New Opportunities

After a mission trip or an enriching act of charity, have you ever heard someone say something like, “I was expecting to serve them, but really they gave me more than I gave to them”, or “in the end they taught me more than I ever taught them”. Have you ever heard of or personally experienced this unexpected exchange? I certainly have.

In 2018, I was gifted to be one of one hundred and fifty First Nations people chosen to fly to Scotland to be featured in an internationally acclaimed television series. Upon arriving in Glasgow, we were loaded onto a tour bus and given a tour of the city. Our hosts welcomed us by stating, “You’re Indigenous, we’re Indigenous too. You were taken away from your families and put in residential schools; we were taken away from our families and put in industrial schools. You weren’t allowed to play your drums; we weren’t allowed to play our bagpipes.

Recently OSJ staff had an opportunity to present to a group of folks. There are always so many important justice topics that we'd like to address when we meet with people and it's often hard for us to pick one. Here's how we did our best to share big ideas in a limited presentation time. In this video you will get our elevator pitches for the work of the Office of Social Justice from the perspective of each staff member. Have fun being 'stuck' in an elevator with us and let us know what your favorite 'one thing' is.  

The majority of the young men in Uganda have inherited cultural practices that have affected household harmony and mutual respect for spouses as equal partners at household level. This is further aggravated by the current social and economic stressors. These include high levels of immorality, alcoholism, substance usage and drug abuse. 

This is the second of a 3 part blog series on the experiences of Cuban immigrants in the Christian Reformed Church. And stay tuned for the 3rd and final installment coming up! 

In Jeremiah 32, we read that Jerusalem is being attacked by the Chaldeans and Jeremiah is imprisoned by King Zedekiah of Judah. Jeremiah’s cousin comes to him to ask him to buy a piece of land. Jeremiah agrees, even though purchasing property during wartime when you are in prison can be an unwise venture. As the Bible tells it, Jeremiah declared it was God who told him to buy the land, explaining that buying the land protects it for future generations. “Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be brought to the land” says verse 15.

February 22 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada. (In the United States, January 11 is dedicated to addressing human trafficking.)

After much advocacy for its existence, members of Parliament unanimously agreed on the motion to adopt the day just last year, making this year the second annual awareness day. Awareness days provide an amplified platform and opportunity to highlight issues of great importance and concern. 

All human beings, made in God’s image?  All of them?  Yes, all of them.  

Recent media coverage about abortion laws has prompted questions from our community about how the Office of Social Justice (OSJ) can support churches and individuals on the issue of the sanctity of human life. Our regular engagement in this area and our denomination’s position statements about abortion all show deep care for unborn children. As we we seek justice for them, this conversation is made more complicated by the research that shows that women don’t have abortions simply because they are legal. 

When did I know I was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fans? My father, John Smith, worked in the steel mill measuring and making the rings for sinks as a master welder. I saw him leaving for work around 6 am and returned around 3:30 pm or 4 pm depending on traffic. His way of relaxing was a six pack of Schlitz beer, puffing a Salem cigarette and watching a team that hadn’t been to the World Series since 1945 and hadn’t won a championship since 1908. Yet, my father watched them despite his heart being broken over and over again.