Breaking down barriers

Here's the video I mentioned in yesterday's moodling. If you've ever met my friend B., you know her smile and soft voice knocks down walls even better than she breaks boards. Enjoy! And click here if you would like to subscribe to see more of Michael McDonald's wonderful L'Arche videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAxbdIJL7l4

When pedestals meet sledgehammers

Those who have been following these moodlings for any length of time know that I have long considered the so-called founder of L'Arche to be one of my heroes. I loved him and his teachings about community life, and grieved when he died last May. But on Saturday, his hero's pedestal met a sledgehammer when I read the report released by the International Federation of L'Arche about his sexual abuse of 6 women.

As in the cases of many other men of influence who have been revealed for what they are in this "Me Too" era, there are potentially more women out there who are dealing with very deep hurts caused by a man whom many called "a living saint." I now kick myself for calling him that myself -- and thereby falling into the culture of unbridled admiration that allowed him to be above scrutiny for too long.

Clearly, he was nowhere near a living saint. Yes, he started a movement which inspired many good people to create family-like homes for people with disabilities. Adults who had been warehoused in mental institutions for many years blossomed and continue to do so because of L’Arche spreading world-wide, and that I can applaud. I know and love many of them.

Yes, he wrote many wonderful books about love, vulnerability, living in solidarity with the marginalized, the beauty of every human person, community, and the gifts we receive when we befriend those with disabilities, and his writings can be considered spiritual classics in many cases. Several friends of mine tell me that one of his books changed their lives.

While I recognize the deep truths in so many of the L'Arche writings by the man I put on a pedestal, now they also feel tainted because of his hidden life. It's tempting, as another friend said, to make a bonfire out of his books. I had close to 60 moodlings here that either quoted or referred to him, but I have managed to keep most of them simply by removing the quotes and references. And you can rest assured that I won't be using his quotes to support my moodlings in the future.

The problem with the man I put on a pedestal is that he projected the persona of a wise spiritual leader with an intense, charismatic presence. The many accolades he received as such gave him a celebrity status that allowed him to exploit vulnerable women who came to him for help. Who could speak against a living saint? This makes his actions an even graver indecency.

The problem with the man I put on a pedestal is that he was a broken human being who hid his brokenness all too well. It is well-documented that people who become sexual abusers have been abused themselves. I know I should feel sorry for the depths of the hurts that turned him into a perpetrator of abuses, but as a woman who has felt my hair stand on end because of unwanted advances from certain men, feeling empathy for any man who abuses women is not something I find easy.

The problem with the man I put on a pedestal is that he was unrepentant when confronted by one of his victims before he died. How does one forgive someone who doesn't ask forgiveness? Or someone who asked for general absolution as his life came to an end, even though he was aware of his greater sins? None of this fits with how he presented himself to the world.

The problem with the man I put on a pedestal, dare I say it? is that he's really not so different from Harvey Weinstein and others of that ilk,  men who used their status to take what they wanted from women. Our so-called founder's power and position nearly went unquestioned by our L'Arche family, even when his "spiritual father" was recognized to be an abuser many years ago. For those of us who held the man we put on a pedestal in high esteem, his lies may be the hardest pill to swallow. We did not suspect a thing.

The problem with the man I put on a pedestal is that our very human selves want heroes, and we didn’t see that hero worship too often has us putting imperfect square pegs into saintly round holes. No one is perfect, and too often the people we choose as heroes run the risk of inflated egos that allow them to take advantage of the unsuspecting.

I feel a lot of anger toward the Vatican for suppressing critical information about two men's deviant sexual practices and theologies for so many years. Had archival information been made public from the start, it may have prevented over 35 years of abuses. It's yet another sexual scandal involving the Church protecting abusers/itself rather than the victims. How many times must we call on the Vatican to open its vaults and end the protection of criminals?

I laud the courageous women who came forward and told their truth to the investigators appointed by L'Arche International. I applaud the international leaders who believed the women and widened the investigation, and who made this report public as quickly as they could once they received it. My prayers are with all the L'Arche communities of people with and without disabilities who share life in 154 communities and 19 projects in 38 countries around the world, (including 6 homes here in Edmonton, the second such community in Canada). How will we come to terms with this shocking and devastating news?

