Climate Change

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99

- Reckless Love, Cory Asbury

The other parents and I were getting off the school bus, when I heard a comment that I thought would be the start of an argument. We had been shuttled upriver to retrieve our vehicles and the canoe trailer after spending the morning paddling downstream. One dad was mocking another: “Are you sure your truck is big enough? Maybe you need something bigger.” The truck in question was as big as they come. It had after-market tires and a lift kit, which meant that a sort of jump step was required to reach the door. 

During Anders' time at Bates College in Maine (he just graduated), he often went to Lewiston, Maine’s downtown skatepark, where he met with several young people. He learned a lot about their lives and struggles, especially those related to homelessness and substance abuse. Many of these individuals shared heartbreaking stories of friends and family lost to overdose or living on the streets. 

To the artist He is the one altogether lovely, and to the educator He is the master teacher. To the philosopher He is the wisdom of God, and to the lonely He is a brother; to the sorrowful, a comforter to the bereaved, the resurrection and the life. And to the sinner he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin from the world. -  John Gerstner

Proverbs states in 14:31 that “Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor Him”. 

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it”, says the NRSV in Psalm 24:1. God has called human beings to take care of that precious gift. We need to work hard to protect the earth from threats to its well-being.

In the face of an imminent environmental crisis, a powerful climate justice movement is rising from the heart of faith communities across Canada.

Worship that has integrity refuses to divorce praise of the Creator from love of creation. Hands that are raised in praise of Creator God must seek to also reach out in actions that defend the welfare of creation. Anything less risks expressing empty words of adoration devoid of committed action.

Child poverty is on the rise in Canada, putting over 1 million kids at risk

Dubai, a city synonymous with opulence, ambition, and grandeur, played host to the crucial COP28 summit. As I walked through the Expo Center, memories of a bygone era in 2005 flooded my mind. I remember the moments of excitement and anticipation that randomly happened during my busy work days leading up to my first trip to Dubai that year to attend a film festival for work. The thought of the hotel—which had canals for roadways, and gondolas that drifted you from your villa to the world-class spas, or elegant shops and restaurants—elicited sighs.

I was at the United Nations conference on climate change (called “COP” for Conference of Parties) in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates in December. I watched a David versus Goliath battle. The fossil fuel industry (processors of oil, gas and coal) was the Goliath and had 2,400 lobbyists at the meeting.