‘Midnight’ musings
At times, it’s shocking, violent and gory. It’s also one of the most compelling pop culture depictions of Christian faith and religion in recent memory. Midnight Mass, a limited series released on Netflix in 2021, follows Riley Flynn, a former venture capitalist, who has returned to his isolated, dwindling hometown on Crockett Island. He’s just…
The Beatitudes: Testing a biblical antidote to division
When conservative Christians in the southern U.S. were agitating to erect monuments with the 10 commandments on them in front of courthouses, I heard someone suggest that they put up the Beatitudes instead. The idea stuck with me, as did the reaction of my Trump-loving, warm-hearted neighbour when I floated the idea by her. She…
Readers write: October 6, 2023 issue
Thank you for this excellent, nuanced article (“The gift of life, the question of death,” September 22). Clearly, patients have always made private, off-the-books decisions with the help and hindrance of doctors and loved ones alike. Those conversations must always have been deeply complex and difficult. Since medical assistance in dying (MAID) is now legal…
David Klassen
David Klassen of Rosenfeld, Manitoba, age 83, poses for an informal portrait at a family reunion. The photo is from a 1955 article in The Canadian Mennonite, which frequently published articles about family reunions and wedding anniversaries as matters of wider interest to the Mennonite community. The articles contained such details as the family’s history…
A Saskatchewan pilgrimage
As a child, I was vaguely envious of others who had deep connections in Canada. In my family, that was not the case. My parents are from the UK and we spent our vacations going back to visit family. Although born in Canada, I longed for a deeper sense of belonging. So it came as…
Polarization and unity
My 88-year-old father often asks why churches push out people who don’t 100 percent agree with their theology. “Why can’t they all just get along?” He is worried about the increasing polarization in Western society and within the church. In 1929, Richard Niebuhr published The Social Sources of Denominationalism. In the book, he stated that…
The narcissism epidemic
Popular author, speaker and shame researcher Brené Brown once quipped, “You can’t swing a cat without hitting a narcissist.” She later apologized for the inhumane image conjured by the idiom, but she stood behind the underlying message. Many psychologists and social scientists agree: Narcissism is everywhere. Some are calling it an epidemic. Narcissism is a…
Beyond cosmetic diversity
In early 2000, when I first stepped into the sanctuary of Willingdon Church in Burnaby, B.C., I was astounded to see the music team’s diversity. A variety of races and ethnicities was represented, singing a chorus praising God. This Mennonite Brethren church would become one of the biggest megachurches in the Greater Vancouver area, known…
Grassy Narrows
Through the weight of ongoing struggles over logging, mercury poisoning and, most recently, mining, the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwestern Ontario continue to defend their interests and make their voices heard. Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has maintained connections with the community, also called Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek, since 2002. CPT members visited Grassy Narrows…
