Prayer of the Day/Collect for Christmas Eve/Day

 

Jesus our light: There is so much darkness in the world, and even in our own hearts and lives. Political, economic, social, mental, physical and spiritual darknesses have way too much power and influence in the world. How we long for your coming in the church, the world and within each one of us to fill us with your light which is eternal and has the power to transform all things, all situations, all people. All praise and thanks to you Jesus, light of the world; may your light fill us and the whole universe with joy, hope, peace, and love, as we celebrate your birth today. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Short Short Story: September 27, 2023

“Love your enemies?! You must be crazy," said the corrupt President.

The tortured, imprisoned woman replied, “I do love you, even though you are a billionaire by stealing countless properties of the poor; taxing the working poor to death and abolishing all taxes for the rich; and extending the death sentence to all religious organizations, environmentalists, and non-violent human rights advocates.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today, January sixteenth, the people of the United States of America celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here are a few quotations attributed to him, worth consideration to inspire, instruct, and motivate readers who seek to live justly and peacefully.

“Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” —“The Purpose of Education” from Morehouse College student newspaper, The Maroon Tiger, 1947

“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives [human beings] knowledge, which is power; religion gives [human beings] wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.” —“A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart” sermon, August 30, 1959

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” -—"Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” —Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964

“We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now because I've been to the mountaintop... I've looked over and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.” —“I've Been to the Mountaintop” speech, April 3, 1968 

The New Year, gratitude, and the longing for peace with justice

The following quote, attributed to Lord Allton, is worth our consideration as we begin another New Year:

   If you have never been in war, imprisoned or suffered from starvation, then you are better off than five hundred million other people. If you can read, then you are better off than two billion who are unable to do so. If you can attend a church without fear of harassment, or worse, then you are better off than three billion people in the world.

   If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, then you are richer than three-quarters of your fellow human beings. If you have money in the bank or your wallet or purse, then you are among the top eight per cent of the world's wealthy.

   NOTE: This citation is at least a few years old by now, so the exact numbers and/or percentages I expect may have changed since then. However, that being said, there is much prayer, thought, word and action required to change the unjust political, economic and religious systems around the globe for a better, more peaceful, just world in the future. This is especially true for Christians and Jews who live in countries where they are religious minorities. Even in North America and Europe, the growing number of antisemitic and anti-Christian incidents and sentiment are rather alarming.

   As we begin this New Year, may God help us all to pray, desire, and work for: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven!"   

Church and State, Canada and U.S.A. Relations

The recent election and inauguration of a new president south of the 49^th parallel has got me thinking a wee bit about church and state—or religion and politics—and Canada-U.S.A. relations.

   I, like a lot of people in the U.S., Canada, and around the globe am rather upset about the election results and inauguration of the new U.S. president. It still seems rather surreal to me that our American neighbours would choose the person they did to be their president for the next four years. Someone who has no political experience, and his moral-ethical standards are at best questionable and controversial, and at worst downright dangerous.

   For example, there have been folks who have monitored what he has said publicly on social media claiming that he has lied a lot; and there have been alleged incidents of sexual abuse. Yet, his agenda to “make America great again” seems to have appealed and still appeals to a lot of Americans.

   What disturbs me most and perhaps others is the polarization of Americans, and of everyone really, into “us” and “them,” and the blanket demonization of “them,” so as to feed the fires of fear, hatred, xenophobia, sexism, and religious discrimination, etc. Civilized political debate seems to be abandoned, and the value of the common good: that we as human beings are all in this together, and I may disagree with you adamantly, yet I still respect you as a human being and want to continue to dialogue with you, and remain your neighbour, friend, fellow citizen—which is a bedrock principle of any healthy democracy seems to alarmingly be in grave danger of becoming an extinct freedom.

