Tips for giving—and receiving—visits in the midst of chronic suffering
Allow yourself to be open and vulnerable. People who suffer live with difficult questions. It is good to discuss them.
What aid work looks like in Africa
The invitation arrived last September: “Would you like to accompany the Canadian Foodgrains Bank on a media study tour of Ethiopia?” It sounded like an eye-opening opportunity to see an organization follow through on its mandate to combat global hunger. Our trip was planned so that we would get a chance to see what aid…
Vote your core beliefs
While we won’t endorse candidates of the five political parties in the upcoming May 2 election, or tell you how to vote, we do ask Mennonite voters to both examine the political views and voting records of candidates regarding our deeply held core beliefs in peacemaking, compassion for the poor and care for creation before…
‘For the joy of ear and eye’
As I write, the horrific attacks on the people of Ukraine continue, but recently I witnessed a sign of beauty amidst the chaos. Standing in a grey bomb shelter, with pipes overhead, a Ukrainian musician brings forth a haunting tune from his violin. The video screen pulls back to reveal other quadrants in which other…
A time to reminisce
The Pacific Centre for Discipleship, which owns the Menno Simons Centre in Vancouver, has decided to sell the student building and prepare to build a larger student residence on the edge of the University of B.C. campus. At a “Farewell to Menno” on March 14 for alumni and supporters, Kevin Hiebert, the Centre’s board chair,…
Encountering hospitality in rural India
For the past year, Sara Wyngaarden of Elmira, Ont., has been in India, participating in the Serving and Learning Together program (SALT) of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). This reflection originally appeared on her blog. Last week I had the privilege of visiting Jharkhand, a state in eastern India where MCC has partnered with local Mennonite…
COMMENTARY: Debating the value of the debates
Why, exactly, does it matter if President Barack Obama gave a lackluster performance in the recent presidential debate? These quadrennial campaign sideshows have nothing to do with one’s capability, preparation, aptitude or suitability for the presidency. Why does Gov. Mitt Romney’s spirited performance matter? What does a “victory” by one candidate mean, other than…
The gift of a coffee with John H. Neufeld
One of the greatest gifts you can give another person is your time. No matter how much we work or how much money we earn, our time is finite. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. That’s why I’m so honoured and humbled whenever people surprise me by wanting to spend their time with me. This week,…
On not buying Buy Nothing Christmas
Christmas is by now long over and I am, as always, sad about it. I love the candles, the cookies, the darkness complete and frozen outside the window, and the hymns, stuck in my head all year long, finally sung with family and friends. I love the familiar biblical words breathing new life into my…
Do I see a hand?
I was sitting on Dave Scott’s porch on the Swan Lake First Nation a few years back when he started talking about a handshake treaty between his Ojibwe ancestors and Mennonites. I had never heard of this. Later, I discovered no Mennonite historians had either. Last year, a group of southern Manitoba Mennonites went to…