I support and pray for healing for all those who have been so deeply hurt by the man I put on a pedestal. After this shock, I will remind myself to look through the projected personae of celebrities and leaders rather than allow them to be unexamined heroes. I will continue to befriend and connect with people with disabilities and break down barriers between myself and all those who are different from me. And I will carry on, knowing that, though no one should be put on a pedestal, we can all do our part to make the world a better place. Will you join me in doing these things? Have I missed anything?

I sat down and cried when I received the news about the crimes of the man I put on a pedestal on Saturday morning. I know too many people who have been hurt by abusers to be silent about this ongoing hurt. But after feeling grief and anger for a good part of the day, I found a beautiful little video in my L'Arche inbox, and laughed with delight to see one of my L'Arche friends as its star! I'll post it tomorrow, as it deserves a space of its own, away from this broken pedestal.

For the moment, I have decided that my shock, anger and sense of betrayal are less important than the beauty, goodness, and truth of L'Arche around the world. I am angry and grieving, but I am determined to hold onto the delight I find in all my L'Arche Edmonton friendships. It's the best anyone can do. 

This moodling may seem quite harsh, but I have no real words of comfort to offer to anyone, other than to say, keep your pedestals for potted plants, and be kind to and listen to one another. Those who loved the man we put on the pedestal and what he seemingly stood for are all in this pain together.

Peace to all,
Maria

Happy 20,000th birthday??

Last night, my sisters called to wish me a happy birthday. I was very confused, because my birthday isn't until May. But at some point in the past, they figured out when would be my 20,000th day of life, and today is it. Now I really feel old!

The last time I had to calculate my age in days was for a computing course in university. At that time, I was probably about 6,900 days old, and not thinking about getting old at all. But now that I have a few more years behind me, I've developed a deeper appreciation for having as many days as I do, and for all the little things that make up my every day: a steaming cup of tea and morning prayer with the dog beside me, a walk in the fresh air, daily chores, visits to friends, family and neighbours, the meals I prepare, my new job in patron services at the Winspear Centre for Music, and a warm bed with my best friend-husband at the end of the day.

So although my sisters were teasing me a little about getting old, their "birthday wishes" have given me pause to be thankful for my 20,000 days of life, and to bless God for my time here on the planet with all the people I love.

I can pray with David in the words of Psalm 21 --

You meet me with rich blessings...
I asked you for life; you gave it to me --
  length of days forever and ever...

Well, maybe not forever and ever. But no matter how many days I have lived, it's a good day to be grateful for life!

How many days old are you?

Laudato Si Sunday Reflection: Making wisdom our bottom line

Today's reflection is brought to you by 
1 Corinthians 3: 16-23.

We are your temple,
O God,
because your Spirit dwells in us.

But your Spirit also dwells
in all that you have made,
so all of creation
is your temple.

And how many of your temples
we have destroyed!

Our wisdom is foolishness
compared with yours.

But we pretend
that we know
all that's worth knowing
even as things fall apart around us.

Remind us
that we
and all that you have made
are sacred to you.

Help us to hold creation
and one another
as you do --
within your protective embrace.

Let us make your wisdom
our bottom line.

+Amen.

* * * * * * *

Chapter Five of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home is, in my humble opinion, the best part of Pope Francis' encyclical. He and his encyclical writing team spent the previous 4 chapters "pointing to the cracks in the planet that we inhabit as well as to the profoundly human causes of environmental degradation"... but "now we shall try to outline the major paths of dialogue which can help us escape the spiral of self-destruction which currently engulfs us" (paragraph 163).

Of course, it's going to take more than discussion to sort out the ecological and social messes we find ourselves in, but before I get ahead of myself and the Pope, we're looking at paragraphs 163-167 this week. You can read them for yourself if you click here and scroll down.

I like the first line of paragraph 164 -- "Beginning in the middle of the last century and overcoming many difficulties, there has been a growing conviction that our planet is a homeland and that humanity is one people living in a common home." Basically, this underlines the idea that we are interdependent -- "one world with a common plan." Unfortunately, we've been sold a bill of goods by consumer culture that insists we must all exist independently, apart from our neighbours, with our own homes, possessions and live-it-up-lifestyles that take us far from the idea of the common good. Similarly, our countries too often act independently of each other when what we really need is to pull together:

A global consensus is essential for confronting the deeper problems, which cannot be resolved by unilateral actions on the part of individual countries. Such a consensus could lead, for example, to planning a sustainable and diversified agriculture, developing renewable and less polluting forms of energy, encouraging a more efficient use of energy, promoting a better management of marine and forest resources, and ensuring universal access to drinking water (paragraph 164).