   Where is the church in relation to what is going on in the state these days? Well, as a follower of Jesus I cannot in good conscience be an open promoter of any particular political party or candidate. However, like Jesus, like the Hebrew prophets of old, like those who signed the Barmen’s Declaration during the Nazi regime in Germany, like such leaders as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a host of other less famous people of faith, I am compelled by conscience to speak out against whatever powers and principalities that would divide every human being into either an “us” or a “them.” Jesus the Messiah of all humankind and his gospel, along with the Hebrew Bible prophets give us our marching orders. As God’s people we are: forgiven sinner-saints, called and gifted, graced and freed to speak truth to power, to transform division into unity, to see every human being as a sister and brother created in God’s image, to, in the words of Micah, “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God,” to in the words of Jesus, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” to boldly proclaim with Peter and the other apostles our ultimate allegiance to the highest authority, saying, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

   Therefore, it is with all of this weighing heavy in the minds, hearts and lives of many that I, along with a host of other members and advocates for Amnesty International appealed to our Canadian prime minister to speak out for justice and peace, unity and the common good, and respect for the human rights of everyone when he meets with the U.S. president.

   I shall also be remembering them both in my prayers. 

Nelson Mandela dead at 95

Nelson Mandela was awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree at Ryerson University, Toronto in 2001

 

Yesterday, December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela died at the ripe old age of 95 years. What an incredible life he lived! Although in his early years, he certainly was no saint, in fact he became quite radical at one point, justifying the use of violent resistance against the South African Apartheid regime. 

   Mandela has been described, among other things as: The African Lincoln, noble yet humble, Father of the nation [i.e. South Africa], prophet, brilliant leader, courageous peacemaker, and so forth.  We Canadians awarded Mandela an honourary citizenship and adopted him as a member of the Order of Canada, we also named a school after him. Of course, in many respects Mandela was also not only a citizen of his own nation, but a citizen of every nation-especially regarded as such, I think because of his political giftedness and compassion for humankind.

   Without question, he was an inspirational exemplar and hero of the black citizens of his nation, and of blacks in general in all of Africa and around the globe. Yet, he had feet of clay like the rest of us, and he at times was the first to admit it. He had, in his earlier years, intimidated and bullied an East Indian leader, removing him off the stage at a public gathering. In humility that bespeaks repentance, he admitted on one occasion publicly that he had failed as, and had been a poor husband to his first wife. He also publicly spoke words of compassion rather than condemnation regarding his second wife, when he was asked about an alleged adulterous relationship with another man.

   Yet his charisma and sense of doing the right thing at the right time in a symbolic way, earned him the respect of even his worst enemies-including P.W. Botha's wife, whom he visited shortly after her husband's death. 

   I think the most significant thing we as Christians can learn from the life of Nelson Mandela is his brilliant capacity to forgive and work for reconciliation with his enemies. In this regard, he was extremely successful, and deserved winning the Nobel Peace Prize. South Africa could have devolved into a brutal civil war, however against all the odds, Mandela's brilliant leadership led the nation into a state of forgiveness, peace, justice and reconciliation. May this legacy of Nelson Mandela live on in the history of South Africa, as well as the history of humankind! REST ETERNAL GRANT NELSON MANDELA, O LORD; AND LET LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON HIM. 

    

Another Short, Short Story

Once upon a time, in the imperfectly perfect city of Purfeckt, lived some imperfectly perfect citizens who were in the process of electing a new mayor and city council. 

   The present mayor and 3 of the 7 city councillors were electioneering again, hoping the citizenry would re-elect them. 

   However, there were other candidates running too, most of whom were young, and inexperienced in civic politics. They were Sally, Mary, Harry and Barry. Or the 'rhyming Simons' as many citizens called them-some in jest because they alleged that these newbies had nothing unique to contribute to civic politics, they were all blowing the same trumpet so-to-speak, offering no viable alternatives to the present council.

   Then, at the last moment, a new candidate registered, with only a handful of citizens actually knowing her. 

   She was a recent refugee from Rwanda, a feminist, a devout critic of the status quo on matters of politics in the state and the church. 

