Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Creative connections

It's still early in this time of Covid-19, and things will get worse before they get better. But I have to say that, so far, I'm really impressed with the many creative ways that people are coping with this crisis. Besides being invited to socially-distanced walks with neighbours, I've been on the receiving end of several other fun initiatives to keep spirits up... mostly online: games of Trivial Pursuit and dice (I won 40 cents that will never be collected!), a yoga class, meditative evening prayer from Taizé, and a wine and cheese phone call with a high school chum.

But the most amazing thing so far was a re-connection with a large group of friends, many of whom I haven't seen in over 30 years. I traveled for a year as as a student member of an Up With People cast of 130+ people in a musical, educational and cultural program which focused on peace, love and friendship among nations. We performed in the U.S., Canada, and more than a half-dozen countries in Europe, while participating in community involvement activities at schools, senior centres, and social agencies. Living with a large group like that, I made a few lifelong friends, but keeping up with everyone was impossible. Back in the 80's, all we had was snail mail, and long distance phone calls were pricey, especially overseas!

But communication now is another story altogether. On Saturday morning, my friend Allie, who subscribes to an online conferencing service, invited as many castmates as she could to join her in an online video gathering. By the end of the meeting, 2 screens worth of about 40 friends from 7 different countries connected (some for over 4 hours). Everyone agreed that it was pretty great to see people we hadn't seen since we did our final show at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on July 4, 1988.

At first, our online gathering was chaos, everyone trying to get a word in edgewise, but then Andrew decided we should all take turns updating each other about our lives, and that worked really well. Our lives have taken many twists and turns, and it seems we're all in different stages of self-isolation because of the corona virus, but are finding all sorts of different ways to stay connected with the people we love.

If the human race learns anything from this pandemic, I hope it's a deeper appreciation of the things we've been taking for granted, and that who we are and how we love one another is what's most important.

Here's a beautiful little video about how one poet sees that the coronavirus is helping us to reframe our lives... Thanks, Nora, for sharing it with me! Be well, all...


Sunday, March 29, 2020

Sunday reflection: From non-necessities to needful things

This Sunday reflection is brought to you by
Ezekiel 37:12-14.

You open our graves,
O God,
though we don't realize
the many ways we have died.

You bring us up from our graves,
and we begin to see
how we have exiled ourselves
from the good you want
for us.

Suddenly
we begin to understand
how we have chosen
other spirits to lead us
instead of your Spirit
within us.

Our lives have been filled
with non-necessities:
self-importance,
busy work so that we can impress others
by our useful lifestyles,
needless activities and possessions,
and many other things
that ultimately do not matter.

But you choose this time
to put your Spirit within us
and to ground us
in the needful things:
compassion,
connection
(from the appropriate social distance)
and appreciation of basic necessities and
all that we have received from you.

You promise that
your Spirit
gives us life,
and that even in this time of struggle
you speak and act
through our love for each other.

Stay with us,
O God,
and keep us grounded
in you.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

I love how on this Lazarus Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent, we are told the story of Jesus' interactions with his three friends from Bethany at a time when they are in crisis... how he grieves with Mary and Martha, and turns their sorrow to joy by returning their brother to them.

In this time of Covid-19, we may be feeling like so much of what we have known and loved has been laid in a tomb, but we are called to keep the faith that resurrection will come. We are to continue to support each other in whatever ways we can (don't forget your local farmer's markets and other small businesses), and to share our resources with those who are coming up short (also remember our charities who are helping many in need). 

In spite of all the uncertainties we are facing, I can't help but feel that with this opportunity to re-prioritize our lives, moving from the non-necessities to the needful things, we are learning to live as God has wanted us to live all along, in a greater communion with each other and all of creation.

* * * * * * *

I'm taking a bit of a break from Laudato Si Sunday reflections for the time being, but encourage anyone who has some time to read through it and come to an understanding of the kind of world we might create when we emerge on the other side of this pandemic. Past Laudato Si reflections can be found here, and the Encyclical itself can be found here. Happy reading!




