Why the Church Cares

As I have had the privilege of working in First Nations communities and developing relationships with my Indigenous friends and neighbours, I have been able to learn much about the world through the teachings of the Medicine Wheel.

Editor's note: This post is the second in a series from the Milestones project. People who have been participated in or been affected by the CRC's work for reconciliation during the past six years, as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has travelled the country, have contributed stories of moments (or "milestones" on the journey of reconciliation) when they were touched by the movement of Spirit and came one step closer to reconciled relationships across the Indigenous/non-Indigenous divide in Canada.

Editor's note: This post is the first in a series from the Milestones project. People who have been participated in or been affected by the CRC's work for reconciliation during the past six years, as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has travelled the country, have contributed stories of moments (or "milestones" on the journey of reconciliation) when they were touched by the movement of Spirit and came one step closer to reconciled relationships across the Indigenous/non-Indigenous divide in Canada.

What if you didn’t know your work schedule for next week? What if you didn’t know when you would be getting your paycheck? What if you couldn’t predict the things that affect your life so dearly? It would be hard, frustrating, and even scary. Unfortunately, something similar is happening in Kenya.

Dear churches of the Christian Reformed Church in Canada,

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) will be drawing to a close in Ottawa at the start of June. As the TRC has journeyed across the country hearing the stories of the survivors of residential schools for the past six years, the Christian Reformed Church in Canada has also been on a journey. We want to mark this historic moment with tangible actions, actions that move us closer into relationship as people sharing this land. Will you mark this milestone with us?

We still live in racism’s grip. Justice is not inevitable, but something God calls us to work for.

To start us off, we're tackling an issue that seems to be problematic for many Christian young adults in 2014: how do I balance sharing my faith versus showing my faith through actions? To add a wrinkle to the question, we're taking it in a smaller slice - how to Calvinist or Reformed people, with their solid doctrine of election and their commitment to social justice, balance this out - especially in the politically-correct atmosphere of 21st century North America?

Despite the variety of ways in which CRC members in Canada understand justice, there is a strong consensus that doing justice is an important – even essential – part of Christian faith. This suggests that it should be fairly easy to find points of agreement with fellow congregation members regarding how we understand justice and how justice is related to faith. These significant points of connection on the basics are reassuring when we talk about justice, and certainly provide a solid common foundation for further discussions about what justice means and how we pursue justice together.

Can I be honest with you, reader? The last thing I want to do is write an article about Gaza.

Because in the face of what has just happened there, all the words that I keep trying to string together into some kind of meaningful or helpful thought seem superfluous, empty, and trite.

Listing the numbers also won’t do, as horrifying as they are.

2,168 people, killed.

521 children, killed.

12,000 people, injured.

500,000 people, displaced.

Fear, my dear Schimmel, is our friend. Few things stop the transition of theology to praxis quite as effectively as fear. I suppose we could consider pride its cousin, for they work together wonderfully for us.