   Her campaign was simple, yet profound. Zero umemployment rate, zero poverty rate, perfect peace with justice policies and love with mercy policies that guaranteed living wages for everyone, free education, free music, art and literature events that involved the whole city every week at city hall. There would be no need for police or jails or guns or emergency shelters and homes for the abused, since no one would have the need to break any laws, no one would be abused, no one would resort to violence to solve problems, no one would be bullied, or manipulated or hated, all would be loved, accepted and equal in the city, all would look after all.

   She was elected mayor for life, her name was Shalomie, and everyone lived happily ever after in the now perfectly perfect city of Purfeckt. One day, she observed, "This is all possible because the Messiah has come."    

Interfaith relations and world peace

Several years ago, religious leaders and theologians made the case for the following thesis: “Without peace among the world’s religions, there can be no peace in the world.” The recent tragic events committed by Muslim jihadists in Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya leaves Christians living in Muslim-majority nations, in the very least nervous, and at its worst, fearing for their lives and livelihood.  What, if anything, are Muslims doing about this evil violence and terrorism? Is there adequate trust and mutual respect for both faiths to work together for peace with justice in the world? What do peace and justice look like for both faith traditions? In a recent article in the Globe and Mail, Lorna Dueck shares some hopeful thoughts on Christian-Muslim relations.  

   “Muslims finding common ground with Christians: The path to peace,” by Lorna Dueck: This week, my Muslim friend Raheel Raza asked me to come to Toronto’s Pakistani Consulate with her to protest her faith’s violent extremism against Christianity. It was an unexpected reach of kindness from Islam to me, a Christian, in response to a horrific attack days earlier at All Saints Anglican in Peshawar, which saw 85 Christians die when obscurantist suicide bombers rushed church doors as worshippers left. Like many, I’m angry that a powerful religion cannot correct its jihadism, and I don’t trust its ethos. Read the whole article here. 

Dag Hammarskjold, Peacemaker

Today in the world of Lutheran Christendom, we remember and celebrate "one of ours," former Secretary General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold.

   Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjold was born July 29, 1905 at Jonkoping, Sweden, the son of the Prime Minister. He studied law and economics at the universities of Uppsala and Stockholm and taught political economics at Stockholm, 1933-1936. He joined the Swedish civil service in the Ministry of Finance and subsequently became president of the board of the Bank of Sweden. From 1947 he served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was responsible for dealing with problems of trade. In 1951 he was appointed Minister of State with the functions of deputy Foreign Minister. 

   In 1951 he was chosen vice-chair of the Swedish delegation to the United Nations and was made chair in the following year. On April 10, 1953, following the resignation of Trygve Lie of Norway as Secretary General, Hammarskjold was elected for a five-year term. In September 1957 he was unanimously elected to a second five-year term. During his first term he had to deal with the end of the Korean War, problems in the Middle East, and the crisis over the Suez Canal. 

   The Belgian Congo became independent June 30, 1960, and civil war followed. Hammarskjold sent a United Nations force to suppress the violence. On a mission to President Moise Tschombe of the province of Katanga to negotiate a cease-fire between the United Nations and Katanga forces, Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash September 18, 1961, near Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. 

   Hammarskjold surprised and bewildered the world when a manuscript entitled Vägmärken (Markings) was found in Dag Hammarskjöld’s apartment in New York. The manuscript consisted of short diary-like notes, prose and haiku poems, which he himself described as “a sort of white book concerning my negotiations with myself — and with God.” (Hammarskjöld 1963, p. 5). Markings was published as a book in 1963. He effected in his life a remarkable combination of the contemplative life with a life of action in the world. Working out his faith in service of humankind, he strove to learn more about the nature and the work of God. As he wrote in Markings (p. 122), "In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action."

   In 1961, Dag Hammarskjöld was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts “to create peace and goodwill among nations and [sic] men.” (Jahn 1961). Ambassador Rolf Edberg received the prize as a representative of the Hammarskjöld family.

