Monday evening a man with a gun walked into a Québec City mosque and began shooting those who were there to worship. Within an hour, two university students were in custody, Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohammed Belkhadir. Before long, the police announced that only Mr. Bissonnette was a suspect, Mr. Belkhadir was a witness; he was … Continue reading Quebec city shooting and aftermath
kindness
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Mercy cannot be a passive virtue: kindly feelings towards someone in distress are worthless if not accompanied by action to help relieve the distress. There may be a time when we are called upon to perform some major act of mercy, but we should not waste … Continue reading Blessed are the merciful
Dementia
My mother wasn't able to look after herself anymore and had come to live with us. One day a conversation with a visitor went like this: —How old are you? —What year is it? —Two thousand and four —Then I am ninety-six. That was my mother; she couldn't remember how old she was, but she … Continue reading Dementia
Leadhead and the Golden Rule
I first took note of Norman when the camp leaders took us all on a hike to Lebret. He was a quiet boy, walking with us, yet alone. He seemed like the rest of us, except that he could not hold his head up straight. It tilted towards his right shoulder, almost resting on the … Continue reading Leadhead and the Golden Rule
Is it really that bad?
This world is a horrible place. There are environmental catastrophes, threats of international terrorism, dangers in the streets. The danger of religious persecution threatens us even here in North America. There is sexual exploitation of women and children. There is abuse of power by those in positions of trust: police officers, preachers, teachers and parents. … Continue reading Is it really that bad?
Perfection and humilty and servanthood and leadership
Is it possible to be perfect, humble, a servant and a leader all at the same time? According to the New Testament, God expects us to be all of the above. If that seems impossible, perhaps we have gotten hung up on a misunderstanding of the meaning of one or more of those words. Many … Continue reading Perfection and humilty and servanthood and leadership
Cat oneupmanship
We moved to this acreage almost 8 years ago, just us two old folks and one cat. There is a farm yard right beside our yard with a heavy stand of trees between us. Panda was basically an indoor cat, but one evening she decided to explore the great outdoors. The sun set, our bed … Continue reading Cat oneupmanship
Papa Martin and the young woman
[Part 3 of Ruben Saillens' le Père Martin, translated from French.] A few homeward bound revellers passed by, but the old shoemaker barely glanced at them. The marketplace vendors came with their small carts. He knew them too well to pay much attention to them. After an hour or two, his attention was drawn to … Continue reading Papa Martin and the young woman
Papa Martin and the street sweeper
[Installment two of a Christmas tale by Ruben Saillens. Original title: le Père Martin. Translated from French.] Long before daylight the little lamp of the shoemaker was lit. He put more coal into his stove, where the fire had not yet gone out and busied himself preparing his coffee. Then he hurried to make his … Continue reading Papa Martin and the street sweeper
They’ll know we are Christians by our ______
I was walking through the upper shopping level of Midtown Plaza on Wednesday and noticed an elderly Sikh couple standing at the top of an escalator. The man made a few false starts, then grasped the moving handrail and stepped firmly on to the joint between two treads. He almost lost his balance as the … Continue reading They’ll know we are Christians by our ______
Flatlander Faith 