 You have made the moon to mark the seasons
the sun knows its time for setting. Psalm 104:19 (NRSV) I have mentioned in a few posts in the last three months or so how quickly the year seems to be going by. Now – here we are at September 1 already! Just how did that happen? September is similar to New Years. It signals the start of the new year recognized by most of us: a new school year. It also signals the “end” of summer – even though summer does not officially end for another three weeks. Suddenly the weather feels a little cooler (whether it actually is or not). And those of us with gardens (or crops) begin thinking about when that first frost is likely to show up. There is nothing unexpected in the changing of the seasons. However old you are, that’s how many years you have been experiencing them. The Psalmist, writing at least 2600 years ago, recognized the moon’s movements as marking the seasons. Even the author of the first chapter of Genesis recognized the wisdom of God in placing the lights in the sky: And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. Genesis 1:14,15 (NRSV) Perhaps the most recognizable biblical verse celebrating the seasons (of life) is the first verse of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” The writers of literature that became our scriptures were struck by the passing of the seasons. The seasons, the sun, the moon, and the stars have been subjects of poetry and song for millennia. It must be okay for me to note the passing of the seasons today (even if I lament how quickly they pass!). May we give thanks to God for the amazing cycles of the universe and may our wonder be focused on the blessings that God’s universe brings to us in every season. Unrelated closing paragraph: Last week I mostly wrote about the upcoming Canada West Mission Conference. There is not yet anything really new to write about the event – so I won’t. I still need to remind you about it. Please go to the Canada West Online Mission Conference hub to see the schedule and to register for the online event. More information will be posted on this site in the next few days and as we get closer to the conference weekend. Please come along! As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca
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 How about a brief sermon today?
When I was in high school, I was part of a Christian group of students that met once a week at lunch time for a scripture study and occasional “testimony sharing” (for lack of a better term.) One friend continually referred to his Bible as “my sword.” As an RLDS lion-and-lamb-peace-seal-loving teen-ager, I wondered where this imagery came from. It originates from Ephesians 6:17: “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” It concludes a series of verses that exhorts believers to “put on the whole armor of God” so as to “stand against the wiles of the devil.” (v.11) Further, “fasten the belt of truth around your waist and put on the breastplate of righteousness.” (v. 14) And “take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (v. 16) In the online newsletter, “Sunday’s Coming,” (published by the “Christian Century” magazine) the writer Austin Crenshaw Shelley has written a piece titled, “Needing a Warrior God.” He describes being disturbed by biblical images of violence and bloodshed. He expressed to his seminary class, “’I tend to prefer the image of beating swords into plowshares and the vision of the wolf lying down with the lamb to those of waging war.’” In response a classmate, a Coptic Christian from Egypt, declared, “’You prefer verses about peace because you have never needed a warrior God.’” He then went on to share about his church being the target of a terrorist bombing and his need to pray for God to fight on his behalf and protect his family. Further, he shared about the “Egyptian Muslims who showed up on Christmas Eve to form a human shield around the sanctuary to defend the church from further acts of terror on a high holy day.” In Community of Christ, we have been pursuing the God of Peace at least since the revelatory declaration that “The temple shall be dedicated to the pursuit of peace. It shall be for reconciliation and for healing of the spirit.” (Doctrine and Covenants, s. 156:5a). At the most recent World Conference we passed a motion on non-violence. In preparation for further discussion of the impact of that motion, we are encouraged to consider the question, “Are we moving towards Jesus, the Peaceful One?” Of course, most of us are still incredibly proud of, and inspired by, our nearly 160-year-old and incredibly prophetic lion-and-lamb church seal. We are quite rightly (in my humble opinion) on the path of the peace of Jesus Christ. It is still important that in our quest for peace we do not ignore or just brush off the violence that is part of our world today. (See: any newspaper front page or many lead stories on television news.) We also must not brush off the frequent violence described in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (e.g., the murder of Abel; the drowning of the Egyptian army; the destruction of other enemies of Israel, to name but a few), and the occasional violence of the New Testament (e.g., beheading of John the Baptist). As a denomination there is violence in our past (see: “The Massacre at Haun’s Mill,” in The Journey of a People: The Era of Restoration, Mark A. Scherer, Community of Christ Seminary Press, p. 320-325) and we need to become more aware of the violence and racism expressed in our Book of Mormon. Whether or not we have needed a “warrior God” in recent years, there is ample evidence that God has fulfilled that role in the past. I hope that we never need to call on the “warrior God” for protection. My personal pacifist nature trusts in Jesus, the Peaceful One. I continue to look to the Temple to inspire our pursuit of peace and seeking of reconciliation and healing of the spirit. And yet, to fully appreciate the significance of the pursuit of peace, of reconciliation, and of healing of the spirit, we need to understand and appreciate the circumstances that lead to those significant needs on our world. May we acknowledge the violence in God’s world even as we pursue Jesus, the Peaceful One. In our support for, and pursuit of, non-violence, may we seek peace through tools of reconciling justice. The task is daunting and overwhelming. Perhaps some of that metaphorical “armor of God” from the Book of Ephesians might come in handy. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  It is the middle of August. Are you looking ahead to September yet? Return to school? Return to work? Return to church? Return to “normal?”
