The fall of the Assad regime in Syria December 8 was easily the best political news of 2024. It was a moment of hope and freedom for Syria, and a moment of truth for the international powers that have created so much devastation in the region over the years. It is also a moment for…
Last year, my Bible study group made a special study of Luke chapters 1 and 2. We started with the angel announcing the birth of John the Baptist and went all the way to the story of 12-year-old Jesus in the Temple; it took us several months. One rather special feature of these chapters is…
I have been reading a lot of letters these past few weeks, letters stored in an archive. Hand-written letters, letters typed on type-writers, postcards. Some are written on airmail sheets, but often original envelopes are preserved as well, with stamps I recognize from long ago. I used to love writing and receiving letters before email…
Who wouldn’t like to go to a restaurant that is designed especially for them? Since about half of my three-person family is neurodivergent, we were happy to head to 1056 Bloor Street West, downtown Toronto, where Sarang Kitchen is located. Sarang Kitchen is a sensory-friendly restaurant. It provides a welcoming space for customers – particularly…
Last year, a chaplain friend asked me if I would be willing to visit a Dutch prisoner in Toronto. Sure, I said. I was busy enough but I was not formally working at that time, I live in Toronto, and have the required training. I was ready to go visit a working prison for the…
This month, from October 2 to October 27, the Roman Catholic church will hold a synod in Rome, the conclusion of a church-wide consultation effort that spanned three years. It is an important, perhaps a defining moment of Pope Francis’s pontificate, which has now lasted more than 11 years and is likely to be nearing…
It is sometimes necessary to talk about suicide. Recognizing this, the campus ministry my wife Brenda works for decided someone needed to have suicide prevention training, and off she went. Hearing back from her made me think of things that happened in Utrecht, where I lived as a student and where my aunt Lieneke lived…
“I do not see hope. I make hope. Hope is something I create,” said Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon, taking inspiration from a Palestinian activist who used the same words (you can read more in my article “Making hope, demanding peace” in CC‘s April 2024 issue). It is an admirable attitude to hold in the…
Around the time Brenda and I put our Michigan house up for sale, six months into the pandemic, we spent some time discussing what we wanted our life in Toronto to look like. As we now prepare to move for a second time within Toronto – our landlord wants us out of our rental by…
I sing in church; that is what I do. The churches I currently sing at are Willowdale CRC in north Toronto and St Peter’s Catholic Parish in downtown Toronto. In both places I sing at the mic, by myself, to support and lead the congregation. From what I hear back, people appreciate my singing, and…
Where do you see hope?” It’s a question that Maoz Inon, Israeli peace activist, learned to answer from a Palestinian peace activist, who said “I don’t see hope. I make hope. It’s something I create.” And since then, Inon said, he makes hope too – along with his family, individuals and organizations. It’s a task…
Some texts and meetings seem almost designed to put one to sleep. They are long, confusingly organized, on pretty dry subjects or simply boring, which means it takes a lot of effort to stay focused. After all, one never knows what devil might hide in the details. Long ago, I worked with a board chair…
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