Pope Leo, Peacemaker

 What would make an aging couple burst into laughter at seven o'clock in the morning while listening to CBC Radio yesterday? Why, it was the President of the United States, Donald Trump declaring that he is not a fan of Pope Leo. Oh, really? 

The American-born pontiff, leader of about 1.4 billion Roman Catholics has been increasingly outspoken in opposition to the Iran War which Trump initiated along with Israel.  According to a Vatican news release

During a recent Prayer Vigil for Peace in the world, Leo appealed to leaders of nations to stop and sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, "not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!" He also insists that the Church will always advance in calling for peace "even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn," and will always instill "obedience to God rather than any human authority."

This led to Trump dismissing Pope Leo as weak and catering to the Radical Left, aka anyone who speaks truth to his power and generally appeals to the message of Jesus who is the Prince of Peace. Far from being perturbed Leo responded to a reporter's question about the presidents comments offering:

“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do. We are not politicians. We don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”

Norah O’Donnell – a senior correspondent for CBS News and a contributing correspondent for “60 Minutes” – interviews (from left to right) Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey; Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington, D.C.; and Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago for a segment titled “Pope Leo’s Church” that aired on April 12. (Screen capture from “60 Minutes”)

On Sunday evening the CBS program 60 Minutes sat down with three RC Cardinals who all supported Pope Leo's views. When interviewer  Norah O’Donnell asked if the United States’ war with Iran is a just war, Cardinal McElroy responded, “No, in the Catholic teaching this is not a just war. The Catholic faith teaches us there are certain prerequisites for a just war. You can’t go for a variety of different aims. You have to have a focused aim, which is to restore justice and restore peace. That’s it.”

I was impressed by all three but I have no doubt that Trump considers these Cardinals "nasty, very nasty."

This wickedness on the part of the President isn't funny but it is absurd. It should cause every Christian to weep and it's also scary. He may not be the Anti-Christ, but he is anti-Christ in so many ways.

Shortly after nyah-nyahing Leo Trump posted an image of himself as Jesus healing a white guy in the midst of a bunch of other white folk looking on in wonder. Perhaps President Trump and Secretary of War Hegseth will mount an "excursion" against the Vatican. The American military is in the vicinity, so...

Vision Quests Fulfilled for Jeremy Hansen

 

Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen took this picture of a totem pole during a vision quest with the Turtle Lodge. The lodge is situated on the Indigenous lands of Sagkeeng First Nation (also known as Fort Alexander), Manitoba, Canada, on the southern tip of Lake Winnipeg. (Image credit: Jeremy Hansen/Canadian Space Agency/Twitter)

...the term “vision quest” describes a spiritual journey in various Indigenous cultures in which participants, often adolescents, are said to receive sacred knowledge and strength from the spirit world. 

Friday evening we joined millions of people -- hundreds of millions? -- in watching the splashdown of the capsule containing the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission to the moon. I can't figure out why humanity needs to be engaged in this endeavour at a time when our Earthship home is in peril but we all have our opinions. These four proved themselves to be brave and likeable individuals, including Jeremy Hansen, the first Canadian to the moon. And full marks to the crew for travelling more than 1.1 million kilometres and sticking the landing, about a mile from the target. 

                                              Jeremy Hansen (far right) with Artemis II crew members 

You may have heard that three years ago Jeremy undertook a four-day Vision Quest as part of his personal preparation for the Artemis mission. He did so in Canada, at Turtle Lodge in Manitoba, an experience described this way: 

Turtle Lodge is an international centre for Indigenous education based upon the goal of Mino-Pi-Mati-Si-Win, translated as "a good and peaceful way of life" on the organization's website. The lodge follows universal values (more specifically, seven sacred laws and the eight paths of life) from the Anishinaabe peoples of the region.

The vision quest, often undertaken as a traditional rite of passage for young people shifting to adulthood, asks participants to fast for four days in the wilderness under the supervision of Indigenous elders. 

Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond from Sagkeeng First Nation created CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s personal mission patch for the historic Artemis II mission. (Instagram / Canadian Space Agency)

I'm impressed that Hansen chose to do this, to get his heart, mind, and spirit right before slipping the surly bonds of Earth, borrowing from the High Flight poem. And to show respect for Indigenous tradition was both wise and classy. He chose to include images of the seven sacred laws on his mission patch, including Grandmother Moon. 

