‘We have hope’
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‘We have hope’

“It is a miracle that we are still alive,” Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, told 80 members of the press. “So many good people around the world are united with us in their prayers and in their generosity.” On February 8, 2023, Aid to The Church In Need (ACN International) hosted…

Is Christianity ableist?
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Is Christianity ableist?

Ableism had left its mark on my disabled body long before I knew its name. As hard as I scrubbed, I couldn’t rid myself from the sticky residue on my skin, or remove the thorn that pierced clear through to my bones. It was a part of me as much as Jesus was, but I…

From a miracle in Syria to a revival in Asbury
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From a miracle in Syria to a revival in Asbury

The ground is sturdy, until it’s not. Until it’s pulled out beneath you like a rug. The aftershocks of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southeastern Turkey have hit the globe, but most especially those in the city of Gazientap. Over 50,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria have been confirmed so far, while others continue to…

Are we saving lives or saving money?
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Are we saving lives or saving money?

Allen Plug is a Calvin University-trained Ontologist working for Cycorp, a company that has developed an artificially intelligent hospital advisor. Plug knows how to talk to robots, or – to be more precise – he is an expert in semantic knowledge representation. He’s also Canadian and has lived in Saskatchewan, B.C. and Ontario. Do you…

The Passing of a Giant
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The Passing of a Giant

Adapted from a eulogy given by Ian Dewaard, CLAC’s Ontario Director, at Harry’s funeral. If you knew Harry, you know that he had a deep and abiding passion for his vocation at the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), where he worked for 35 years. He was a man who had ordered his working life…

Finding the fakes
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Finding the fakes

“Computers: Are they conquering our world?” That was the title of an article published in Christian Courier (CC) more than 40 years ago. “The possibilities for manipulation of people,” columnist and labour expert Harry Antonides wrote in 1982, “by controlling and slanting information and news via the new systems of communication are staggering.” He was…

Coal and the greatest commandment
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Coal and the greatest commandment

Larry was the last holdout. Years ago, the local coal company had purchased mineral rights from the inhabitants of Kayford mountain to blow it apart – to tap the coal seams and bleed the mountain of its precious payload. One by one, Larry’s neighbours had sold their rights and moved – driven away in some…

‘A united Canada’
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‘A united Canada’

Federal-provincial relations are testy even in the best of times, but these are not the best of times. Pandemic, war, inflation and global supply-chain disruptions have affected us all, and it is scarcely surprising that they would also affect Canada’s federal system, as a new threat to national unity has recently demonstrated. In early 1830s…

Do No Harm
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Do No Harm

I recently walked into a doctor’s office where I saw a sign that read, “This is a place of healing – no forms of aggressive behavior will be tolerated.” While I grieve the fact that the sign was needed, what impressed me was the clear recognition on the part of the medical establishment of why…

A generational project
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A generational project

Lead Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Commissioner Murray Sinclair is known for speaking in memorable one-liners. Seven years after the TRC’s release, two of these have stuck with me: “education got us into this mess and education will get us out” and “reconciliation is a generational project.” Both of these zingers have inspired our long-term…

Muscular Ecological Hope
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Muscular Ecological Hope

We are living in high-stake times. Recent studies indicate that young people are especially aware of this. As many as 60 percent of youth and young adults are extremely worried about climate change and more than half report feeling anxious, angry, powerless and even guilty about the state of the environment. The scariest part is…

‘Bees for Peace’
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‘Bees for Peace’

All humanity has this in common: we rely on plants to provide us with nutrients. We also, by extension, rely on the creatures that help our plants flower. Bees play a vital role in pollinating our fruits and vegetables. In short, we all need bees. This simple fact is what fueled Carrie Dohe to start…