Saint Nicholas and National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

December 6 is Saint Nicholas Day! In Germany, children put out their stockings (or shoes) on the eve of Saint Nicholas and he fills them with fruits & candies (or coal). In my house we celebrate Saint Nicholas Day because we have our own Saint Nicholas (our twelve-year-old). I usually just wish him a happy Saint Nicholas Day and buy him some chocolate. Lately I’ve taken him out for lunch to celebrate his saint’s day.

Another “tradition” that we’ve had on Saint Nicholas Day is to wake up to the radio reminding us that it is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. December 6 marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. I’ve always had troubles reconciling the fun celebration of the patron saint of children with the remembrance of that terrible crime.

Today, as Matt Galloway reminded me of the memorial this morning, it seemed to make more sense. Saint Nicholas isn’t the Santa Claus of Coca-Cola ads, nor is he even Father Christmas. He was a real person living in the early fourth century A.D. As Bishop of Myra, located in modern day Turkey, he attended the Council of Nicea from which we have the Nicene Creed. Nicholas was a great protector of women. A story is told of a poor old widower with three daughters for whom he had no dowry. Without a dowry, the girls were destined to be sold into prostitution. In order to save the girls, and retain the widower’s dignity, Nicholas secretly provided the dowries by throwing bags of gold through the family’s window. (The gold supposedly landed in stockings or shoes drying by the fire.) You may have never thought of Santa Claus as someone doing what he could to stop the trafficking of vulnerable women, but Saint Nicholas surely did. He followed the example of his saviour Jesus in protecting vulnerable women and honouring them.

So, we can celebrate Saint Nicholas Day and remember and take action on violence against women on the same day. You can remember Saint Nicholas and wear the white ribbon in his honour; and like Saint Nicholas, you can take action to protect women who are some of the most vulnerable to violence: those who are trafficked, especially in the sex trade. One place to start is where many people at Runnymede Community Church help out: supporting Vancouver-based Ratanak International in their work to restore and rehabilitate Cambodian women and children from slavery in the brothels in Cambodia.

Loving The Enemy

Loving the enemy, Blessing Those Who Curse You

A friend of mine recently returned from the TEDxToronto talks. She raved about them, except for the talk given by a former politician who used the opportunity to give a campaign speech that began with taking pot-shots at our current mayor. My friend rolled her eyes and said the comments were a cheap laugh in the context of the TED crowd. Politicians are an easy target for a cheap laugh. Many of my progressive friends have been taking the opportunity to mock our current mayor on Twitter & Facebook. In the current climate, where we have a right-wing mayor, a majority conservative federal government, and the possibility of a conservative provincial government, what’s a “Left-Wing Pinko Kook on a Bicycle” to do, if not throw mean-spirited attacks and insults their way?

The problem is that this is not the way Jesus teaches us to respond to “enemies,” or people we disagree with. What He says is, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NIV) We progressives might feel like we are hated, cursed and mistreated by some of our leaders, but we must respond in love so that we “may be children of our Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:45 NIV)

As a response to the nastiness that has plagued American politics of late, the Christian community and magazine Sojourners has called their people to sign the “Peace and Civility Pledge.” As the nastiness seems to be migrating north, I’d encourage Christians in my city and country to read and commit to it as well.

So what’s a Spirit-filled “Left-Wing Pinko Kook on a Bicycle” to do in Toronto? Put up and shut up? No, I believe that Christians have a call to speak prophetically to our rulers: see my previous post. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments did not just predict the future – they spoke God’s words and His ways to their rulers. John the Baptist was beheaded for calling the king to account. Jesus was not shy of telling the religious rulers where they were going wrong and He generally used very strong language to do so. We are to call our politicians to a better way, but we must do so with respect and humility. Ephesians 4:25-5:2 NIV

Does that mean that we must be humourless persimmon-sucking puritans? No! the prophets have a long history of using humour, drama, poetry and song to get God’s point across. Christians have a long history of turning our enemies’ insults into badges of honour: the names “Christian,” “Baptist” and “Left-Wing Pinko Kook on a Bicycle” were first given as insults!