There are Judeo/Christian equivalents of the Vision Quest, or Dream Quest, or Dream Fast as it also called. Think of Moses and his encounter with Yahweh, the great "I am" in the wilderness. Elijah was enveloped in the mountaintop storm before hearing the still voice of God. Jesus spent his forty days in the rugged terrain  of Judea before his ministry commenced, an experience reflected in the season of Lent.

For a few years while we lived in Sudbury, Ontario, we concluded Confirmation, a rite of passage for our teens with a trip to Dreamers Rock on Manitoulin Island. This is a traditional Dream Quest location overlooking Georgian Bay where access is now restricted, understandably so. I've never had the opportunity to ask any of those young people (now middle aged!) what they recall or if the climb made a lasting impression.

Thank you Jeremy Hansen for representing Canada so well and respecting the Seven Teachings:  Wisdom, Bravery, Humility, Love, Respect. Honesty, Truth. 

                                              Early postcard image of Dreamers Rock 

Thomas, Doubt, and Believing

                                      The Incredulity of Thomas -- Caravaggio 1601

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 

Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

John 20: 24-28 NRSVue 

These things did Thomas count as real:

The warmth of blood, the chill of steel,
The grain of wood, the heft of stone,
The last frail twitch of flesh and bone.

The vision of his skeptic mind
Was keen enough to make him blind
To any unexpected act
Too large for his small world of fact.

His reasoned certainties denied
That one could live when one had died,
Until his fingers read like Braille
The marking of the spear and nail.009

May we, O God, by grace believe
And thus the risen Christ receive,
Whose raw, imprinted palms reached out

And beckoned Thomas from his doubt

 “These Things Did Thomas Count as Real” by Thomas H. Troeger (1983)

This is the Second Sunday of Easter and the lectionary, the liturgical schedule of scripture readings, offers up the story of Thomas in John's gospel. You may know that Thomas wasn't around when the Resurrected Christ first appeared to the disciples so he understandably chose not to believe he was alive without evidence. A week later Jesus showed up again and as we read Thomas declared his faith. 

I have noted before that during my years in pastoral ministry I appreciated this reading almost as much as the beginning of Chapter 20 which is about the discovery of the empty tomb. Preaching about it required me to address my own reservations and doubts as a Christian. I knew as well that many in the much smaller congregation on this Sunday had their doubts as well because they told me so. Lots of others had chosen to vote permanently with their feet, even those who had been enthusiastic in their faith. 

                                                             Doubting Thomas -- Rembrandt

There are lots of reasonable reasons to doubt including the reality of suffering in our world. I saw that close at hand and I got why people had trouble believing in a loving God. It's really important to be honest about this aspect of doubt. 

These days I'm rattled by the wickedness of religious people, particularly the faux Christians  who claim to follow Jesus and yet are filled with hatred. They despise believers who don't align with their beliefs and chose cruelty over love. It's as though the teachings of Jesus about compassion and care for the stranger don't exist for them. There are days when I'm profoundly discouraged and at times angry. If I'm honest I am embarrassed as well. I don't want to be part of the same species, let alone the same faith  How can so many Christians have become bloodthirsty warmongers who bow down before a false saviour -- I'm looking at you, Donald. 

Somehow though I can't give up on Jesus as God Incarnate, or the saving love of the Cross, and the power of the Resurrection. I consider myself a moderately intelligent person and I strongly support a scientific worldview (no anti-vaxxer here) and I enjoy a civil exchange of thoughts. 

Somehow Jesus continues to be the One for me and now that I'm into the home stretch of this life I'll likely stay the course, not out of fear but devotion. 

And I suppose I should be extending love to the Christians who espouse such anti-Christian views. Maybe I'll just put this on my "to do" list. 

I like this description of Caravaggio's painting and I apologize for not giving credit to the writer -- I couldn't find her/his/their name. 

Doubt, Curiosity, and the Ethics of Looking

The painting offers a generous view of doubt. Thomas is not shamed; he is educated. Christ guides his hand rather than withdrawing. The companions do not judge; they learn by watching closely. Caravaggio thereby advocates an ethics of looking where skepticism is not the enemy of faith but its path. The hand that tests becomes the hand that will bless and the hand that will be martyred; the eyes that peer will someday preach. In a culture often tempted to humiliate hesitation, the image dignifies honest inquiry.

                                     Doubting Thomas -- Michael Smither Mural 

Another Kind of Lent & Easter

                                                                                Flowering Tulip Tree 

4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy name in earth

and sky and sea;

holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,

God in three persons, blessed Trinity!           Voices United 315

 “They go publishing the ‘chronological cycles’ and ‘movable festivals of the Church’ and the like, but how insignificant are these compared with the annual phenomena of your life, which fall within your experience! 