   Here are a couple of trademark quotes from Markings, which give us a sense of Dag's spiritual roots and resilience: Written in 1953: "-Night is drawing nigh-" For all that has been-Thanks! To all that shall be-Yes! Not I, but God in me." 

   And in 1954, this beautiful prayer: 

   "Thou who art over us,

    Thou who art one of us,

    Thou who art-

    Also within us,

    May all see Thee-in me also,

    May I prepare the way for Thee,

    May I thank Thee for all that shall fall to my lot,

    May I also not forget the needs of others,

    Keep me in Thy love

    As Thou wouldest that all should be kept in mine.

    May everything in this my being be directed to Thy glory

    And may I never despair,

    For I am under Thy hand, 

    And in Thee is all power and goodness.

    Give me a pure heart-that I may see Thee,

    A humble heart-that I may hear Thee,

    A heart of love-that I may serve Thee,

    A heart of faith-that I may abide in Thee."

   The following prayer is also appropriate on this day of remembering and celebrating Dag's life and legacy: Holy and righteous God, you created us in your image. Grant us grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression. Help us, like your servant Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjold, to use our freedom to bring justice among people and nations, to the glory of your name; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   Sources for this post are: 

Philip H. Pfatteicher, Festivals and Commemorations: Handbook To The Calendar In Lutheran Book Of Worship.

Lutheran Book Of Worship

The Dag Hammarskjöld website, which consists of the following: Introductory page, Biography, Video and Audio, Photos, Quotes, Literature, and Links: http://www.daghammarskjold.se/english/ 

Readers may also wish to check out this most interesting blog, where you can listen to three pieces of music composed by the Swedish pianist, jazz musician and composer, Anders Widmark, who has set some of the pages of Markings to music:

http://www.dag-hammarskjold.com/blog/hammarskjold-set-to-music/

      

     

R. Murray Schafer's Apocalypsis

As the history of the world unfolds, and the United States and possibly other Western nations ramp up their war god rhetoric; threatening to intervene militarily in Syria in response to the use of chemical weapons; I think there is a need for those of us who have been given the gift of faith to pray for a peaceful and just resolution to the civil war in Syria. 

   So, with that in mind and heart, I turn to one of our more prolific Canadian composers, R. Murray Schafer, and his Apocalypsis "Credo," which is 45 minutes in length. Schafer, in my humble opinion, is one of our most creative and gifted composers. He is, in part, a self-taught composer, although he did study under others. One of his significant contributions to the contemporary Canadian and international music scene is the "Soundscape Project," which combines music with mysticism, and the environment. Apocalypsis is one of Schafer's more ambitious projects, involving around 500 performers. 

   Schafer's composition gives me an inkling perhaps of what "all the company of heaven" might sound like; as well as what human creativity is capable of when intermingled with the grace of God; when God's kingdom comes and will is done on earth as in heaven.

 

A Short Story

That damn phone, always rings at the most inconvenient time! You're in a hurry, late for work, over tired, have ten thousand things on your "to do" list - without fail, at times like these the phone rings. What to do, answer or let it ring? Finally, you convince yourself to pick it up.

   "Hello," you say with a slight tone of irritation in your voice.

   "Is this Sam?" the voice on the other end asks expectantly.

   "Yes, this is Sam, who I am speaking to?"

   "This is your long lost friend John." 

   "Which John? I know several by that name," Sam said, wondering by now if the unrecognized voice was some deceitful telemarketer trying to rob him of his time that he needed to spend other than on the phone.

   "Sam, you remember me, don't you? I'm your old friend from university days long ago, we graduated in the same class. You remained in Canada and settled into your teaching job in prison. I went overseas as a teacher-missionary at a church-college in Romania. I thought I'd be back in Canada after my three year contract was up. However, 30 years later, here I finally am." 