It’s about that “normal” state that we seem to be longing for. Whatever the “normal” is that we get used to in the next couple of months, it is unlikely to be completely like the “normal” that we left behind in the middle of March 2020. Many aspects of our lives will likely be different in some ways – perhaps many ways. Our church life will almost certainly also be different in some ways – perhaps in many ways. What have you missed from your church life? Usual answers have been seeing people in person, being able to give friends a handshake and a hug, having a good old-fashioned pot-luck lunch after church, and – the big one – singing! I look forward to all these things coming back. Beyond these things, what else are you expecting from returning to some semblance of a normal weekly routine of church activities? There has been much written in various church publications (Community of Christ and beyond) about what the post-pandemic church will look like. Generally, there is expectation that there will be a stronger presence of technology in our worship spaces to enable the continued online participation by those who, for any number of reasons, are not able to attend in-person. Online worship and gatherings over the past year and a half have shown that people can and will log on to online services. Many congregations which have offered online services have found that persons “attend” from great distances away – from farther away than they would normally drive to attend in-person. Online attendance has also enabled persons with mobility and other health challenges to participate in the life of their online congregation. Some have even chosen to participate in more than one online congregation – meaning congregations which may meet at slightly offset times, or some participants seek out worship and social opportunities beyond their time zone. President Steve Veazey has been featured in a new video on the church website. You can find it here: President Veazey on the Return to In-Person Church. I commend the whole video to you. Here are a couple of good quotes:
Also, in a recent Project Zion Podcast, President Veazey said: I think the future holds the following: church groups that develop a healthy balance of in-person and online ministries, some call it the hybrid approach, will flourish more in the future than those who ignore that tool, who ignore online opportunities. I also think that churches, and I'm speaking there of local churches, congregations and groups, but also denominationally, that value and celebrate people who participate only online, by their choice, or because of their circumstances, will flourish more than those who view those participants somehow as secondary, or less than. So, online participation should count as much in every possible way as in-person participation, including in the attendance count because it all counts. I think church groups that plan activities and ministries from the beginning with online options in mind, and online participation in mind, rather than as an afterthought, will flourish more in the future. Our full return to in-person services and gatherings will feel good. I am sure that mostly they will feel familiar and like an old friend. I am also sure that there will be elements that will be different and that will improve our relationship to that old friend in ways we have yet to discern. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  When I was a young boy of 10 or 12 years of age, I would go over to a friend’s house to play. He had an older brother – seemed much older, and apparently wiser, but he was probably just in high school at the time. In one series of visits to their home I recall that, after he said, “Hi,” he would ask me, “So what do you think of the world situation?” I do not recall exactly how I responded, but I do remember wondering, “Exactly what IS the world situation?”