The signs of the zodiac are not nearly of that significance to me that the sight of a dead sucker in the spring is. That is the occasion for an immovable festival in my church. Another kind of lent.” – Henry David Thoreau, Journal, October 16, 1859

The Christian season of Lent has come and gone and because of our lengthy and cold Winter in Southern Ontario it felt much longer than 40 days (plus Sundays). Now we are into the season of Easter, this one 50 days leading to Pentecost. Eastertide is usually filled with promise in these parts with resurrection of Creation even as we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. 

I came upon the lovely quote from one of Thoreau's extensive journals and it certainly rang true for me, although I'm happy to make room for both the liturgical seasons and the experiences of the four seasons of the calendar year. I also like the Japanese notion of micro-seasons, of which they have 72! These note the subtle changes from week to week in the natural world. I've included some examples below.

We are revelling in the rapid changes in recent days, including the prospect of blossoms on our tulip tree and buds on our lilac bushes. Our garlic is sprouting and our rain barrels are back out and replenished. Two days ago a blue heron flew over as we caught some welcome rays on the side deck and yester-morning a loon flew over in full voice as I took blue boxes to the curb. 

These are all sacred moments for me even as I welcome the Easter season and all it holds. I'm thinking that I should soon invite the Trenton United Church congregation to mosey on over to the tiny forest we planted last Fall following worship.

 Sunday and days of sun are holy, holy, holy. 

1 Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,

wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;

love lives again, that with the dead has been:

love is come again, like wheat arising green.

                                     Voices United 186

立春 Risshun (Beginning of spring)
February 4–8	東風解凍 Harukaze kōri o toku	East wind melts the ice
February 9–13	黄鶯睍睆 Kōō kenkan su	Bush warblers start singing in the mountains
February 14–18	魚上氷 Uo kōri o izuru	Fish emerge from the ice
雨水 Usui (Rainwater)
February 19–23	土脉潤起 Tsuchi no shō uruoi okoru	Rain moistens the soil
February 24–28	霞始靆 Kasumi hajimete tanabiku	Mist starts to linger
March 1–5	草木萌動 Sōmoku mebae izuru	Grass sprouts, trees bud
啓蟄 Keichitsu (Insects awaken)
March 6–10	蟄虫啓戸 Sugomori mushito o hiraku	Hibernating insects surface
March 11–15	桃始笑 Momo hajimete saku	First peach blossoms
March 16–20	菜虫化蝶 Namushi chō to naru	Caterpillars become butterflies

A Truce for Orthodox Easter

FILE PHOTO: Metropolitan Epiphanius I, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, prepares to sprinkle holy water to bless Easter cakes which are to be transferred to Ukrainian servicemen fighting on the frontline amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, during a ceremony at St Michael's Cathedral before Orthodox Easter, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 9, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

 As the bizarre war with Iran stumbles along the focus of the world has moved away from other crucial conflict hotspots, including the interminable war of aggression against Ukraine. A recent report claims that Russia has experienced between 275,000 and 325,000 battlefield deaths, while Ukraine has lost 100,000 to 140,000. The loss of life, including civilians, has been immense and it is all so senseless.

The egomaniacal Russian leader Vladimir Putin has declared that there will be a 32 cessation of fighting this week to mark Orthodox Easter. This pledge has Ukraine wary because of the duplicitous history of the Russians. 

The offer of a brief truce to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ is madness. The war is senseless in the first place, as most conflicts are. You may have read about the truce in the week leading to Christmas during WW! when French, German, and British soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings and talk. In some areas, men from both sides ventured into no man's land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to mingle, exchange food and souvenirs, and sing carols. They even played soccer/football. 

The birth, the death, and the resurrection of the Prince of Peace might convince leaders that working toward a world without war would be far superior to token truces. For some reason this objective is considered naive by many. On this Good Friday for Orthodox Christians we can mourn Christ's death with them and pray that there will be a return to sanity for our bloodthirsty species. 

A man walks past a damaged apartment building in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled city of Ukraine, on November 30, 2025. 

Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

The Bridge Hub with a Bridge St Church Connection

                      

                                The nearly completed exterior of the new Bridge Integrated Services Hub 

 Yesterday we dropped in to the new facility called The Bridge in Belleville in advance of its first day of serving the public. According to Quinte News: 

The Bridge Integrated Services Hub, otherwise known as a HART Hub (Homelessness, Addiction andRecovery Treatment), will open Thursday at its permanent location on Alhambra Square in Belleville.