Friday, March 27, 2020

Letting go of fear, choosing change

If you're not living with a sense of unease in these days of the corona virus, I suspect you're more the exception than the rule. I'm already tired of the word "unprecedented" and all the other words like it.

While it's true that our current generations have never been though anything like this pandemic, it's also important to remember that there have always been people around the globe and even in our own neighbourhoods who have lived with forms of uncertainty and fear that we have never known.

But suddenly, we are all in the same boat with Covid-19, which doesn't respect the nice little boxes into which we have placed ourselves. No matter who we are, our lives have changed and are changing because of this epidemic, and it seems that those of us who have lived in relatively secure comfort all our lives are most discomfited by all these things that are suddenly beyond our control.

The virus is frightening enough. It's killing people. What it means for our future is also frightening, because we know that nothing will be the same.

But rather than be engulfed by fear, and its companions, greed and suspicion, I prefer to look at this time as a God-given opportunity to think about the kind of world we want to inhabit once we live beyond the virus. This is a moment when we may have an opportunity to "RESET" our future. And here are some questions I've been asking myself about it all:

During and after Covid-19, can we better care for those who have always been marginalized?

During and after Covid-19, can we choose interdependence over individualism?

During and after Covid-19, can we better care for all of creation?

During and after Covid-19, can we value every person as an equal?

During and after Covid-19, can we re-evaluate and put less emphasis on money and economic growth?

During and after Covid-19, can we put truth and reconciliation to work and re-build stronger relationships with our Original Peoples?

During and after Covid-19, can we choose to live with just enough?

During and after Covid-19, can we re-develop our society into one where everyone works as best they can and everyone is provided a universal basic income that provides for their needs?

During and after Covid-19, can we rebuild our education, healthcare, justice, and social systems so no one falls through the cracks?

During and after Covid-19, can we become more cooperative and less competitive?

During and after Covid-19, can we forgo past teachings about what’s important and replace them with what we are discovering to be truly important?

During and after Covid-19, can we cut climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation by simplifying our lifestyles, living with less and Being more?

During and after Covid-19, can we hold onto the lessons we are learning about community, generosity, togetherness, friendship, love, laughter, nature, and all the things we take for granted, but especially our health?

As I ask myself these questions, I see some of this work already beginning. Many of our politicians have set aside their differences and ideologies to do what's best for the common good. I cheer them on, and will probably write them a few letters of encouragement with suggestions for our collective future.

We still have a long way to go to get through this epidemic, and many heartbreaks and struggles to come, but rather than living in fear, let's imagine the world we really want and move forward with it foremost in our minds.

It's time to let go of our fear and choose the change we want to see in our world.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Laudato Si Sunday reflection: Protecting what we hold in common

This week's reflection is brought to you by
Ephesians 5:8-14.

You call us,
O God,
to live as your children,
children of light.

Our light --
our goodness and truth --
needs to shine for the world to see,
especially in these darker than usual days.

If we do what is pleasing to you,
avoid darkness
and bring everything into your light,
that light will drive out darkness.

You call us to awake
from the sleep of unconcern for others,
to rise from darkness and death
and you shine on us!

Help us to reach out
with your love and light
as we are able.

Let us do your will
and share your joy
even as we do all we can to
"flatten the curve."

Remind us often
that we are all in this together,
that we hold our health in common
at this time.

May our smiles
rather than our anxieties
shine
for all those
who need reassurance.

Be with us,
O God.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

I'm finding it challenging to connect our little encyclical study with this world pandemic that has suddenly arrived almost everywhere. But I think that this week's piece of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home connects with things we need to do to protect our 'global commons' -- which is our earth's global health in the face of Covid-19 and climate change. We're looking at paragraphs 173 to 177, which can be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down.

