Sex and money
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Sex and money

I have purposely not written a column expressing my opinion on the 2022 Christian Reformed Synod’s Human Sexuality Report, and specifically not about the report’s recommendations concerning same sex relations. My reason is that, from the outset, I judged the entire process to be disingenuous. Handcuffing the committee members with a mandate that forced it…

Come and eat
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Come and eat

It was my sister-in-law who first pointed out to me that there is free food going to waste all over our neighbourhood. Every growing season, fruit trees hang over the fences of yards and spill into streets and alleyways. The neighbour who owns one of these trees tells me that the fruit is free for…

From Aging to Aged
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From Aging to Aged

When the results of Census 2021 were released, headlines labelled Canada an aged society. The previous census described Canada as an aging society. Is the shift from aging to aged significant? Census 2021 highlighted a dramatic growth in the population over 85 years (a 12 percent growth since 2016) as well as the reality that…

The upside of inflation
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The upside of inflation

Inflation has been a documented economic phenomenon since Ancient Rome, but it has not been much of a factor in the global economy over the last decade. Now, however, with Covid-induced labor shortages and “supply chain snarls,” along with loose monetary policy from central banks looking to prop up national economies, inflation has stepped back…

Budget 2022 marks transition from old to new economy
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Budget 2022 marks transition from old to new economy

Federal Budget 2022 turned out to be a sober document, contrary to media hype about New Democrats hijacking the agenda, fears of reckless spending and Corporate Canada’s push to return to 1990s-era budgeting. Instead, this budget charts a middle-of-the-road approach, bending over backwards, it seems, to dispel fears that the Liberals have become socialists. It…

Post-COVID plans
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Post-COVID plans

I’m hearing a lot about learning from COVID-times and making some course corrections in our society. Expectations for change run high in some communities. There is a long tradition of crises and tragedies leading to significant social change. In fact, advocates talk about not letting a tragedy go to waste. Turning bad into good is…

Budget 2021 prioritizes ‘care economy’
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Budget 2021 prioritizes ‘care economy’

Part COVID response and part post-COVID recovery, the federal Canadian Budget 2021 resembles a long, expensive shopping list more than either a clear future vision or a blueprint out of a COVID-recession.  The budget is organized under three themes: 1) Finishing the job against COVID-19; 2) Creating Jobs and Growth; and 3) A Resilient and…

Welcome Spring

Welcome Spring

A strange sound greeted me as I stepped out the back door the other day. I paused for a second to determine its source. Birds! Hundreds of birds sat in our big maple trees, singing joyfully. No robins yet, but I hadn’t heard such giddy celebration in months. Under sunny skies a southern breeze ushered…

The Money Taboo

The Money Taboo

“So, how much money do you make?” It’s hard to imagine starting a conversation this way. You can ask about a person’s education and grades. You can ask what music they like. You can even ask why they still follow a certain Toronto Hockey Team even though they haven’t won a Stanley Cup in the…

Peace on Earth
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Peace on Earth

“Peace on Earth” rings out from Christmas carols and greeting cards at this time of year. It echoes the good news of the angels long ago; it expresses the hope for shalom as a result of God coming down into our world. We cherish the serenity of a crèche and singing Silent Night by candle…