Great Speeches
While vacationing in Washington, DC this week I have been struck by the power of a great speech. Abraham Lincoln, perhaps America’s favourite President, was considered a great orator and two of his most famous speeches are inscribed on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial: The Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. (While here,…
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Authenticity
“The ideal of authenticity is something like the ideal of perfection. All of us have some idea of what we are talking about without ever having had any direct personal experience of it.”1 This is a revealing and reassuring statement from David Benner. For truly, none of us will ever achieve perfection, and neither will…
Continue readingLuka
“Luka” is a song by the artist Suzanne Vega who recorded it in 1986. It was number three on the Billboard charts in 1987. It is a haunting song that speaks of a young person caught in the cycle of domestic violence. It is about love, hate, secrets, distrust, loyalty, and fear. The song and…
Continue readingGrace Changes Us
Another quote from Flannery O’Conner is instructive in her understanding of life. There is a question whether faith can or is supposed to be emotionally satisfying. I must say that the thought of everyone lolling about in an emotionally satisfying faith is repugnant to me. I believe that we are ultimately directed Godward but that…
Continue readingJustice In A Dangerous Time
I first came across the International Justice Mission when Jamie McIntosh was establishing the Canadian arm of the mission in Canada. It was 2002 and Jamie was thoroughly convinced of the message he had been given for the people of Canada. The mission of IJM Canada is “To protect the poor from violence by rescuing…
Continue readingPeople Turn to Religion
John Stackhouse says that “People turn to religion only if they have a good reason. The instrumental reasons are gone with the wind.”1 That is, people no longer believe that they must go to church to increase their social standing or to impress their business constituents. He points out that in one particular panel discussion…
Continue readingInland
I discovered a great new album last night: Inland by Jars of Clay. Released in August of 2013, this collection of songs sounds as good as previous albums like Who We Are Instead (2003) or Much Afraid (1997). The lyrics are mysterious, poetic, and haunting. They speak to the condition of every human soul. They…
Continue readingCanada and the Nordic Model
Canada’s Supreme Court has struck down most of the previous laws related to prostitution in Canada deeming them unconstitutional because they breach the Charter rights of vulnerable and marginalized people and their right to “security of the person.” The present laws will stay in effect for one year giving the Parliament of Canada time to…
Continue readingFilling Our Lives
As we approach the most commercialized, consumerist, season of the year, it is appropriate to pause and consider our values once again. Let’s take a quick look at some of the messages given to us by the dominant culture at this time of year: buying things will make you happy if you buy one thing…
Continue readingFollow-Up to Passing Judgement
The love of those things that are outside Christianity keeps me outside the church. – Simone Weil as quoted in Duncan, David James. The Brothers K. New York: Random House, Inc., 2005.
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