I'd like to begin by highlighting most of paragraph 173, where Pope Francis and the encyclical team say
Enforceable international agreements are urgently needed, since local authorities are not always capable of effective intervention. Relations between states must be respectful of each other's sovereignty, but must also lay down mutually agreed means of averting regional disasters which would eventually affect everyone. Global regulatory norms are needed to impose obligations and prevent unacceptable actions...
These words are referring to caring for the environment, but if there is any good news to be had right now, it seems that many (though not all) world leaders are taking this pandemic seriously and implementing necessary restrictions to slow the virus' spread. I am hopeful that, once we get through this health crisis, our leaders will have learned something about how to work together as a world community to implement necessary restrictions on things that harm Mother Earth. Perhaps our politicians will come to understand that the economy isn't the only bottom line of which we must take care. Our environments and all its living beings must become the priority! Pray with me for that awareness in leaders who are willing to stand for necessary changes to the way the dollar has been more important than creation!

In paragraph 174 Pope Francis makes note of the fact that international and regional conventions on ocean governance come up short due to "fragmentation and the lack of strict mechanisms of regulation, control and penalization..." He can't be more right when he says at the end of paragraph 174 that "What is needed, in effect, is an agreement on systems of governance for the whole range of so-called "global commons."

At the moment, we are learning from one another about ways to effectively reduce the rates of Corona Virus infection. Many scientists and healthcare professionals from around the globe are working together toward something that is necessary for the health we hold in common. Just imagine if we could use similar methods to involve the entire planet in caring for our common home!

In paragraph 175, we hear that we need to make more radical decisions about reducing pollution and eliminating poverty. It seems we human beings are stuck in a rut when it comes to handling our problems, the Pope says, because "the economic and financial sectors, being transnational, tends to prevail over the political."

As I watch our economic and financial sectors fluctuate and tumble, as I see our political leaders offer financial supports to those who are suddenly unemployed and unable to make ends meet because of job losses or health issues, and as I watch neighbours reaching out to neighbours, I can't help but hope that this global economic shake-up will be the wake up call our world needs to help it regain equilibrium for the sake of all creation, that people will understand that true wealth only exists when ALL BEINGS are well together.

So maybe it's time to think outside our previous boxes, "to devise stronger and more efficiently organized international institutions" with leaders who work together for justice, peace, and equity for all (paragraph 175). If you had to come up with "a true world political authority" (Pope Francis is quoting his predecessor, Pope Benedict, at the end of paragraph 175), how would you do it? Wouldn't it be great to have a wise world governing body that can look after humanity as a whole in times of crisis, work for disarmament and peace, ensure an end to poverty, disease and hunger, and protect the web of life that we call creation?

I sure don't know how to create a world governing body that will make a difference, but I'd like to nominate people like our female chief medical officers, who are offering wisdom and calm in this very difficult time. Drs. Deena Hinshaw, Bonnie Henry and Theresa Tam have been amazing in all their efforts. If we can support organizations that dream and brainstorm and train similar wise and calm leaders who can tell it like it is and inspire us to take these difficult steps like these women have in order to "flatten the curve" of the Corona virus, perhaps we could one day have similar leaders to save our 'global commons.'

But we need to start looking for these leaders now, and supporting their environmental efforts. If you find yourself with time on your hands this week, I'd encourage you to do a bit of research into environmental leaders and organizations that are making a difference for the sake of Mother Earth. And if there's a way for you to support their growth, even with just a note of appreciation for their efforts, go for it!

We hold so many things in common -- air, earth, water, our health and the health of this beautiful sphere we call home. Every one of us can do something to leave our home better than we find it right now. We arise from the sleep of unawareness of all those with whom we share our earth, and begin to shine God's light around us. Even just by offering a smile (though I challenge us all to do more than that)!

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

There's suddenly more time to pray

I had great intentions at the beginning of this Lent to double my meditation time. For the past year or so, I've been doing my best to spend 20 minutes every morning in contemplative prayer. For me, that means sitting, usually with dog close by and a cup of tea, lifting people in my life up to God one by one, and then just resting in God's presence. Of course, my monkey mind runs all over the place, but the point of contemplation is to come to an awareness of my thoughts, and turn them back to God.