Imagine what that would look like! Canada growing grains for drought-ravaged Sudan, Sudan developing solar farms that can give energy to Europe, Europe and the Pacific Rim countries working together for better ocean management programs (Canada being one of that group) and everyone everywhere working together to protect our most precious resource, water, and ensure that all species on earth have enough of what we need to live.

Utopia? No, reality -- if we can set aside our differences, listen to our scientists, and follow through on some good management by working together.

Perhaps our biggest challenge is found in the first lines of paragraph 165: "We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels -- especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas -- needs to be progressively replaced without delay."

Jason Kenny, wake up! The environment is the bottom line -- we can't eat money or drink oil. Even your Pope tells you that climate change is a reality (there are rumours that you're Catholic). But Pope Francis is talking about politicians like you when he says,

"Politics and business have been slow to react in a way commensurate with the urgency of the challenges facing our world. Although the post-industrial period may well be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, nonetheless there is reason to hope that humanity at the dawn of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having generously shouldered its grave responsibilities."

Wake up, Jason Kenny! It's time to reduce greenhouse gases! You can do it! (If you're not sure who I'm talking about, Jason Kenny is Alberta's premier, who is pretending that the rest of the world is not shifting to alternate forms of energy and who is pushing for more climate change-increasing carbon emissions with his insistence on pipeline and tarsands mega projects even as the price of crude oil falls below the point where it will bring the province any kind of economic return).

Paragraphs 166 and 167 mention how "Worldwide, the ecological movement has made significant advances," (paragraph 166) and that World Summits have tried to be responsible for getting us on the right path to saving our planet, though in many cases, the lack of political will to implement the Summits' recommendations has caused too much delay. Pope Francis and friends note that that 1992 Earth Summit in Rio was "a real step forward, and prophetic for its time," but that "its accords have been poorly implemented, due to lack of suitable mechanisms for oversight, periodic review and penalties in cases of non-compliance" (paragraph 167).

The Earth Summit (ECO92) came up with 27 principles (that you can read by clicking here) that I somehow missed until I read Laudato Si the first time. Some of the encyclical's ideas sound like they come directly out of them. For example, here's principle 6:

The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority. International actions in the field of environment and development should also address the interests and needs of all countries.

I can't help but wonder where we would be as a planetary people if we had inscribed these principles on our hearts and begun to live by them almost 30 years ago... but I think my church was too busy preventing one of its liberation theologians, Leonardo Boff, from speaking at the Earth Summit to really pay attention to what the Earth Summit was all about. I appreciate that Pope Francis is revisiting that territory now, but in the meantime, we've lost valuable time to dig ourselves out of all this trouble we're in.

The northern hemisphere is slowly moving into spring, the south into fall. The edge season we are in is a wonderful time to consider our earth as it begins to reawaken or settle into its dormant season. But no matter where we live, we are all called to wake up to the actions we can take to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel energy, to cut our emissions of CO2 as much as possible. When I was reflecting on this part of Laudato Si four years ago, we decided to take a big step, installing solar panels to provide most of our electricity. Though most of them are covered with snow, today they produced about 1800 watts of electricity, enough to light our home.

Here is an excellent list from Ontario of ten ways for anyone to reduce greenhouse gases:

Ten Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

How many do you follow? And how many more can you try to implement? How else can we employ God's wisdom as our bottom line in the way we care for creation?

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

It's really cold out this morning, and I'm thinking about the homeless people in Edmonton. How are they managing to find warmth today?

In my comfortable existence, I know that I need to do something to help those who don't have a comfortable existence. So the Ecumenical Prayer group that I organize once a month gives most of its free-will offerings to Hope Mission, an ecumenical and "not-for-profit social care agency founded in 1929" here in Edmonton. It offers meals and shelter to those who have nowhere else to turn.

Our Ecumenical Prayer group has definite ties to the Taizé community in France whose brothers live with and serve the poor in communities around the world. In keeping with their charism, we do what we can to support the ecumenical efforts of Hope Mission.