Today, as I am certain it was in the middle of the 1960’s, the “world situation” is constantly changing, occasionally positive and promising, but regularly negative and challenging. I will share just four things from recent news headlines that have been at least partially defining the “world situation.” First: Wildfires and smoke in Western Canada. Pretty much the entire town of Lytton, BC, was consumed by a forest fire a couple of weeks ago. At last count over 350 fires were active in British Columbia. Smaller numbers in Alberta this summer, but larger numbers again in northern Saskatchewan, as well as in some areas in the United States. If you have not been affected directly by a fire, but live anywhere in Western Canada, you have probably been affected by smoke in the air, which has originated in those fires. I am not aware of church members directly affected by the fires. Prayers, of course, are in order for all residents in the path of fires and for all those involved in fighting them. Second: Deadly Floods in Western Europe. The World Church “announcements” web page reiterates the situation of over 100 people dead in Germany and another 1,300 missing. The national ministry coordinator for Germany reports that Community of Christ members are thought to be safe. The coordinator for Belgium notes families may be without water, electricity, mobile connections, and had little food. Prayers are requested for everyone affected. No mention in the announcement of financial aid being needed or extended from the church at this time. Third: India is being affected by continuing growth and persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community of Christ has sent over US$102,000 to assist the seven mission centres in the country with providing help to over 4,300 families with “masks, soap, and other supplies as well as rice and other cooking items.” Prayers are requested at this time for church members and other residents of India during this devastating time. Fourth: Haiti is dealing with political and social turmoil which has arisen following the assassination of their President. This is simply added to the continuing crises arising from surging COVID-19 cases, growing poverty, violence, and general political unrest. The president of the Great South Haiti Mission Center has requested “prayers for Haiti and for Community of Christ in Haiti as everyone navigates the days to come.” Aid will be provided by Community of Christ as the needs of members and friends are identified. Canada West has an indirect connection to the church in Haiti because their Apostle is also our Apostle, Art Smith. These are just four situations that are prominent in our news sources at the moment. Others could also be mentioned. There may even be a good news story or two that could be shared. My point in writing today is to point out that the “world situation” is comprised of events that affect real people in real ways – in some case real people who may be close to us and real ways that we may be able to assist with. Please remember to contribute to the church’s Oblation funds (“Reduce Hunger, End Needless Suffering”) to assist the three situations described above that originate from the church’s announcements page. There are a number of organizations accepting donations to assist those affected by the fires in BC and elsewhere – please consult your local community service organization listings. If you are aware of any church members or friends who have particular needs arising from the fires, please contact your Pastor or your Congregation Financial Officer, or the Mission Centre President (steve@communityofchrist.ca) or Financial Officer (sam@communityofchrist.ca). As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Last week “Summer Beckons” was my theme. I invited you, somewhat in passing, to be sure to look for information about the online camps coming up for Canada West. This week I want to be sure you have access to full information about them – because they are coming up SOON! Links to registration processes are provided in the event details for which links appear below for each event. Register NOW!
A Taste of Hills of Peace: starts THIS SUNDAY EVENING (July 11). The theme for the online reunion is “Let Peace Dwell Here.” Our guest minister is Apostle Janné Grover who will join us “virtually” from Independence, Missouri. Janné will be speaking at the opening service on Sunday evening and leading a discussion each morning from Monday through Thursday. In addition, the North American Climate Justice Team of Community of Christ will make a presentation on Monday evening, David Barth will bring us up to date on World Accord on Tuesday evening, and Wednesday evening will be a “sharing and connecting” opportunity for all attendees. On Thursday morning there will be a closing worship following Janné’s class. For more information click on these links: Taste of Hills of Peace Details and Taste of Hills of Peace Schedule A Taste of Samish runs from July 29 to August 1. The theme is “Toward the Peaceful One” and Apostle Janné Grover will also be a guest minister for this event (although she will not be leading the daily class discussions here). Additional guest ministry will be provided by Sean Langdon, Leadership Support Minister (among other titles!) with the Greater Pacific Northwest Mission Centre, and Vickie MacArthur from Lethbridge, Alberta. There will be a variety of programming that cannot really be well summarized in the space available here. More information will be published next week. Meanwhile, check the schedule here: A Taste of Samish. Campground Association Meetings: Meetings will be held in association with both online reunions for members from their respective areas to receive updates on “their” campground, receive financial information, and elect Board members for the next term. For information about the Hills of Peace Campground Association All Members Meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Alberta time on Thursday, July 15, please click here: HOP All Members Meeting. This meeting will be of interest to members of congregations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Email steve@communityofchrist.ca to advise of your interest in attending and Steve will send you Zoom link information for the meeting. Similar information for the BC Caucus Meeting of the Samish Island Campground Association will be available next week. It is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, August 1, starting at 1:30 p.m. BC time. This meeting will be of interest to members in British Columbia. In addition to these events, check information in the CWM Summer Programming 2021 announcement about the “Hang Out” for Junior High and Senior High youth on July 20, 27, and August 3 and 10, as well as the “Discover Peace” camp for Junior aged children scheduled for August 16 to 19. Please Register NOW for the events you wish to attend. We are planning for all events to be of interest to, and very worthwhile for, everyone. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  It is June 30. How did that happen? Wasn’t New Year’s just a week ago – or maybe two?
