Praying with their feet
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 5, approximately 60 people gathered in the shade of Holy Trinity Church in Toronto to support the Palestinian Youth Movement one year into the Gaza war. Organizations represented at the gathering included Christians for a Free Palestine, Christians for Just Peace, Bathurst United Church and Mennonite Action. “A number…
Winnipeg churches hold Nakba Day service
A call from Christians in Palestine to lament and pray for people suffering in Gaza prompted Mennonites in Winnipeg to organize a service. The May 15 service took place on Nakba Day, the day when Palestinians commemorate what they call The Nakba, or catastrophe. That’s when over 750,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes during the founding of the state of Israel…
Mennos gather at MP’s office for Day of Action
About 30 Mennonites assembled in the lobby of Garden Park Tower on December 19 to make their voices heard on the Mennonite Day of Action asking for a ceasefire in Palestine. Organizers originally planned to assemble at the second-floor office of Ed Fast, Abbotsford Member of Parliament, but due to the larger-than-expected gathering, organizers decided…
The church cannot be silent
We have entered the days of Advent. It’s usually one of my favourite periods in the church calendar, but this year, the waiting is heavy. The candle is a tiny flicker in a world of darkness, and Christmas music rings false with its promises of joy and celebration. Advent hymns, like “Comfort, Comfort, O My…
Making Wars Cease: Charting the evolution of MCC peace work
In 1841, Ontario Mennonite bishop Benjamin Eby wrote that the time would come “when all Christians, and indeed all governmental authorities, will acknowledge that the waging of war is evil and does not belong in the kingdom of God.” Eby’s words echoed Psalm 46, which says, “Come, behold the works of the Lord. . .…
Peace award recognizes young artist
Dona Park, a young Korean-Canadian artist, is one of the first two recipients of Mennonite Church U.S.A.’s #BringthePeace Award, sponsored by the denomination’s Church Peace Tax Fund. Park, who affiliates with Emmanuel Mennonite Church of Abbotsford, B.C., and Michelle Armster of Wichita, Kan., received the awards, recognizing the work of denominational peacemakers. The two winners…
Palestine-Israel Network shares Undercurrents podcast
At its 2016 assembly, Mennonite Church Canada passed a resolution affirming nonviolent efforts of Palestinians and Israelis to overcome injustice in their region, and committing Canadian Mennonites to “deepen their understanding of Palestine-Israel relationships.” In response to that resolution, the MC Eastern Canada Palestine-Israel Network (PIN) was formed to educate, build relationships and advocate for…
