VIEWPOINT: Growing up Muslim in America, and dreaming of Halloween
Growing up, we didn’t celebrate Halloween. While many Americans might have fond memories of strategic trick-or-treating and silly costumes on Halloween, my own memories involve going to great lengths to avoid it. My parents, devout Muslims, banned Halloween in our home, condemning it as a “celebration of the devil.” I wasn’t that bothered when we…
Attunement
I was twenty-two years old when I first realized the price of my happiness was too high. I had met some Christians in a small Russian village who, although struggling to obtain life’s most basic necessities, were happier and more content than I was. They taught me that true joy, peace, and fulfillment are the…
God’s in my kitchen
“Hey! This is our first kitchen renovation,” I exclaimed to my husband of 37 years, with whom I’ve shared nine homes. “It was never on my ‘bucket list’,” he glumly replied.
The art of boundary walking
“We are to be in the world not of the world,” my father responded to a question I asked about war. As a youngster I didn’t quite understand what he meant, but his conviction was clear. The words took on more significance later when I discovered they were drawn from the prayer Jesus offered for…
Readers write: Oct. 28, 2013 issue
‘A little humility is in order’ Re: “Holy contradictions,” Sept. 16, page 4. I was raised as a Catholic, but for years have accompanied my wife to her Mennonite church. I hope that I am not the only reader who found Will Braun’s feature to be harsh and uncharitable. Here is a partial list of…
A cause for concern?
Quebec’s proposed Charter of Values has the potential for many reactions.
I felt the Spirit under an umbrella
It’s Sunday morning and, instead of sitting comfortably in a sanctuary, I’m standing with my family in the pouring rain in downtown Vancouver. We’re soaked. The stroller is collecting water, we only have one umbrella and we’re running out of snacks. And, of course, we’ve forgotten the soother. We’ve bussed downtown to take part in…
Things I’m learning from AA
I was invited to a birthday party. A hunched-over seventy-something Scottish gentleman from my church family was turning 34. With that kind of math, who wouldn’t want to go? So I dragged my 13-year-old son along and we made our way to one of the shadiest parts of town for Derek’s “cake”: the celebration of…
‘Better together’
Mennonite Church British Columbia exists to help our congregations be healthy, vibrant, missional and connected. I want to explore this value of being connected. At MC B.C. we like to say that we are “better together.” How does MC B.C. work hard to create opportunities for congregations and pastors to network, share resources and support…
Readers write: Oct. 14, 2013 issue
Enough already about gender issues In my opinion, the question of human gender comes up way too often among us and way beyond its importance to society as a whole. Let’s just use our God-given brains. This is primarily a biological issue. All of us are born with both male and female hormones. As exists…
