A few days ago I published a blog describing Pope Leo’s citation of the faithful witness of the Algerian Martyrs during the Algerian civil war between 1994-1996. Mission, the pope insisted, is never “a form of self-display, in opposition of identities, but the gift of self, even to the point of martyrdom, by those who... Continue Reading →
I first learned of the Algerian martyrs through the movie: Of Gods and Men, a film centered on a true story that happened in the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, where nine Cistercian monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996 during the... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray – One way or another; Trump won’t be around forever; this means J D Vance could assume the presidency. Eileen Workman probes this horrible possibility below.] [Eileen Workman] For all my friends who fear that JD Vance would make an even worse leader than Trump, I say: follow the energy that’s already in... Continue Reading →
Posting on David’s Facebook page, Joan Bubbs, David’s wife shared the sad news: “I have signed on to David's Facebook page to share the heartbreaking news that David died yesterday [Sunday], after a short illness. Some of you will also know that David was suffering from severe dementia. The combination of physical and mental deterioration... Continue Reading →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Stephen Anglican Church, Summerland BC - Sunday, August 17th, 2025 — The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - The Very Rev. Ken Gray A woman approached me after a sermon I recently preached in Penticton, quite upset, as I intentionally contrasted the love of the Good Samaritan with the... Continue Reading →
Eleanor Farjeon The story of the song Morning Has Broken With thanks to Nostalgic Memories Before Cat Stevens ever sang a note of it, Morning Has Broken was a quiet offering from a woman who saw the sacred in the ordinary. Eleanor Farjeon, born in 1881 London, grew up surrounded by music and poetry. Her... Continue Reading →
Bill Cunningham at work (and play) Two photographers, one living, one no longer with us, documenting our world, brilliantly. It has been some time since I have blogged on photography. It has been however one of my priorities since launching takenote.ca. Today however, I return to photography. Two recent news articles highlight the work of... Continue Reading →
Almost-six-year-old Labradoodle, Juno, is a famed dog blogger. Follow her here for her thoughts on dog park politics and canine pedigree. I was one of eight or so members of a litter of Labradoodles born at a Kamloops area breeder almost six years ago now. MaPaw and PaPaw came up shortly after we were born... Continue Reading →
Years ago I suggested to a justice-seeking colleague that we should investigate the role of humour in our social and ecological justice advocacy. We can be awfully serious, I said. Off-putting even. She replied that the context — human rights abuse; the climate crisis; avaricious market hegemony — didn’t lend itself well to comedic treatment.... Continue Reading →
[Ken Gray] We just picked up where we left off some fifty years ago. Meeting up with other high school friends at our recent graduation reunion I visited with Tim, one of a few Oak Bay High School friends from 1970-1975. Our conversation ranged from music, to photography, to travel, and in one instance, to... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 