Already and Not Yet

Here is my experience of first day of kindergarten with my son Antonio. We are very close to each other. I wondered how the first day of school would be for him and how I would be. Well, this is how it went. Antonio was excited and cooperative the very first day of school. I was cautiously optimistic. The second day of school however was a complete 180. He had some verbal protests in the morning as he was getting ready but I didn’t want to inflame it all by opposing him directly and escalating his protests.

Although it is sad to say, the truth is that Aboriginal education in Canada is stuck. It cannot move forward with much-needed reform. The issues needing reform are many--there are significant inequities between funding given to on-reserve Aboriginal schools and off-reserve schools. Less than half of First Nations people graduate high school, compared to almost 90% of non-Aboriginal people in Canada.

It’s a cold, dark Sunday evening, and I’m at the drugstore. The only other customer in the store is at the checkout, taking a long time. She’s fumbling with her money, her bags, getting herself organized. She has the look of someone who is less-than-fortunate (and really, who would be riding a bike on such a night if they had any other option?).

The Mess is an open arts studio that provides opportunities to create art and relationships with those who struggle with issues of brokenness and poverty. At The Mess in Kingston, Ontario, we walk alongside people in our local community, offering hope and empowering healthy life choices. We are a supportive community of differing socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, physical abilities and genders. We welcome people of all ages to the studio. The foundation of The Mess is built on these core values: equality, empathy, commu

“‘Fireflies’ is a simple reminder that we each have beauty and can connect with others in unique ways. It is the passing glance of a stranger, the earnest offering of a flower, and the knowing smile of a shared secret,” write the creators of this short clip. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a misunderstood and stigmatized issue that is affecting increasing numbers of people. This video encourages us to be creative in how we develop relationships and reach out to people with ASD in our local communities, instead of disregarding them because we may not know how to interact.  

Often the poor are criticized for making poor spending decisions. We can easily think that poverty is avoidable with enough financial advice. But there's a reason luxury goods are sometimes worth the trade off, and we're part of that system.

“I have been taught accommodation. My brother never thinks before he speaks. I have been taught to filter. "How can anyone have a relationship to food?" he asks, laughing, as I eat the black bean soup I chose for its lack of carbs. I want to say: we come from difference, Jonas; you have been taught to grow out; I have been taught to grow in….The women in my family have been shrinking for decades.” This is a voice you may know all too well. Especially (but not only) if you are male, have you listened to the pain in this voice?

But recently I’ve been struggling with something terrible, and deflating:I just can’t live up to my own expectations of myself. I wrote an article that was posted here about clothes, where our clothes come from, and an encouragement to be smart shoppers that make wise choices.  Then I bought some new clothes from a big store. I let myself down.

My colleague Shannon Jammal-Hollemans recently made a powerful statement, saying Christians tend to focus on the Fall at the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, rather than focusing on the Tree of Life. I believe this cuts to the core of the “burden” of injustice, shedding light on the frustrating, paradoxical occurrence of disempowered Jesus followers.

On our Salaam Project Facebook page, the post that has received the most views is one called “We are Iraqi, we are Christian.” The article describes Muslims standing alongside Christians in Baghdad protesting together the persecution of Christians in Mosul by ISIS or Islamic State. This parallels the #WeareN hashtag that is spreading over social media and that was recently highlighted in a post by Phil Reinders.