Sometimes I sit for twenty minutes and never get back to God more than once or twice! But God knows I'm trying -- at least I've set aside the time.

My hope for this Lent, which began three weeks ago, was to add a 20-minute evening meditation. Which didn't happen -- until this week. Since Monday, I've been lighting a candle and sitting at about 9 pm, and my monkey mind seems to be a little less frenetic later in the day.

Of course, the big motivation for finally meeting my Lenten resolution is our current pandemic, and all the anxiety that the world seems to be feeling right now, come home in my own psyche. If we've ever needed contemplation and calm, now is the time. So I'm suddenly making more time to pray.

And then the Taizé Community ups the ante! This week, the Community closed its doors and sent all pilgrims and volunteers home (and maybe some brothers, too). But always concerned about hospitality, it has invited us all into its evening prayer through online streaming via Facebook. 8:30 pm prayer in France occurs at 1:30 pm here (MST). The first two days, I was doing other things at 1:30, but the prayer was recorded and can be viewed as soon as it concludes.

Still, I love the idea that there are many of us around the world who are able to join with the men in that little room on a hill in the Burgundy region of France. 3.4 thousand of us joined today's evening prayer from all over the globe, and personally, I delighted in singing the alto (for the chants I knew) with the brothers, who supply the melody, tenor and bass lines. It's international ecumenical prayer without any of us having to burn fossil fuels to participate.

Knowing that I am praying with people from Adelaide, Belfast, Istanbul, Jakarta, Modena, Posnan, Seoul, Turku -- the list goes on -- somehow makes the prayer feel deeper, all our voices calling together to God from across the planet.

It feels right. And I don't doubt that God is listening.

If you would like to join us tomorrow at 1:30, or later tonight for a replay, here's a link to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/taize/.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Sunday reflection: A prayer for the common good

Today's reflection is brought to you by
Romans 5:1-8.

You are our peace,
O God.

Your grace is our hope.

Even in our sufferings,
hope in you will
teach us to endure,
to become who we are meant to be,
to live toward your glory
for the sake of all your creation.

Our weakness has been strengthened in you,
because you have poured your abundant love
over us and all your creation.

That is the reason for our hope!

Remind us
in this time of crisis
that we are to act in the best interests
of our world community,
in the best interests of all that you have made.

Protect us from anxiety
and lead us to generosity.

Bless those
whose health and energies are most severely affected
by this pandemic,
and especially,
those who care for them.

May our prayer and care
fill them with your hope and strength!

Make us mindful of the good of all beings
as we move ahead,
aware that we are deeply connected
to all that you have made.

Help us to share your abundance,
your hope,
and to love one another
in all that we do.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

This has been a challenging week as we've gone from life as we always knew it to "a new normal," in the words of our local Chief Medical Officer of Health. It's a new normal that fits with a lot of our voluntary Lenten practices --  except now we are involuntarily giving up many sources of entertainment -- sports, theatre, dining out, community recreation, etc.

The list of closures and cancellations for local events and venues is growing daily, and we find ourselves using words like "social distancing" and "self-isolation." Our lives are being pared down more severely than we would choose. But rather than take these things as deprivation, why not translate them into personal "retreat"?

These changes are necessary in order to "flatten the curve" that is this pandemic known as COVID-19 so that we can cope with an illness that threatens us all in the weeks and months ahead. We don't want to overwhelm our healthcare systems by all getting sick at the same time.

I won't deny the fact that changes like these produce anxiety -- change at any time is a challenge. But I'm trying to see what's happening as a wake-up call for our human race, an opportunity to step back from the hectic, high-stress societies we have created, and to recognize that it's not our jobs or our possessions that give us value, but who we are and how we care for one another. I'm thinking especially of the people in Sicily, singing together from their balconies. I think they have the right idea.

If there is a silver lining to all this, it might be that in stepping back, we will find better ways to care for the common good of all creation. We can learn to be more generous, to seek out those in need and offer assistance in many different ways. Mainly, being a source of calm and care.