And as part of our support, we've started Team Taizé to walk in Hope Mission's Cold Hands Warm Hearts Fundraiser, which takes place this year on Leap Day, February 29th. It's a 2- or 5-km walk-a-thon to raise funds for the vital work that Hope Mission does, supporting its programs that offer food, shelter, warming vans, addictions counseling, and other supports to those who are living on the streets of Edmonton.

I've had a lot of really enjoyable experiences being part of different fundraising teams, so I'm inviting you to join Team Taizé, and come walk with us to support the homeless members of our human family here in Edmonton. Click here to join our team or make a donation. And even if you don't want to do either of those things, just come and walk with us, in solidarity with the homeless of our city. Our walking together will raise awareness, and hopefully, help a few more people to get out of the cold.

Laudato Si Sunday Reflection: Taking nothing for granted

This week's reflection is brought to you by
1 Corinthians 2: 6-10.

O God,
you call us to a different kind of wisdom.

Not one that collects deep thoughts
or has deep pockets,
but the wisdom
that you alone can give,
the wisdom of appreciating
all that you give us.

Before the earth came to be
your wisdom was its glory.

The problem is
and continues to be
that those who speak your wisdom
have been reviled,
humiliated or crucified
figuratively
and
literally.

But you continue to offer
the kind of goodness and glory
that we find hard to realize,
things beyond our sight,
hearing,
and understanding.

Your Spirit
searches your creation
and speaks out
your depths
in the wisdom you give
through the wise ones among us
and the creation you offer to us daily.

Please,
Holy Spirit,
let us appreciate everything,
let us take nothing
for granted.

+Amen.

* * * * * * *

This week we are looking at paragraphs 159-163 of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis' letter to the people of the earth, which can be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down. The section is called Justice Between the Generations, and it's not just referring to those of us alive at this moment.

Some Indigenous community members understand this well, considering the next seven generations in their decision making. Do we?

Pope Francis gets it, too, saying, "The notion of the common good also extends to future generations," and reminding us that

Once we start to think about the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things differently; we realize that the world is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others. Since the world has been given to us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us (paragraph 159).

There are many big questions raised by Laudato Si, but for me, the one at the beginning of paragraph 160 is the biggest: "What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us...?" Pope Francis notes that this question is tied in to other questions about the meaning of life and why we are here, the goal of our efforts and our value to the earth itself -- questions whose answers speak volumes about our dignity as God's children.

Paragraph 161 deserves to be read in its entirety:

Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth. The pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet's capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which even now periodically occur in different areas of the world. The effects of the present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now. We need to reflect on our accountability before  those who will have to endure the dire consequences.

There have been more environmental catastrophes than I want to think about in the almost five years since Laudato Si was published. The burning of the Amazon and more recently, Australia, the extinction of more species, the Brazil mine tailings dam collapses, the plastic waste that continues to gather in our oceans, flooding, storms... The connection of these problems to our human activity can no longer be denied, and the dire catastrophes Pope Francis is speaking about may arrive sooner than we think.

He and his encyclical writing friends don't mince words in paragraph 162. Our present consumer culture has bred a society of people who are speeding up the earth's decline through our "rampant individualism" and "today's self-centred culture of instant gratification." We need to curb our "impulsive and wasteful consumption" so that we can "broaden the scope of our present interests and... give consideration to those who remain excluded from development" in both "intergenerational" and "intragenerational solidarity" -- the poor of the future, and those we have with us now.

Such solidarity demands the most from those of us who live in the developed world. If everyone on the planet lived like we do, we would probably need another dozen earths to support the present world population. (Check out your ecological footprint by clicking here.) We need to re-examine what we see as essential to our standard of living. How can we live more simply and meaningfully without consuming so many of our planet's resources?

We are told that Mother Earth has enough for all her children, but the problem is that some of us children use up more than our share, which impoverishes those who are living in poverty now, and future generations who may not have enough. It also messes up our planet for all living things. How many species will be extinct when my children are my age? Will future generations ever be able to drink from a mountain stream like I did when I was small?

Laudato Si is the best commercial I know for simple living. Once we build an awareness of where our greed has gotten the better of us, we can begin to appreciate what we already have and live a deeper solidarity with the poor and future generations. In appreciating the gifts God has already given us, we can more easily ignore the way consumer culture leads us to want more than we need.

