Take time to listen
Canada has conscientiously gained a worldwide reputation as a donor country to a variety of humanitarian and beneficial causes. Private enterprises like nongovernmental organizations, churches and charities, as well as government institutions, steadily strive to make a difference in a variety of acute human crises that demand action around the world. The guiding principles that…
More than meets the eye about conflict
Conflict is a normal human phenomenon. We become aware of conflict when there is a clash between individuals or groups. Differences butt up against one another. The clash may be over positions taken, things, ideas, relationships, events, actions, interpretations, policies or norms. Some clashes are over minor things. Either one person changes or both change…
As long as the rivers flow
When Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta asked Adrienne Wiebe and me to attend the May 31-June 1 conference on the Alberta oil sands and treaty rights in Fort McMurray, it was with mixed feelings. The timing coincided with a debate in Canadian Mennonite regarding its editorial stance on divestment and a reactionary disquiet, at least…
Readers write: July 28, 2014 issue
Church should fund prison visitation In Matthew 25, Jesus says, “[A]nd I was in prison and you visited me.” In Hebrews 13:3, the author writes, “Remember those in prison as if they were your fellow prisoners” (NIV). Now Jesus did not make a command of such, but it was a pretty good suggestion that we…
Engaging the challenge
This winter on an evening journey to the airport, I encountered a substantial snow storm. Strong winds drove heavy snow across the roads. Even with my eyes wide open I was blinded, unable to see the front of my car. I inched forward without any idea where the road was. I didn’t know if I…
An intentional generosity plan
When our boys were younger, I wanted them to see how much we were giving to our church. I wanted to model cheerful generosity, and to demonstrate that this was normal and very intentional. If the truth be told, I was secretly hoping that our generosity would be contagious, as well. Practising intentionality in giving…
A milestone birthday
“I’m turning 60 and I need help,” I wrote in the invitation to my recent party. I was disquieted by the approach of this milestone birthday, beset with, and surprised by, regrets, laments and some form of existential anxiety. Still, the passage of time continues whatever our reluctance towards what it brings. And a birthday…
Fad or future?
“Look outside,” Dan blurted through the phone before my mother could even say hello. She walked over to the front window and was astonished to see Dan sitting in his car parked in our driveway. He was beaming with pride as he spoke to her via his new state-of-the-art mobile phone. Our entire family raced…
A letter of unsupport for Canada
Shortly after my birth I was registered as a Canadian citizen. Birth cast me into a life that was not of my choosing or making. The Mennonite commu-nity into which I was born has a history of both appealing to government and rejecting government. These expressions are not mutually exclusive. The pairing of these elements…
The power of change in the local circle
The auditorium tingled as the keynote speaker took the stage. A tall black guy—a CNN personality, New York Times best-selling author, and former White House staffer who advised President Obama on green economics—he had a coast-to-coast smile and wit surpassed only by his charm. I can't honestly remember what he said, but I remember the…