So I'm not writing about Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home this weekend. Instead, I'm thinking and praying about this pandemic, and recalling the last few lines of St. Francis' Canticle of Creation, from which Pope Francis took his encyclical's title. These lines remind us of our mortality and call us to patience and peace, just as this pandemic does. These are Francis' words:

Praised be You,
my Lord,
through those who give pardon for your love
and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by you,
Most High,
they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, 
my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death
from whom no one can escape....

Blessed are those 
whom death will find 
in your most holy will,
for the second death 
will do them no harm.

I praise and bless my Lord
and give you thanks
and serve you with great humility.


For all those who will not make it through this pandemic, for all leaders and caregivers, and for all of us, that we remain in God's peace and grace and hope!

+Amen.


Things to believe in...

My best friend sent me this gorgeous tune this morning, sung by the Northern Lights Chorale from Minnesota. Her church choir will sing it tomorrow. Enjoy!


Friday, March 13, 2020

Love in the time of COVID-19

In the five minutes it took me to put on my uniform for my ushering position at the Winspear yesterday afternoon, everything changed. Once dressed, I learned that Alberta Health Services announced that all gatherings of over 250 people were banned, effective immediately. As I put my uniform back on its hanger, I could hear a couple of younger staff who seemed quite panicked, saying, "How are we supposed to live through this? This is something completely new!"

I affirmed that yes, this is an unprecedented situation that we are living through, and that all we can do is take care of each other and keep our chins up.

The challenge in this time, as I see it, is to think beyond ourselves and to unite for the common good. Yes, let's listen to our health officials when they ask us to take measures to protect the vulnerable and ourselves, but let's also remember that we are all in this together, and that hoarding needed commodities doesn't help anyone else, while snapping at each other in our anxiety only adds to the feeling of panic. Kindness is much more helpful!

It's hard to know what's coming, but at times like these, a smile goes further than anything else to bring a sense of normalcy and calm to those who really need it, and to ourselves. In this time of COVID-19, as we live through the challenges that come with a pandemic, we need to turn away from "everyone-for-themselves" thinking, listen to wise leaders, avoid gatherings, care for our neighbours, and hold onto the wisdom of the ages. It isn't easy, and it will get worse before it gets better, but if we operate from a place of positive thinking as much as possible, we have a much better chance of overcoming the struggles ahead.

The wisdom of the ages that I'm holding in my heart comes in two phrases:

Love one another. - Jesus Christ.

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. - Julian of Norwich

What wisdom of the ages are you holding close these days? Please share, as what you have to offer may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Laudato Si Sunday reflection: Adding to the grace of God's creation



This week's reflection is brought to you by
2 Timothy 1: 8b-10

O Christ,
you call us to join together with you
in suffering for the Gospel,
which translates to
love.

You showed us what real love is
by uniting with us
in our humanity
and teaching us
to serve one another.

Your grace is enough for us.

Let us be your grace
in all that we say,
do,
and are.

And let the grace of your creation
be foremost in our minds
in all that we say,
do,
and are,
so that we may care for it
and for each other
as you do.

+Amen

* * * * * * *

This week's section of Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home reminds us that humanity is capable of working together to change the course of history when it comes to caring for our planet. We're looking at paragraphs 168 to 172, which you can access by clicking here and scrolling down. Paragraph 168 carries an important message about positive experiences where different conventions made good decisions for the sake of life on earth: the Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes, the Convention on international trade in endangered species, and the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer, which led to the Montreal Protocol which eliminated the CFCs which were creating the ozone hole.

When the ozone hole was discovered, it was a serious problem for the entire planet. And global climate change is the same sort of problem -- there is nothing on earth that isn't affected by weather which causes droughts and fires, floods and disasters. Edmonton had a tornado in 1987. Calgary had the flood of 2013. And for most of us in Alberta, these were fairly minor events. But for people living in developing countries, fires, floods, typhoons and drought cause more deaths and destruction than we can imagine, because the people in the developing world don't possess the resources we have to deal with such disasters.