In Edmonton we are now in about day 5 or more of “Heat Warnings” from Environment Canada. My weather app says it is 36° C and it supposedly “feels like” 39° C. My thermostat tells me it is 32.5° C on the main floor of our house. It is much warmer on the second floor. (Sleep much?) I am working in my somewhat cooler basement – but even it is not quite the cool respite that it was over the weekend as the heat gradually makes it way down our stairs. I am sure that at some point during the -40° C cold snap last January I promised not to complain about the heat of the summer. But we are just human. There are different risks. The extremes of temperature are simply equally difficult to deal with. We are in Canada. We just do it. And we complain just because we can and we know no one can do anything about the cold or the heat. It is a socially shared climate experience every year. It is June 30. Tomorrow is July 1 – Canada Day. And that is normally a pre-cursor to all the fun and events of the heart of the summer. No school. Summer vacations. Days at the pool or the beach. Back yard barbeques. Ice cream. Various fairs and festivals. The mid-way. Mini-Donuts! Special events. Community celebrations. Fun! Oh – and church camps. And reunions or family camps. Trips full of anticipation to and from the campgrounds. Good times. Great ministry. Spirit-filled worships. Crazy campfires. Old skits that we laugh at just the same. Old friends. New friends. Hot weather! Rainy days! Swimming. Mosquitoes. Horseshoes. Canteen. Laughter. Fellowship. Love. “Isn’t this just like Zion?” “Have we experienced just a touch of the Kingdom of God on earth this week?” Can we just stay here and enjoy this for another few days? No – it’s time to go home. See you next year! It is a wonderful, shared social and spiritual experience every year. Except last year. And except this year. But things are looking up for next year! Look elsewhere in this Weekly Wire for information about online summer events planned for the next few weeks. They will be a good time. They will be memorable. They will not be the same. Like you, I look forward to NEXT summer and getting back to the normal that usually beckons at this time of year. Meanwhile, have a fun and blessed summer THIS year! Enjoy the blessings of God that have been bestowed upon you in whatever form. Enjoy the sun and the heat – and inevitable rain. God’s creation is wonderful in all of its glory. Give thanks. Sing a camp song or a favourite hymn just for the fun of it! As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  In a video launched today, Community of Christ President Steve Veazey addresses the process of returning to in-person church as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes in some areas. However, Veazey reminds congregations of the blessings of the Holy Spirit through connections made in online services and urges continuation of those efforts.
“I hope we will embrace equally in-person experiences and digital participation where technology allows. It is important to extend our fellowship by providing fresh and meaningful ways to form Christ-centered communities. Groups that place equal value on in-person and online participation will lead us toward the Holy Spirit’s goal for us.” Watch the video available on YouTube.  This is the third and last in a series of columns that may be difficult for some people to read because of the content they bring forward.
