Source, Facebook They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Others suggest that some photographs can influence a generation. Think of Falling Man (The 911 terrorist attack); Napalm Girl (Viet Nam); Hiroshima (The plane that carried the atomic bomb to Hiroshima). Each of these images document a contemporary, now historical event in order to... Continue Reading →
Anas al-Sharif with his daughter, Sham, and son, Salah. Photograph: Facebook ‘If these words reach you … Israel has succeeded in killing me’: the last words of a journalist killed in Gaza Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter, was killed along with four other journalists by an Israeli airstrike last Sunday night. This is the... Continue Reading →
Something totally different today. A test of memory for all my loyal readers, and those who arrive at this page by accident. (Lucky you.) An investigative challenge for those who enjoy the variety of personalities named in the over 680 posts viewed 103,000 times by over 64,000 visitors. This year, 2025, the volume of traffic... Continue Reading →
No sermon from me today but a beautiful reflection from our friends at the Center of Action and Contemplation. I have read it several times, each time finding something jarring, beautiful, and different. Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan describes how Jesus’ parables invited listeners to find wisdom in their daily agricultural circumstances . . . Nabhan... Continue Reading →
Thanks Barbara Liotscos for the shareThe following information DOES NOT constitute legal advice in either the US or Canada. The message below is “heads up” only. A warning from DIANA BUTLER BASS AUG 07, 2025 There’s a letter making the rounds on social media from my friends in the UCC (United Church of Christ in... 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 →
I share three things in common with the newly elected Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev. Cherry Vann. We were both born in 1958, she in Leicester, England, and me in Victoria BC, Canada. We were also students at the Royal College of Music in London in the late 1970s where, as a colleague reminds... Continue Reading →
I often wonder how I can assist the victims of the Gaza genocide. Sure, I make information available to my blog followers. What more can I, and you actually do? Well we can pray, in particular with Palestinian residents throughout the Middle East. We can join the Sabeel Wave of Prayer. Sabeel is an ecumenical... 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 →
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC — The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, August 3rd 2025 —The Very Rev. Ken Gray Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." I remember the death of my mother’s parents, my grandparents, Maxwell... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 