"With regard to climate change, advances have been regrettably few," says the Pope in Laudato Si, his letter to the entire world. "Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the parts of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most" (paragraph 169). That would be most of the countries in the western world, including us. I wish the Pope had also used the word, sacrifice, because I believe that it's getting to the point where we might have to be willing to give certain things up for the health of our planet.

Unfortunately, our political leaders prefer to point fingers at other countries, poorer than ours, who aren't doing their share to protect the environment. So we in Canada have wasted valuable time, and aren't doing enough to stop climate change as of yet. But the Pope reminds us:
there is a need for common and differentiated responsibilities. As the bishops of Bolivia have stated, "the countries which have benefited from a high degree of industrialization, at the cost of enormous emissions of greenhouse gases, have a greater responsibility for providing a solution to the problems they have caused." (Quote from the Bolivian Bishops' Conference Pastoral Letter on the Environment and Human Development in Bolivia, El universo, don de Dios para la vida from March 2012 (86).)
Image: Fisherman Rene Valero, from the Urus ethnic group, is seen on his boat on the dried Poopo lakebed in the Oruro Department, south of La Paz, BoliviaThose Bolivian Bishops have a lot to say when it comes to the environment, and Bolivia has been a leading country in fighting for the rights of Mother Earth. Bolivia is feeling the effects of climate change more than we are thus far. One of my kids visited the country and saw the huge mountain lake called Poopo that disappeared in 2015 due to water diversion and disappearing glaciers related to climate change. The lake will probably not replenish itself.

I was happy to see that the Pope and his encyclical writing team addressed the issue of "carbon credits" in paragraph 171. It has never made sense to me that countries could pay a certain amount of money to "remove" so many tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere -- after the fact. If I fly to Tahiti and buy a carbon offset so that I can feel better about "dealing with" the greenhouse gas emissions caused by my tropical vacation, someone might plant a tree somewhere with that offset money, but it will take years for that tree to actually remove my emissions. It would be better not to fly at all... and maybe I need to be more serious about how I'm creating greenhouse gases from the beginning. That sacrifice I was talking about earlier.

Unfortunately, so far no one seems to be willing to sacrifice jet setting vacations. While I applaud people who do what they can to offset their air travel -- I'm not saying that carbon offsets are bad -- we also need to reconsider frivolous things like flying to warm places in the winter. And our big, polluting corporations need to stop polluting instead of buying carbon credits from developing countries that don't produce large amounts of greenhouse gases. The idea is to reduce our greenhouse gases and improve the health of our atmosphere, not just to maintain things at the present level of pollution!

Paragraph 172 references the difficulties faced by poor countries and the help they will need from wealthier nations to develop less polluting forms of energy production. It also contains the encyclical's first mention of solar energy as a solution, noting that
Taking advantage of abundant solar energy will require the establishment of mechanisms and subsidies which allow developing countries access to technology transfer, technical assistance and financial resources, but in a way which respects their concrete situations, since the compatibility of [infrastructures] with the context for which they have been designed is not always adequately assessed (Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Energy, Justice and Peace, IV, 1, Vatican City (2014), 53.)
I am underlining and bolding the statement that follows the above comment: "The costs of this would be low, compared to the risks of climate change."

It seems to me that, here in North America, we are too afraid to change, to take on our greater responsibility as people who live in countries that contribute the most to climate change. We think it will be too expensive, or too difficult, but in reality, climate change will be more expensive, and more deadly.

We're especially concerned about our livelihoods here in Alberta, where fossil fuel extraction and related industries have been our main employer for fifty years. But if we really think about it, fossil fuels are a dead end because our great-great-grandchildren can't live on a planet choked with greenhouse gases and terrorized by catastrophic events caused by an unstable climate.

We need to change now.

This makes me think of a young man who used to work in the Oil Sands near Fort McMurray. Paul saw that the future for highly polluting chemical processes to extract bitumen from the sand, water and clay up north was taking our environment downhill, fast. So he pulled the plug on that career and retrained to install solar panels. Rather than adding to climate change through his livelihood, he's participating in less polluting work in the alternate energy field and improving the earth's health, long term.