So, have fun! But as St. Peter said, “Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.” (1 Peter 2:17 MSG)

Rob, Meet Isaiah

Rob, meet Isaiah

I woke up Monday morning to hear about the Fords’ proposed cuts to the Toronto city budget. The bullet points in the newspaper listed what’s on the chopping block:
● new affordable housing
● child care
● long term care
● libraries
● public transportation
● social services
● garbage removal
● police services
● street maintenance
● zoos and farms
● theatres, museums, and other attractions

My first thoughts were not about the “no service cuts” promises in the last municipal election, or how these things are hardly gravy. My first thoughts were about how similar this list is to one of my favorite Scriptures about the city. It’s found in Isaiah 65:17-25. It’s a passage about what the archetypal city (Jerusalem) will look like when heaven comes to earth. It is a picture of God’s dream for the city.

Here it is:
17 “See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.

If I were to make bullet points for God’s dream city, based on this Scripture, they would look something like this:

● a people that God delights in. Jeremiah 9:24 says that God delights in people that practice kindness, justice and righteousness. (Is. 65:17-19)
● good health for the very young and very old. This includes good health care, a healthy environment, and, since poverty and illness go hand-in-hand, a good standard of living. (Is. 65:20)
● good housing and home ownership. (Is. 65:21-23a)
● good jobs with livable wages, a connection between work and life and people owning the means of production. (Is. 65:21-23a)
● hope for the future - specifically, hope for our children’s future. This would translate into investment in education and not leaving an inheritance of debt. (Is. 65:23)
● an intimate relationship with God, which no government can legislate, but they can legislate the freedom to have such a relationship. (Is. 65:24)
● true peace and a sense of safety, a reduction in crime and conflict, and unity among all people. (Is. 65:25)

I know the bullet points don’t match up exactly, but they are so close that I couldn’t help but think that the Fords are in danger of de-funding God’s dream for Toronto.
God’s vision for the city is heaven on earth; the Fords’ vision is lower taxes. The two visions seem to be inversely proportional.

Voting Our Prayers

As children, those of us of “a certain vintage” began each school day praying the prayer that Jesus taught us.

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. …

Most of us prayed without thinking what we were asking for. “What would it look like if God’s reign came?” “What would it look like if God got what He wanted here and now?” I think it is pretty important to ask these questions, especially since God often gets us involved in the answer to our prayers. (See Matthew 9:35-10:8.) As we head to the polls this week, these questions are important if we want to be involved in God’s answers to the prayer He taught us. We can vote our prayer if we understand what we are praying for.

So if God’s Kingdom came, if His will was done on earth as it is in heaven, what would it look like? What are we praying for? What are we shooting for? What does it look like when heaven comes to earth?

I think one of our best pictures of Kingdom Come is found in a prophecy given through Isaiah five hundred years before Jesus taught us His prayer. It’s found in Isaiah 65:17-25. It’s a picture of heaven come to earth.

17 “See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.

So how do we pray/vote using Isaiah 65 as a guide? There are themes in these verses that may or may not fit into a party’s platform.

Verses17-19 envision a people that God delights in. Jeremiah 9:24 says that God delights in people that practice kindness, justice and righteousness.

Verse 20 envisions good health for the very young and very old. This includes good health care, a healthy environment, and -- since poverty and illness go hand in hand -- a good standard of living for everyone.

Verses 21-23a envision good housing for all and home ownership. They also envision good jobs with livable wages, a connection between work and life, and people owning the means of production. The end of 22 speaks of retiring with dignity.

Verse 23 envisions hope for the future; specifically hope for our children’s future. This would translate into investment in education and not leaving an inheritance of debt.

Verse 24 envisions an intimate relationship with God, which no government can legislate, but they can legislate the freedom to have such a relationship.

Verse 25 envisions true peace and a sense of safety, a reduction in crime and conflict, and unity among all people.

When we pray “Your Kingdom come,” this is what we are praying for. When you vote on Monday, is it what you are voting for?