The hub had been operating at a temporary location in an older building on South Church Street, and previous to that had been run from Bridge Street United Church.

The Hub will offer dining, washrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a resting area, a spiritual/smudging room, and several spaces for various medical and social services staff.  It will operate 22 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Partners at The Bridge are the Canadian Mental Health Association Association Hastings Prince Edward (lead group), the Enrichment Centre for Mental health, the United Way HPE, The John Howard Society, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services, and the Belleville-Quinte West Community Health Centre.

Others involved providing services include Loyalist College, Hastings County (Ontario Works and other programs), and Next Step Housing.

                                    Washroom/shower area at The Bridge. (Photo: Quinte News)

Ruth was eager to have a tour of the building in advance of her volunteer shift with the meal program next week. This past Monday some of the regulars at the temporary building asked if they would still see her in the new location and she assured them they would. She began volunteering during COVID and has faithfully been there most Mondays throughout the year, including her birthday earlier this week. 

I'm glad that the article mentioned Bridge St. Church because the congregation has been involved in providing meals, first of all, then other services for a couple of decades. It could be argued that their Christian commitment led to this broader community program. When I was the minister at Bridge St. I regularly reminded those involved that we were offering a meal ministry rather than a program because this was part of our Christian witness. Although we didn't proselytize we were feeding body and soul. With the Inn from the Cold sit-down meal we often sat down with folk and heard their stories and I was often asked faith questions. 

I wish The Bridge well and we were certainly impressed by what will be offered to address a wide range of needs for the vulnerable in Belleville. We will pray that lives will be changed and hope will be restored for those who often feel invisible in our society. 

    Lisa Ali of CMHA HPE speaks to media in the laundry room of The Bridge Wednesday. (Photo: Quinte News)

The Birds are Returning -- Pay Attention!

 

                                                   Turkey Vultures in Flight (not my photo)

1 Birds are singing, woods are ringing,

With thy praises, blessed King;
Lake and mountain, field and fountain,
to thy throne their tributes bring.

Refrain:
We, thy children, join the chorus,
Merrily, gladly praising thee;
Glad hosannas, glad hosannas,
Joyfully we lift to thee.

Yesterday I faced the music, or at least the unwelcome snow, and headed out into the driveway to clean up. I glanced upward to see 17 or 18 turkey vultures glide by, likely returning from the south. When I went to our garage I saw leaves along the double door line and surmised that the robins I could hear had been tossing them out of the crack in search of the first insects. 

I began the day in a foul mood because the Tryant-in-Chief was threatening the annihilation of Iranian culture, a horrendous war crime. The snow didn't help but the birds around me lifted my spirits and reminded me of the beauty of the world God has created and sustains in spite of human folly. 

On Easter Sunday morning a member of Trenton United Church pushed a sheaf of papers into my hand which turned out to be the meticulous record she'd kept of all the birds she'd seen at her feeders and elsewhere during the season of Lent. I had invited folk to be Bird-brained with St. Francis during the liturgical season, in part as a tribute to Francis who was reputed to preach to the birds and listen to them as well. I was delighted that this person had taken the assignment so seriously and wanted to share the outcome of her attentiveness. 

                                                                               Wood Ducks 

The other day I passed an osprey nest just outside of Belleville and the pair was on it, the first spotting of the Spring. I've seen wood ducks, with the males in full breeding splendour and caught sight of trumpeter swans in two locations. The bald eagle pair at a nearby conservation area have added to their already impressive nest. 

All this activity has been a spiritual uplifting and brought to mind a hymn in the "For Little Children" section of the Blue Hymnary of yesteryear (587)

The birds of our feeders sustained us through what was a cold and snowy Winter. Bring on all the returned species in the days ahead!

Refrain:
We, thy children, join the chorus,
Merrily, gladly praising thee;
Glad hosannas, glad hosannas,
Joyfully we lift to thee.

2 Waters dancing, sunbeams glancing,
Sing thy glory cheerily;
Blossoms breaking, nature waking,
Chant thy praises merrily.

Christ the Redeemer in Lebanon

 

                     Christ the Redeemer Jabal Al-Salib (Mount of the Cross) Lebanon

Most of us are familiiar with the Christ the Redeemer statue which towers above Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Are you aware that another large Christ figure is under construction? This one is made of fiberglass rather than soapstone, and considerably smaller (16 metres compared to 30 metres).

