he has become more interested in the Roman Catholic tradition because of a professor friend who is training to be a deacon. I suggested that Laudato Si may be Pope Francis' greatest legacy. I look forward to reading the "sequel." 

In the year 2000, the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si I preached a sermon which concluded with a prayer for the occasion: 

Common prayer for the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’

Loving God,

Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them,

You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home.

You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished.

Open our minds and touch our hearts,

so that we may attend to your gift of creation.

 Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us,

but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it.

May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need.

Be present to those in need in these trying times,

especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind.

Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope

 so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart.

elp us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic,

Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good,

Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected,

 in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

 

The Earthquake of Religious Intolerance in Israel

 

                                                           Stella Maris Monastery, Haifa, Israel 

He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

1 Kings 19:11-12 NRSVue

When we were in Israel for 16 days during April we ventured off on day trips, including one to the city of  Haifa for the day. One of our stops was Stella Maris, the Carmelite Christian monastery at one of the highest points of the city with a wonderful view out to the Mediterranean Sea. There is a grotto inside the main worship space which is supposedly the cave where the prophet Elijah had his "still small voice" (KJV) epiphany, although so many sites in Israel are dubious, to be generous. I m fascinated by the story of Elijah, or at least portions of it (some are repellent!), so we went in, were aware of the devotion of many Roman Catholic pilgrims, and got on our way. 

Since our return to Canada we have been attuned to stories from what is unfortunately an Unholy Land, with all its tensions, including between religions. Following the election which brought a coalition government to power under Benjamin Netanyahu there has been an increasing anti-Christian sentiment in the country, largely because several of the partner parties are ultra-Orthodox Jewish and are open and agressive about their disdain for other religions. Since Israel came into being in 1948 there has been a policy of religious freedom and tolerance but that has been strained to the limit recently. 

We heard in July that there was an incident at Stella Maris when at least 30 Hasidic Jews arrived to reclaim what they say is the burial place of Elijah, something which hasn't been a point of contention in the past. There was a violent confrontation and now there are fences and security to protect the monastery. 

Israel's President Isaac Herzog and Police Chief Kobi Shabtai on Wednesday visited the Stella Maris Church and Monastery in Haifa. Photo by Kobi Gideon (GPO)

A couple of weeks later officials visited the monastery to reiterate that recent violence against Christians in Israel as unacceptable.While this is reassuring to a degree, the reality is that aggressive incidents toward the small Christian population (less than 2 percent) is on the rise. The majority of Israeli Jews are secular and among observant Jews most are tolerant but a minority are not. 

It's not just a matter of verbal and physical aggression. Last week the Interior Ministry, headed by a rather militant rabbi, arbitrarily halted new visas for those who work for certain Christian organizations. Our family members have been in Israel as Christian workers for more than 30 years, on visas, and we wonder how this will affect their ministry and whether they will be able to remain there.  At the same time Netanyahu is claiming that Christians are welcome as tourists and that Israel and evangelical Christians are partners. What's the real story? This government is a hot mess and it just seems to be getting worse. 

This is the land in which Jesus was born, fulfilled his ministry, died, and in our Christian faith was raised from the dead. Yes, there is an often confusing mixture of Arab and Palestinian Christians, evangelicals, Orthodox and Roman Catholics, and it's a challenge to understand how they relate to one another, let alone other religions. Still, they all deserve to be treated with respect and without fear in their day to day lives. It seems as though there needs to be much more listening for the voice of God in the midst of turmoil. 

                                                              Stella Maris Church and Cave