Vol XVII. No. 6
Archive - Dec 2009 - Oct 2019
GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE
LABOUR DAY WEEKEND EDITION
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address: waholst@telus.net
This email is sent only to a voluntary subscriber list.
If you no longer wish to receive these weekly columns,
write to me personally at - waholst@telus.net
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Dear Friends:
Welcome to the end of Canadian summer and the beginning
of Canadian autumn! This indeed is a transitional time for
many Canadians, if not for the rest of you!
I continue to struggle with the issue of fallen heroes, both
personal and public, and encourage you to share your thoughts.
Please enjoy the Net Notes articles and the Wisdom pieces
that I have gathered this past week for you.
Wayne
PLEASE NOTE - If a link below, seems to be dead, cut and
paste it into the address bar at the top of your web page
and it should work.
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SPECIAL ITEM
A Personal Reflection:
LOSING OUR PUBLIC HEROES
A Good and a Bad Thing
Early last spring, I wrote a piece here on the fall of personal heroes for me. I focused on Jean Vanier, who - after his death - was accused of sexual abuse by several women who had trusted him. Six months later, I sense that the community of L'Arche which he had founded years ago is still doing well. The institution seems to have successfully distanced itself from its founder. As much as I support the women whom he sadly abused, I continue to believe he still deserves a place of spiritual recognition that may hopefully be redeemed in time.
Please see my article - https://tinyurl.com/sc4zfu37
This summer, the Catholic bishop Vital Grandin - who is well-known in Alberta educational circles - had his name removed from a number of schools in the province because of his association with the establishment of residential schools.
See an article about this - https://tinyurl.com/yhwhauk8
While the first hero piece related to my personal mentor Jean Vanier, this week's Special Item is triggered by the fall of Egerton Ryerson in Ontario (see articles below) and the Grandin demise in Alberta.
One would actually have to possess a historic bent to know much about Ryerson or Grandin. I, for my part, was trained in Ontario to think of Ryerson in respectful terms as the founder of public (as opposed to separate) education. When I came to Alberta more than forty years ago, I was again oriented to think of Grandin as a founder of education for all, but especially for Indigenous children in residential schools. Little criticism attacked the bishop in those days. He was praised as one who helped bring "culturally backward" native kids into a level of education that was acceptable in a Euro-Canadian world. (Of course, that never did happen, and now Indigenous people themselves have risen to loudly protest the bigotry they now recognize.)
It has taken a long time for the general Canadian population to recognize the error (even sinfulness) behind the work of Ryerson and Grandin. For sure, two important public heroes have fallen and both Protestant and Catholic churches stand duly condemned for what happened.
In their defence, I would say that both men saw the world as they did in the times they lived. Large portions of Ontario and Alberta populations applauded their efforts. Christians in both provinces thought both men to be godly servants who sought to help "the underprivileged".
--
What do I think now?
I realize that I was indoctrinated into the "common Euro-Canadian wisdom" of the time. What I have often taught my classes is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I continue to see "flawed good intention" in the work of both men. No question - trusting First Nation children were profoundly abused and much needs to be done to change that in our society. Reconciliation will not come easily.
What I have also taught my classes is to be aware that what they think to be right today may well prove to be wrong from the vantage point of the future. Current popular thinking is not the last word on the matter.
I must continue to recognize both the good and the bad in the work of both men and follow the truth today as it leads me into the future.
Wayne
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COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
Jim Taylor,
Okanagan,BC
Personal Web Log,
August 12th, 2021
"If the Old Trees Could Speak"
--
Mark Whittall,
Ottawa, ON.
Sermons and Blog,
August 27th, 2021
"Love Poem"
--
Ron Rolheiser,
San Antonio, TX
Personal Web Site
August 30th, 2021
"Different Ways of Being
Spiritual but Not Religious"
--
Elfrieda Schroeder,
Winnipeg, MB.
In Transit
September 3rd, 2021
"The Courage to Write"
*****
NET NOTES
RYERSON UNIVERSITY IS NO MORE
The Legacy of a Tarnished Hero
Broadview
March 1st, 2018 (background)/August 27th, 2021
--
CANADIAN CATHOLICS (AND ALL CHRISTIANS)
MUST DEAL WITH A HARD TRUTH
We Must be About Rebuilding Christ's Church
Catholic Register, Toronto, ON.
August 28th, 2021
--
FRANCIS QUASHES RESIGNATION RUMOURS
"It Hasn't Crossed My Mind," he says
Religion News Service,
September 1st, 2021
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FRANCIS QUESTIONS U.S. WITHDRAWAL
STRATEGY FROM AFGHANISTAN
He is Concerned About Senseless Suffering
Catholic Register, Toronto
September 1st, 2021
--
COULD THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
TAKE NON-VIOLENCE SERIOUSLY?
A Comment on Current World Affairs
Sojourners,
September 2nd, 2021
--
WHAT IS WICCA?
An Expert on Witchcraft Explains
Religion News Service,
August 30th, 2021
--
AS CHURCH DOORS RE-OPEN
Let's Shed the Harmful Habits
of On-line Worship
Faith Today/Love is Moving
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
September 2nd, 2021
--
DIED: THOMAS MCKENZIE
DEFENDER AND DEFINER OF ANGLICANISM
He Did a Lot to Interpret
the Anglican Church to Evangelicals
Christianity Today,
August 24th, 2021
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JUDAISM SCHOLAR SUSANNAH HESCHEL
ON HER FATHER'S LEGACY
Blending Prayer and Politics
The Christian Century,
August 25th, 2021
--
AMISH NEWSPAPER READERSHIP
EXISTS SUCCESSFULLY OFF-LINE
Not Affected by Regular Newspaper Woes
Broadview
August 20th, 2021
--
BOSSEY STUDENTS LEARN ENGLISH
AND STRENGTHEN THEIR GLOBAL VIEWS
They Develop Tools for Living the Faith
World Council of Churches News,
September, 2021
*****
WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners and the Bruderhoff online:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
- Julian of Norwich
- Julian of Norwich
--
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it emotionally.
- Flannery O'Connor
--
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
- Mother Teresa
- Mother Teresa
--
We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.
- Dorothy Day
- Dorothy Day
--
We kill at every step, not only in wars, riots, and executions. We kill when we close our eyes to poverty, suffering, and shame. In the same way all disrespect for life, all hardheartedness, all indifference, and all contempt is nothing else than killing. With just a little witty skepticism we can kill a good deal of the future in a young person. Life is waiting everywhere, the future is flowering everywhere, but we only see a small part of it and step on much of it with our feet.
- Hermann Hesse
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - Henri J.M. Nouwen
We have been called to be fruitful – not successful, not productive, not accomplished. Success comes from strength, stress, and human effort. Fruitfulness comes from vulnerability and the admission of our own weakness.
*****
For Those Interested -
ACTS MINISTRY AUTUMN STUDIES AT ST.DAVID'S UNITED:
Monday Night Book Study - Sept. 20th - Nov. 29th 7-8:30 PM Zoom (10 weeks)
(no class on Thanksgiving Monday, October 11th)
Book Theme: "Starlight" by Richard Wagamese
**
Thursday Morning Bible Study - Sept. 23rd - Nov. 25th 10-11 AM
Zoom (10 weeks)
Bible Theme - "First Isaiah" (Isaiah chapters 1-39)
If you have questions, contact me at waholst@telus.net
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