And more of us need to think this way. How can we change and find better ways to deal with the pollution created by our lives? How can we reduce waste? How can we save energy? How can we in North America, who have created greater greenhouse gas emissions with our larger homes, multiple vehicles, and excessive possessions, shoulder our greater responsibility for providing a solution to the problems our lifestyles have caused the planet?

What is one right thing we can do in the week ahead? Or one change we can make? Can we add to the grace of God's creation?

We found a way to help the ozone layer. Now we need to live in grace with the rest of our beautiful planet.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Adventures in accessibility

On Monday, our L'Arche Day Program core members had a lovely afternoon at their very own art display at the Grant MacEwan University Library. Colleen, an art therapy student at the college, booked a sunny "collaboration room" and we all gathered for coffee and timbits and an opportunity to see the display and art book she had made from art created by our core members. We enjoyed time with Colleen in her university setting, and took many pictures of our group at their display.

Touchless Sensor Exit Button With LEDGrant MacEwan is the new campus in town, and I had never been up to the second floor. I was quite impressed with Barry Johns' architecture, and the accessibility of everything. Our members with wheelchairs were able to go places almost as fast as those of us on our feet thanks to plenty of elevators and those push button accessibility doors. But it was the touchless washrooms that really fascinated me, especially when Glen* decided to try one out.

Glen and I walked and wheeled past a lot of quiet students to where a sign announced an All Gender Washroom. I had already made a trip there with Sandy*, so was able to explain to Glen to wave his hand in front of a sensor that opened the door, and that when he got inside, he would have to wave his hand in front of another sensor to lock the door.

What I didn't notice was that there were two different sensors inside. As I didn't use the second sensor, I can't recall what it was for, but after the door closed behind Glen, I heard the second sensor beep as Glen waved at it. It clearly wasn't the one that locked the door, though, as the outside sensor light stayed green instead of turning red.

But Glen didn't know that, and I didn't want to disturb the students by yelling at him through the door. I figured we wouldn't be long, so I stood against the door in case someone else would come to use the washroom. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a student came and said, "Excuse me, but I'd like to use the washroom."

"Someone is in there," I told him, and he said, "but the lock light is still green." "I know," I said, "but I think my friend doesn't know that." The student giggled, and waited with me for the washroom to become available.

After the toilet flushed, I heard a faint sound of water running, followed by the clacking of the automatic towel dispenser. Then I heard Glen trying to get the door to open again.

"BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP."

The student beside me started to giggle, realizing, as I did, that Glen was using the wrong sensor to try to open the door. Then he must have tried the right sensor, because the door lock sensor on the outside where I was standing turned red as he locked himself IN.

The student guffawed. "Well, now the door is locked," he said. "Your friend is safe from anyone barging in."

Since the sensor he just tried hadn't opened the door, Glen returned to the other one, and I started to worry whether he would get out of there before we had to return home.

"BEEP. BEEP. BEEP."

"Good luck," the student said, giggling again, as he spotted someone leave another washroom further down the study hall, and headed for it.

"BEEP. BEEP."

Still the wrong sensor, Glen.

I had no clue who to approach for help getting Glen out of his washroom jail and was about to startle the students around me by shouting "Try the other sensor!" when the outside light turned green and the door majestically opened, like the door to Aladdin's vault of treasure.

Glen emerged, wearing a huge grin. "I wasn't sure I'd ever get out of there," he chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the experience.

I doubt I'd have been so relaxed about it all. Two weeks ago I found myself in a public washroom stall with its twist lock stuck and a slight feeling of panic. But Glen had the wherewithal to keep trying -- and so did I. It took a little extra force in my case, and a bit more perseverance in his.

Like many people with disabilities, Glen clearly knows that accessibility often requires a lot of patience and good humour. Those of us without disabilities can learn from him.

As I did.

*I use pseudonyms for the names of my L'Arche friends.