Two weeks ago I wrote about the remains of 215 children found in unmarked and undocumented graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. As Canadians, it is difficult to be confronted with news like this. Yet we must find a way to deal with the continuing impacts of Indian Residential Schools if our country is ever to approach the ideal of reconciliation between our First Nations and the rest of Canada. Last week I wrote about the Muslim family run down in an apparent hate crime in London, Ontario. Such events reveal suspicions of “the other” in our society, outwardly demonstrated as racism and hate, that we prefer to believe does not exist. We must find ways to improve our own understanding of cultural differences to be able to support efforts towards peace in our communities. This week I will address the topic of June as “Pride Month”. This is widely recognized in Canada and the United States to encourage greater understanding in society of the challenges faced by members of LGBTQ2SIA+ community as well as to recognize contributions to society by members of that community. Like the previous two topics, this is subject matter that is not completely understood by many segments of society and is still completely and vehemently opposed in some segments. Let’s start by spelling out that acronym, LGBTQ2SIA+. It seems this is presented in slightly different forms, and more letters seem to get added to it every once in a while. This particular version was taken from the announcement about the Beyond the Walls Service for this coming Sunday, that will focus on “LGBTQ Pride.” That shortened acronym is very commonly used. The longer acronym includes these terms: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, 2 Spirit, Intersex, Androgynous and Asexual, and the “+” is to include additional sexual orientations and gender identities. These details were provided on the Kids Help Phone website. Please go to that website for further definitions of each individual term. For a brief history of Pride Month please consult this article on “Everything You Need to Know about Pride Month.” So – why do we care about Pride Month in Community of Christ? It is not so much because of the month itself (as important as it is), it is because we care about our church members and friends who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. Community of Christ went through a painful and divisive internal debate through the late 20th century and early 2000s about the place of LGBTQ persons in the church and especially in priesthood and leadership. The debate culminated in “national conferences” in 2012 and 2013 in several countries, including Canada and the United States, which resulted in the affirmation and acceptance of LGBTQ persons as priesthood, and as couples in same-sex marriages. For information and insight into current LGBTQ issues relevant to Community of Christ, consult the Harmony website. Official acceptance of conference motions and church policy from ten years ago does not automatically result in all members of Community of Christ personally supporting the role of LGBTQ persons in the life of the church. It is worthwhile pointing out that there are still individuals, and perhaps even congregations in some areas, who are not supportive of ordaining women to priesthood offices, and that direction came nearly 40 years ago. Non-support in both issues is rooted in personal beliefs and traditional positions. Scriptures also have been debated. Regardless of personal positions, it is expected that members on both “sides” of these issues (and there may be more than 2 sides, and there may well be more than these 2 issues!) will conduct themselves respectfully when encountering opinions different from their own. Understanding, even if it is not accompanied by acceptance, can only be achieved through communication. Keep those communication channels open! All three of the issues discussed in the last three weeks are issues because some members of the majority in society carry suspicion and even fear of “the other” (usually a minority) in society. Such fear and suspicion is based in racism, or hate, or homophobia, and likely a lack of desire to even try to understand “the other” whoever “the other” might be. May each of us do our best to understand, to communicate, and to extend the principle of the worth of all persons in all of these complex issues and relationships. No one suggests that this is easy or simple work. But all of us have a role to play in “moving (us) toward Jesus, the Peaceful One.” As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  Last week I introduced three topics to be discussed in this space:
Topic 1: June is “Pride Month.” I will come back to Pride month next week. In the meantime, please consult Harmony’s “Pride Month 2021 Activities” page. Pick a couple of activities that catch your interest. And be sure to check out the “Resilient” t-shirt offer! Topic 3: Remains of 215 children found in unmarked and undocumented graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. See last week’s column. Topic 2 in last week’s list was: Muslim family run down in apparent hate crime. This is today’s topic. To be sure you have the details of event in mind, you may wish to read this article published the day after the event: Muslim family killed…driver charged with murder. The article contains link to other articles published since then. In very brief summary, on the evening of Sunday, June 6, a young man, 20 years of age, ran down a family of five people out for a walk in their neighbourhood in London, Ontario. The family was dressed in a manner that identified them as Muslim. This is what made them the target of the driver of the truck. Four people are dead and a young boy was taken to hospital. The tragedy has been described as “terrorism” and as a “hate crime.” What should be the response