If we can ask ourselves the four questions on this poster on a regular basis, we can change our way of life to one that is better for all that God has made. Or perhaps you can make your own version with your own awareness-raising questions.

We all need enough to live, but we don't need too much, especially when our greed pollutes our planet, impoverishes creation, and harms the seven generations that come after us. I don't know about you, but I hate feeling greedy. Feeling appreciative is the way to go, the Spirit moving in us all!

3223.3 kilometers

As I've moodled before, I wear a pedometer almost every day to motivate me to get enough exercise. I've been finding that, as I approach menopause, my weight is creeping up, so I really need inspiration to keep my exercise levels up. Shadow dog and I are both middle-aged, pretty good walking companions, and the pedometer is just more encouragement to get out and get some steps.

My pedometer isn't one of these fancy fit-bit wrist strappy things. A few people I know have had problems with those conking out on them. A friend of mine has a cool phone app to track her walk, but the one I have is a really basic $15 Piezo version I got through uwalk a few years back. It has a little 1.55 V battery that bounces against an internal receptor as I walk, clicking up the count with every movement of my hips, and a reset button -- that's it. I've paced around a few times to see if it's accurate, and my counted steps seem to match the ones it counts up on its little face.

I've also connected to uwalk.ca to help me track my steps, and every evening I log on and punch in my numbers. A bit primitive, as many hi-tech pedometers do the logging for their users, but I kind of like keeping track myself. Last year, I joined a "Walk 1000 km in 2019" uwalk challenge, to see an approximation of how many km I travel in a year. Generally, I aim for about 10,000 steps a day, which I think equals about 6 km per day, though I'm not 100% sure how the uwalk app calculates distance. All I know is that it tells me that in 2019, I walked 3,223.3 km -- which was more than I expected.

So I've signed up for the 2020 1,000 km challenge -- just to see if I can beat my 2019 record. And I'd like to invite you to join me if you're so inclined. Uwalk pedometers can be had for free through the Edmonton Public Library for three weeks, thanks to an Alberta Health Services research program. If you log your info with uwalk, which is a health tracking site affiliated with the UofA, they might even send you a free pedometer once your three week session is up. That's what happened with me, and I don't mind sharing my fitness with a research program in exchange for a pedometer and the health benefits it has brought me.

If you're interested in forming a walking group, the uwalk site offers that option, too. So we could be walking buddies if you're interested. Just fire me an email (e-address under my profile on the sidebar) and we can make a team, just for the health of it!

Laudato Si Sunday reflection: For our good and the good of all creation

This week's reflection is brought to you by
Isaiah 58:6-10.

You call us,
O God,
through the words
of your prophet Isaiah,
to do what is right
rather than pretend to be holy.

True love for you
is not necessarily seen in prayer and fasting,
but in action that is
just and caring,
freeing others
to be who they are meant to be.

When we share
until no one is poor
your light shines
and your presence is revealed.

When we live wisely,
within our needs,
we give all of creation
room to thrive.

Help us to constantly consider
the Common Good
as we light your world
with love
for all that you have made!

+Amen

* * * * * * *

This week we are looking at paragraphs 156-158 of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, a short section called The Principle of the Common Good, which you can access by clicking here and scrolling down.

Paragraph 156 begins by stating, "An integral ecology is inseparable from the notion of the common good, a central and unifying principle of social ethics. The common good is "the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfilment." This last little snippet of a quotation comes from Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution of the Church, written during the second Vatican Council.

Paragraph 157 underlines the necessity of respect for the human person and his or her rights, the importance of distributive justice--something that is sadly lacking in a world where 1% of the population owns fully half of the world's wealth--and society's obligation to defend and promote the common good, which I read as "the good of all."

The first line of paragraph 158 almost covers the entire point of the encyclical:

In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes, locally and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters.

Except that common good defined this way forgets to call us to solidarity not only with human beings, but with all of creation. Yes, we need to recognize "the implication of the universal destination of the world's goods" and "appreciate the immense dignity of the poor in the light of our deepest convictions as believers", but we also need to recognize that the earth and its resources belong also to the rest of creation. And the decisions we make to care for humanity must also be extended to the rest of God's creatures as much as possible.

