When my childhood friend Inge de Beus landed at Pearson International Airport three decades ago for a visit, she sheepishly carried with her a Canon EOS 1000. Neither of us had a clue how to operate it. “No worries,” her partner had said at home in the Netherlands. “It’s foolproof.” And indeed, he was right….
It’s still dark when I wake up. A thought pierces my heart: today is the funeral. Four days ago, on February 22, 1944, an American bombardment tore the heart out of Nijmegen, our city, and shattered our family by killing my eight-year-old brother, Jos. Jos is short for Josef, meaning “God adds.” Yes, God adds,…
One of the overpasses along the Queen Elizabeth Way in southern Ontario is spray-painted with three short words: “They all lie.” Think about it: ‘They all lie.’ This anonymous graffiti-sociologist has captured the zeitgeist of our age profoundly. This epithet identifies a spirit that is fuelled by cynicism, suspicion, anger and even contempt. This spirit…
My friends said that we should have a name for our coffee club, so we decided to call ourselves the Young People of Yesteryear (YPOY). Douwe, smiling, said, “The Y P bothers me a little. It’s more like how to P today.” We all laughed at that. “In the past, it was a stream . . .” he paused for a few seconds, until Broekie shouted, “of iniquities!” and without missing a beat, Douwe said, “Yes, now it’s more drops of blessing.”
In the age of Google translate, learning a second language might seem like a thing of the past. I hope not! Let me explain why, for humans, translation is not optional. Most of us think of translation in linguistic terms – interpreting an idea in one language and expressing it in another. Understood more broadly,…
Whether watching the news or scrolling through social media, it’s hard to escape the tumultuous landscape that is the world today. As a Canadian Christian who strongly values justice and equality, watching what is happening in the United States and Canada as we drift to the far right, it is hard not to feel numb…
My father, Dick Kronemeyer, passed away on December 30, 2024. At his Celebration of Life service on January 4 in Smithers, B.C., we reflected on his life of faithfulness. He is remembered by many for his Christian commitment, leadership, generosity and a refreshingly wise perspective on life. As his youngest child, I was privileged to…
On her wedding day, Yolanda knew she wasn’t in love, but she wasn’t too worried. There was still time for that. Plus, she was in love with the idea of being married, and so was her groom. It was a quick decision and a short engagement. John (not his real name) proposed eight weeks after…
Collectively as Canadians we have felt the sting of betrayal from our closest neighbour. What was for decades a cooperative and mutually beneficial partnership is now fraught with fear and distrust. Discussions have erupted on social media as to the meaning of Jesus’ command to love our neighbour. Jesus is all-inclusive in his definition of…
My career as a writer was launched in 1980 when I sent an unsolicited article to Calvinist Contact – and it was accepted! The impetus for my article was born on a gold-tinged Sunday afternoon in September: the golden leaves of autumn in the woods next door, the golden sunlight streaming over the hill behind…
It’s that most wonderful time of year! The time to tune your car radio to Christmas songs and get a headstart on the holiday cheer. Maybe you’re groaning, but I love the final six weeks of the year, when we get to deck the halls and be merry! I also deeply appreciate Advent, including the…
A city and tow’r, whose top may reach Heaven;And get themselves a name, lest far dispersedIn foreign lands their memory be lostUpon their tongues a various spirit to razeQuite out of their native language, and insteadTo sow a jangling noise of words unknown:Forthwith a hideous gabble rises loudAmong the builders; each to other callsNot understood,…
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