A hundred years ago Brazil was still predominantly Christian but I was surprised that a giant Jesus would take shape in Lebanon, a country currently in the midst of turmoil. It's near the the Lebanese town of Al Qaa,close to the Syrian border in the north, Al Qaa's population is predominantly Christian but in area that was held by ISIS militants, a decade ago. About 30% of Lebanon's population is Christian, one of the largest Christian communities amongst Arab nations.  

We've been hearing that Christians in the south are under threat due to the incursion (not excursion) of the Israeli military and they are pleading that this is not their war, they have nothing to do with Hezbollah. A few weeks ago beloved parish priest Pierre al-Rahi a beloved was killed during an Israeli bomb strike as he was responding to another bombing of a home. Why? 

The French Catholic organization L’Œuvre d’Orient condemned the attack stating: "L’Œuvre d’Orient condemns in the strongest terms these acts of war, which aim to destabilize all of Lebanon and kill innocent civilians. The death of a priest who refused to abandon his parish is a further escalation of senseless violence.

Perhaps this new statue should be weeping over the sorry state of our world. And while our siblings in Christ are dying we can pray for all the innocent people who are suffering in the countries of the Middle East, regardless of religion. With the terrible threats of obliteration levelled against the citizens of Iran come to a head today we can pray for an end to the madness. 

                                                                    Christ the Redeemer, Brazil 

The Way of the Wind

                                   Storm on the Sea of Galilee -- Rembrandt 1633

  On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.  A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  

And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4: 35-41 NRSVue

1 I feel the winds of God today; today my sail I lift,

though heavy oft with drenching spray and torn with many a rift;

if hope but light the water's crest, and Christ my bark will use,

I'll seek the seas at his behest, and brave another cruise.

Voices United 625

Some writers are astonishing in their breadth of interest with an ability to encapsulate concepts and facts. One of the best is Simon Winchester who has written a gajillion books on every subject imaginable including what I think is his most recent The Breath of the Gods: The History of and Future of the Wind.

I found it to be both informative and entertaining. Winchester reminds us that the wind has shaped history -- think Spanish Armada -- and allowed for exploration and trade long before there were engines to propel boats. The US bombers deployed to firebomb Japanese cities during WWII discovered that fierce winds at high altitude made their missions risky and inaccurate and led to the discovery of what we now call the jet stream. Early in the book he offers:

Wind in short, seems universal. Air in motion finds its way into just about every activity and inactivity of man, beast, plant, and thing that exists in the world above its waters and as we shall see later, the connection between wind amd waves is intimate and of immense importance, it works its way and its will on the surface of the waters too...

Air moving across reeds, single or double, produces music of ethereal beauty; sounded through brass it resonates and stirs to action. t generates power, flies kites, performs work, lifts water...Wind alters the moods and attitudes of human beings --in France one can still beg a court's mercy for the malevolent mistral that impelled you to commit a murder. 

                                                                  Nativity Shepherd holding his cap

I found it quite charming that in that region of Provence Nativity scenes often have shepherds who are holding on to their caps, a reminder of the incessant wind.

Winchester also notes that wind figures prominently in the bible with the mighty wind summoned by Moses  allowing the people of Israel to escape Egypt through the Red/Reed Sea while Elijah has his tumultous mountaintop experience. 

He also reminds us that Jesus "rebuked" the wind (wonderful term) to save the lives of his disciples. During my first visit to Israel nearly 40 years ago I went to the edge of the Sea of Galilee for a few calm moments of contemplation before the hectic activity of the day. Suddenly the wind arose, hurtling across the lake from the Golan Heights, blowing beach chairs hither and yon. It was an unexpected demonstration of the capriciousness of the wind in those parts. Winchester doesn't mention that the Rembrandt painting of this gospel story called Storm on the Sea of Galilee -- his only seascape -- was stolen in 1990 and has yet to be recovered. 

All in all, I'm in awe of this book and all it evokes. I've shared bits of two of my favourite "windy" hymns, one older and one newer. Does Four Strong Winds count as a Canadian anthem? 

Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,

blow thro' the wilderness calling and free,

Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,

stir me from placidness,

Wind, Wind on the sea.

                                       Voices United 703

Four strong winds that blow lonely

Seven seas that run high

All those things that don't change come what may

If the good times are all gond

Then I'm bound for moving on

I'll look for you if I', ever back this way... Ian Tyson