Stories told and untold
This past summer I attended an event focused on Mary Magdalene, at which guest speaker Amanda Witmer reviewed what scholars know about this early follower of Jesus—not very much. In addition, over the centuries, the Christian church has perpetuated misinformation about Mary: No, she was not the “sinful woman” in Luke 7. The Gospel of…
A disarmed heart
Update: In October 2020, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada announced the termination of the ministerial credentials of John D. Rempel, on the basis of ministerial sexual misconduct. To learn more, see ‘Credentials terminated for theologian-academic-pastor.’ How do we “take up our quarrel with the foe”? What does it mean to “break faith with those who die”? Those…
Readers write: October 14, 2019 issue
Queer hymns cause deep concern for Ontario churchgoers Re: “Queer hymns now online,” Aug. 19, page 35. The undersigned from St. Catharines (Ont.) United Mennonite Church are deeply concerned about directions our Anabaptist faith is going in. Are we audacious enough to change scripture, the Holy Word of God, and eject the names of…
Just say ‘hi’
We live in a fearful world. People persecute, slander, ignore, bully and oppress other people. It can be depressing catching the news of yet another hate crime, whether it’s on the other side of the globe, the other side of the border or the other side of town. It’s difficult to know how to respond…
Helena Kruger’s sewing class
According to CBC, Canadian households buy four times as much clothing as they did 30 years ago, and throw away 46 kilograms of clothing per year, of which 85 percent ends up in the landfill, where it creates greenhouses gases as it decomposes. We are addicted to cheap and cheaply made clothing, the report claims.…
Informed ethics
A man saw the title of the book I was reading with my morning coffee. It was something religious-sounding, so he engaged me about faith. Eventually he asked what I did, and I said I teach at the nearby Christian university. I teach sociology. “Oh, sociology?” he said. “Then you can’t really be a Christian.”…
A burning issue
In Elise Epp’s “Clothes to match your values,” she pointed out the ecological harm posed by the overuse of highly processed leather products. I immediately felt warm . . . and righteous. That bears explanation. I have a small business venture called Blind Guy Welding. I create whimsical metal sculptures for fun and occasionally for profit.…
Hope in a dark world
“Beefier barley: Climate change will boost Alberta’s barley yields with less water, and feed more cattle,” said a big billboard appearing to promote the benefits of climate change. It was produced by the University of Alberta last month. Jacqui Tam, vice-president of university relations, resigned, with the school announcing that it had not approved the…
Striking for the future
Mennonites took to the streets of Winnipeg on Sept. 27 with more than 12,000 others to strike for the climate. The rally was one of thousands happening around the world as part of the global youth-led movement that has seen millions protesting the climate crisis and advocating for environmental justice. People waved signs saying, “There…