   "John! how good to hear from you after all of these years!" Sam now speaking with joyful surprise. "I had lost track of you, didn't know what happened to you."

   "Sam, I would really like to see you. I'm back here in the city hospital. Can you come up and visit me? I'm on the third floor, room seven of Compassionate Redeemer Hospital. Can you come today?" 

   Sam, again a bit surprised at both the location and urgency of his friend John, responded, "Why of course I'll come John. I'll see you in about an hour."

   Now in the hospital Sam is sitting on a chair close to John who is laying in bed. They have been reminiscing for almost an hour. Suddenly John abruptly changes the topic. 

   "Sam," he says with utter solemnity, "will you forgive me for that time when I took all of the credit for that research project we did together in university? Remember I was given an A+ and you were given a C+. That wasn't fair. You lost a scholarship over that and you had to take out a loan. Moreover, you even got rejected for that dream teaching job you had hoped to get because they chose another grad who had solid As. Please forgive me Sam!"

   At first a bit of the old hurt surfaced in Sam's heart. However it left almost as quickly as it came. "Of course I forgive you John!" Sam said with conviction. "In the long run, that episode in my life worked out for the better." 

   "What do you mean?" John asked. 

   "Well, as the saying goes, when God closes one door, he often opens up another one. That's exactly what happened for me. I thank God that I got that C+, and that so-called "perfect dream job" didn't work out. Instead, after my brother struggling with all of his personal problems and ending up in jail, I would go to visit him there. Eventually, I realised how much they needed teachers in jail. So, I applied for a position, and well, the rest is history. I was blessed with a three-decade teaching job in prison. If I hadn't worked there, who knows whether we'd be having this conversation John. After three decades of prison work, I've learned how important it is to forgive. Forgiveness has transformed the lives of so many prisoners. 

   "Thank you Sam," John replied with a sense of emotion and relief in his voice. "Now I can die in peace." Later that night, John fell asleep peacefully, never to wake up again.   

Rant: The tragedy of living in a violent society

The police shooting of teenager Sammy Yatim in Toronto last week raises many questions about the police use of force/violence to maintain and/or enforce law and order in our nation. The popular video by an observer-citizen of the shooting does not help matters in terms of public confidence and trust in the police.

   Why did the police officer who shot Sammy pull the trigger so fast? There appeared to be no emergency-threat to anyone, even though Sammy had a knife, nonetheless no one was reportedly close to him or in danger at the time of the shooting. Moreover, the fact that way too many shots were fired leaves the public worried about the excessive use of violent force by the police in this shooting. Why could the police not keep peacefully negotiating with Sammy and why could they not call in trained crisis personnel to negotiate in order to do everything possible to end the incident peacefully? What kind of training did the police officer have in resolving conflict situations peacefully? Violent force should only be used by police as a last resort after they have tried and failed at using all other peaceful method of resolving the situation. These and other questions need to be explored by the authorities who monitor and police the police. 

   In addition to this shooting, over the past weekend there have also been shootings by police in Alberta that also are cause of concern for the public. 

   I think that the society in which we live has evolved into a more violent one. I know the counterpoint of view is that crime rates, including violent crimes are down in numbers over the past year or two, yet looking at the mass media one wonders what the future holds. So many T.V. programs and Hollywood movies are obsessed with violence. It is far too often glorified and glamorized as the way to resolve differences and conflicts. Furthermore, many if not most of these shows and movies almost never focus on the long-term consequences of violent acts upon the spouses, families, friends and neighbours of the deceased victims. 

   There is "a higher way," and "a better way," the way of Jesus who taught us: "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12) However, he pressed the matter to the maximum for human beings in the pursuit of peace and non-violence by teaching us to: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven." 

   Such radical teaching and living can only lead to a more just, peaceful and non-violent society for everyone; and yes, to the fulfillment of what we pray in the Lord's Prayer: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven." Believe it, practice it, and see what happens.