Canada

We are confident
that the light
which shines in the present darkness
will fill the earth
when Christ appears.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Our world belongs to you.

- Our World Belongs to God (Article 6)

As a Christian growing up in the evangelical Midwest, I studied the New Testament much more than the Old Testament. Sure, I knew the stories of Moses, Ruth, Esther, Jonah and David, and I prayed with the Psalms, but I confess I have never read or studied the more “obscure” books like Leviticus. I saw it as a bunch of old laws that don’t really apply to me. Take for example Leviticus 25, much of it has to do with farming, land sale and ownership. I don’t own a house and have never farmed. 

So, you’ve been invited to attend a Talking Circle. As sharing is implied, one must conclude that a participant must share their feelings, thoughts, and opinions. 

I think a lot of people might think to themselves, “I’d rather see the dentist for a tooth extraction.”  Sharing for me can be compared to pulling teeth. Many people would rather stay home and catch up on reruns of the Dr. Phil then attend a Talking Circle.   

“We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because he holds tightly to us.” - R. C. Sproul 

Restorations has long advocated for specialized residential programs to address the unique concerns and needs experienced by survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. While more social services have received training regarding trafficking and exploitation, many of our clients still face challenges in accessing generalized services that do not adequately understand their complex needs.

When I first wrote for Do Justice, I asserted that – in order to achieve true justice in churches for believers with diverse disabilities – Christians need to “write sermons to which people with intellectual and learning disabilities can relate,” amongst other strategies. More broadly, we need to create intellectual access to our words and actions in churches.

"It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful." - 2 Corinthians 4:6 

Fifty years ago I first met my future brother-in-law Don, an energetic and endearing Indigenous five-year-old adopted by my future wife’s family at birth. He was part of the Sixties Scoop, but that term had not yet been coined back then. His maturation into adulthood was very rocky, and he spent a lot of time in prison. In 2001, aged 34, he died tragically of a heroin overdose in a rooming house in Toronto. 

Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. - John 1:3-5 MSG

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Colossians 4:5-6