I often wonder what the world would look like if God suddenly appeared and distributed earth's wealth evenly to all 7.4 billion of us, plus the animals on land, in air and ocean. I suspect we wouldn't have millions of dollars worth of hockey arenas and football stadiums, but we might still have outdoor neighbourhood rinks and parks where everyone could play. We might not fly around the world for tropical vacations, but maybe we'd have better transportation systems that use fewer fossil fuels to take us to visit the people we love. Would shopping malls be more important than community halls? Would terrorism be undermined by communal sharing? Who would actually be poor? And if the common good extended not only to human beings but to all God's creatures, would we need zoos or nature reserves to protect endangered species? Would there even be endangered species?

The thing is, we can all participate in creating the common good by asking ourselves whether our actions, every day, are benefiting the earth or harming it. We won't always be able to answer that question in positive ways because many of the systems that support our present lifestyles were built to make money for consumer culture rather than to support the common good. But once we become aware of how our own lives impact the life of our planet, we can change the way we live, and encourage others to make changes too, and challenge the wealthy to care for all beings so that the planet's wealth can be distributed more equitably to all.

There are many ways that we can foster the common good by living in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the developing world through living more simply ourselves, and preserving God's creation through boycotting and protesting those things that undermine life in all forms. That's our superpower, as my kids might say.

When is the last time you let someone with political power know your feelings about an issue that is undermining the common good? This week, let's challenge ourselves to write a letter or sign a petition (or talk to our local grocer) about making positive change for all, and perhaps make one step toward changing our own lives. Here are just a few possibilities... choose one, or all...

Could I take a shorter shower to conserve water?
Could I walk instead of driving?
Could I make and eat one more vegetarian meal this week?
Could I go to a library instead of buying another book?
Could I grow some of my own food? Even in a little windowsill pot?
Could I support an environmental cause?

If you want more ideas, click here for other Simple Suggestions... and have a good week of considering how to simplify for the sake of the common good in your life.

A well-lit festival

This past weekend, we paid a visit to the Flying Canoe Volant Festival in Mill Creek Ravine. If you've never been, it's a wonderful celebration of things Francophone -- folk dancing, storytelling, Métis fiddling troups, Indigenous drummers, art installations, gangs of les loups garoux, le tire à sucre, bannock, and chocolat chaud.

But my very favourite thing is walking snowy paths under beautiful lights with my friends...

Two friendly faces in the Flying Canoe Volant "logo"...

Teepees and tents in the trees...

Magical paths... like walking in a kaleidoscope!

A snowshoe lamp...

There were at least three of these batik-like lights...

and more plywood cut outs than I could count...

And coffee cans...

This tree of life turned all colours of the rainbow...

If you've never seen a Flying Canoe Volant, there are races down the local tobogganing hill, not to mention axe-throwing and woodcutting competitions for the coureurs de bois among us.

All of this is to commemorate the theme... a story about some voyageurs/lumberjacks who wanted to visit their sweethearts many miles away. They made a deal with the Devil not to blaspheme or touch a church steeple, and be back by morning, so he put them in a canoe that flew them to their loved ones. Of course, things didn't quite go according to plan on their grand adventure, but I don't think they lost their souls in the bargain so all's well that ends well. As it was here in Edmonton for the weekend festival!

Laudato Si Sunday reflection: Being remade as God's creations

Today's reflection is brought to you by
Malachi 3:1-4.

O God,
You promise to send a messenger
to prepare the way before you.

And so,
we wait
to see
your Christ who has come
and is coming again
in the actions
we fulfill
in your name.

You tell us
he is like a refiner's fire
and like fullers' soap;
he will sit as a refiner
and purifier of silver
to remake us
until we are pleasing to you.

I pray,
O God,
that as we are being remade
by and into your Christ,
you will also help us
to remake our world
to be a place
where all of your creation
is renewed
and pleasing to you.

Take our hands
and use them as your own.

Come,
Holy Spirit,
and through our working together,
renew the face of the earth!

+Amen

* * * * * * *

I have to hand it to Pope Francis and his writing team. I can't think of much that they've missed in addressing concerns related to the health of Mother Earth in Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home. This week we even get into the importance of public transportation rather than personal vehicles...

We're looking at paragraphs 152-155 of the Pope's encyclical, which can be accessed by clicking here and scrolling down. This week's reading is the continuation and conclusion of the section we began last week, Ecology of Daily Life.

