This week, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was on my mind. He pleaded guilty this week to dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was the man in the tractor trailer who blew the stop sign outside Melfort, Saskatchewan, the very moment that the Humboldt Broncos were passing through the intersection. In that careless … Continue reading The Gift of Love
Now, finally, on the first day of Epiphany, more strangers arrive at the manger. These ones come bearing gifts, having stopped in to get directions from Herod along the way. What shall we call them? What do we know of them? What real contribution, other than a bit of glitz, do they bring to the … Continue reading Epiphany: The Complex Work of the Gospel
Imagine for a moment, that it happened here. The mood in the country has been growing darker. People are beginning to say that Christians – that Lutherans are to blame for what is wrong in society, that we aren’t true Canadians, that we shouldn’t even be citizens. On the streets, we check over our shoulders … Continue reading True Remembrance
On the drive back from Nova Scotia, I happened to catch the eulogy delivered by former president Barack Obama at the funeral for his political rival John McCain, the senator and war hero, who for many represents an ideal of public service and sacrifice. Perhaps you listened as well. I was reminded this week, for … Continue reading Do we follow the law for the sake of the law? Or do we walk with grace?
This is a story about the damage that faith can do in the world, when it cannot bend, when it shakes off tolerance and takes on judgment cast in the false cloak of righteousness. It happened in a country of unrest far from here. In that country, the Atham-Lebbe brothers, after working as labourers in … Continue reading The Language of the Gospel