of the Community of Christ to events such as this? In no uncertain terms, we must condemn this senseless act that took 4 lives and has irreversibly affected the life of a young boy. To attack a family due to visible clues as to their religious faith is shocking to any of us. We are a church that upholds an enduring principle of the “worth of all persons.” We have a mission initiative that encourages us to “pursue peace on earth.” This event violates much that we hold dear in our Christian faith. We must express our support for those in our community who are of the Muslim faith. Send a message of condolences and support to the mosque in your city or neighbourhood. Better yet, go visit them and express your support directly. I have not yet done this in response to this incident. At the time of the mass shooting in the mosque in New Zealand two years ago, I went to the local mosque to express my support for them and was received very well and with much appreciation. Education is always a good option. Learn about the Muslim faith to increase our understanding of their beliefs and practices. Again, perhaps visit the local mosque. Maybe pick up a good book or two about Islam from the library (once libraries are open again!). Or –my favourite– participate in an event offered by the Encounter World Religions Centre. In our early church history “we” were “the other” in a number of communities in which our church was established. Members were persecuted and actively encouraged to “leave town.” There were even some notable violent incidents in which people died. (Contact me if you would like details about such events.) The persecution and violence against church members was unjustified at that time. The suspicion, hatemongering, and even violence raised against Muslims in our communities is also unjustified. In our communities many of us can identify people living not far from us who originate from almost any region of the world and practice almost any religion (or none!). The more we can live in peace with each other in our communities, the better the opportunity for the world as a whole to live in peace as well. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca  So Many Topics, So Little Space
Quite often as I sit down to write this weekly blurb I have difficulty knowing what to talk with you about. This week there are three topics that need mentioning. I can really only do justice to them one at a time. I will discuss one today and discuss the other two in the next two weeks. Topic 1: June is “Pride Month.” There is too much to discuss in a paragraph. But rather than let the month slip away too far, please consult Harmony’s “Pride Month 2021 Activities” page. Pick a couple of activities that catch your interest and log on. And be sure to check out the “Resilient” t-shirt offer! I will come back to this topic in 2 weeks. Topic 2: Muslim family run down in apparent hate crime in London, Ontario. Check your local newspapers for coverage of this horrific story. I will come back to this story next week. Topic 3: Remains of 215 children found in unmarked and undocumented graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Here we go… Indigenous lives matter. Just before the weekend of May 29, Canadians were shocked to learn that the lives of 215 children did not matter at the time they died while attending an Indian Residential School in Kamloops, BC. The remains were found in unmarked graves on the grounds of the former school. For just one of many media stories about this tragedy see: Remains of 215 children found (story includes text and short videos from CTV News). The school was operated by the Catholic Church from 1890 to 1969. The discovery, while distressing to most Canadians, was sad confirmation to most First Nations persons of the family and community stories that had been shared among them over the past many decades. Stories that told of children taken away to residential schools but who never returned. Parents and other family members may not even have been told exactly what had happened to the children. As members and friends of Community of Christ, what are we to do in response to this news? It is as difficult a question for us as it is for most Canadians. This adds another layer of complexity to the processes of reconciliation which, at some level, have been under way since the conclusion of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015. As in most uncomfortable human situations, the first step is compassion, communication, and education, all of which can lead to greater understanding. Let me suggest these actions as reasonable options:
For a bit of inspiration, I further recommend to you the story and the recording of how the First Nations country and folk singer, Don Amero, approached his task of singing “O Canada” before the Jets-Canadiens hockey game on Wednesday, June 2 in Winnipeg. In addition to singing a “stunning, mournful anti-anthem” rendition of the song, he was flanked by an elder holding tobacco and an eagle feather, and a woman cradling a pair of baby moccasins. Powerful stuff! If a professional hockey team can enable a touching and meaningful recognition of this tragic event, surely we can afford at least a moment of silence at a church service this weekend (if you have not already had one). Reconciliation is one of those things that requires some large enabling actions on the part of national and First Nations governments. But the most meaningful part of reconciliation must occur “on the ground” between individuals and communities. I commend to you the challenge to find your way to contribute to this incredible national imperative. As always, I pray for you God’s blessings of joy, hope, love, and peace in these challenging times. Steve Thompson Canada West Mission Centre President steve@communityofchrist.ca |
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