Paragraph 152 attempts to address the lack of housing we know exists in many parts of the world. Immediately I found myself thinking of the favelas in Rio de Janeiro... But why did my mind go so far afield? Especially when I walk past homeless camps in our Edmonton river valley more often than I'd like to admit... and when I think how our present provincial government is cutting funding to the rental assistance program for low income Albertans by 24%... click here to hear an interview that explains what's going on.

The Pope and friends are trying to address the difficulties many people have in affording or even finding a reasonable place to live, and encouraging humanity to find answers because "Having a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity and the growth of families. This is a major issue for human ecology."

In Edmonton, our inner city is a place with too many poor housing choices and too many homeless people. Housing First is one organization that is working toward putting roofs over people's heads before tackling addictions and mental health issues. EndPovertyEdmonton is a local task force that names the problems faced by the poor in our city, and is working together to eliminate poverty in Edmonton within a generation. Does that sound like pie in the sky to you? With the economic downturn in Alberta's economy, it's definitely a challenge, but we have to move forward in hope. What do you know about poverty reduction strategies where you live? How can we all offer support in this task?

I smiled when I read where the Pope gently shakes his finger at some of our human transportation:

The quality of life in cities has much to do with systems of transport, which are often a source of much suffering to those who use them. Many cars, used by one or more people, circulate in cities, causing traffic congestion, raising the level of pollution, and consuming enormous quantities of non-renewable energy. This makes it necessary to build more roads and parking areas which spoil the urban landscape.... (paragraph 153).

He's right... and his further comments regarding "the need to give priority to public transportation" make me wonder how long it will take for us to understand that if we want to mitigate the effects of climate change, we need to decrease our dependence on single occupant vehicles and opt for public transportation which creates fewer fossil fuel emissions.

In my city, people love to complain about the inefficiencies of our transit system, but if we all suddenly started taking transit daily, increasing the need for it and insisting our municipal leaders improve the way it works, it would have to become more efficient in a hurry. How do you get around? Do you ride-share? Carpool? Transit? Find other ways to avoid driving at all?

It's not just urban populations that struggle to maintain an ecology of daily life -- paragraph 154 notes that our concern with highly populated cities "should not make us overlook the abandonment and neglect also experienced by some rural populations which lack access to essential services and where some workers are reduced to conditions of servitude, without rights or the hope of a more dignified life." I think of many First Nations communities in Canada that lack potable water, well-made homes, and health services, and who deal with the sense of abandonment, isolation and addiction that springs from the fact that their communities lack these basic things. How can we add our voices to theirs and raise awareness of the issues they are facing?

The last paragraph of this section discusses "another profound reality: the relationship between human life and the moral law..." and continues to explain that "our body itself establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with other living beings." According to Pope Francis, "The acceptance of our bodies as God's gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world... Learning to accept our body, to care for it, and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element in any genuine human ecology" (paragraph 155).

I suggest you read paragraph 155 for yourself. It's one that leaves me wondering if the Church's understanding of human life and human sexuality isn't too narrow sometimes. I know that The Bible tells us that "God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27) ... but I can't help feeling that the Church pounds too hard on sexual morality, the differences between the sexes and total insistence on heterosexual love and family life. Too many beautiful people with beautiful relationships don't fit that model.

And when people don't feel at home in their body because they have never felt like they belonged to the gender into which they are born, they don't need to be judged, but loved for who they are. It seems to me that God created our spirits with a wider gender spectrum than male and female. Every time I turn around, I meet another person who doesn't conform to biblical standards, and I suspect that's because humanity has evolved since someone wrote the book of Genesis a few thousand years ago!

The thing is, God made us, and we are meant to grow in our love for ourselves and each other, and in the understanding that God loves us. Love that gives life, literally and figuratively, is never wrong. So if the fullest meaning of our bodies doesn't fit exactly with the Church's man-made rules about human sexuality, but we can love ourselves and see God's love present in the relationships that bless us, isn't that enough?

The ecology of daily life is about belonging, caring, sharing, respecting one another, and loving God and creation. At least that's how I'm reading it. How can we protect our planet from further destruction and pollution and create a sense of belonging and care for city dwellers and those living in isolated communities all over the world? How can we offer wider acceptance and love to the poor? To those in the LGBTQ2S+ community who are also God's creations?

God is love and acceptance. Jesus turned away from those who judged, and offered his own love instead. How can we best follow his lead?