You are known by your face

Recently in the province of Quebec  a law has been passed banning face coverings in certain situations. This has raised quite a flurry of commentaries. Here below is my contribution, plus some comments on my comments.

The Massacre in Las Vegas

When I first heard the news of the massacre at Las Vegas, I screamed out – “You idiots, ban automatic rifles!” This was also the visceral reaction on the international news outlets – but not in the USA. It was instead, “thoughts and prayers for the victims” and “this is not the time to raise political issues”. A great silence descended on the issue of gun control, at precisely the time when this issue should have been raised to the fore.

How Canada's 1 per cent is pulling ahead [The Globe and Mail (BC edition, 9 Oct 2017)]

"New census data provided to The Globe show the biggest pay raises have gone to the country's highest earners, along with significant regional and gender differences. A look at how the numbers break down."

-- Rachelle Younglai Murat Yukselir

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-globe-and-mail-bc-edition/20171009/281642485388035

People on the ground often know better than the experts

I am presently reading Jane Jacob’s “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”. Jane Jacobs understood cities from the bottom up. She skipped a formal university education and instead learned how cities worked from careful observation, while she herself lived in the city. Her writings and actions have become classic in our understanding about the life in cities.

Spiritual Reflections While Meditating

As we sit in an un-programmed Quaker worship meeting, we are supposed to be meditating. What a variety of thoughts and insights must be passing thorough the minds of all who are present! This last Sunday, this is what occupied my mind and spirit.

I sit here. I stare through the window looking up at the sky. It is so clear. It is so blue. Based on the evidence of my senses alone, I could honestly say that there is nothing there – just a vast expanse of blueness.

But we know that there are myriad mysteries out there, hidden from my naked eyes.

Reflections on “Convictions

I have just finished reading the book, “Convictions: How I learned What Matters Most” by Marcus Borg. This is labelled as ‘A manifesto for progressive Christians’. There is much that is commendable here. As the book cover shows, Borg goes back into Christianity’s roots so that he can better garner the outgoing fruits that should emerge. This is a call for the prophetic role of Christianity in its struggle for social justice. It is also a reminder of Christianity’s initial stance of non-violent resistance and confrontation of the world’s many evils.

When Tradition Meets the Environment

Here in Canada we are celebrating 150 years of nationhood. The native indigenous people are not too thrilled with the celebrations. For them it was 150 years of land expropriation, exploitation and cultural genocide in ‘residential schools’ that were set up for ‘Indian’ children who were taken from their parents to receive a Western education. The goal was to take the ‘Indian’ out of the child and to make them good Canadians. Unfortunately, various kinds of abuse often accompanied this education. These schools were most often administered by Christian churches, using methods that would have embarrassed Jesus himself.