How the first American pope is reclaiming Christian values from the Trump administration By Christopher Lamb at CNN Flying to Algeria at the start of his landmark tour of Africa on Monday, Pope Leo had a choice. He could ignore Donald Trump’s extraordinary overnight social media tirade against him, or he could tackle it head... Continue Reading →
Rise up, you calm and quiet American voices
Artistic rendering of Donald J. Trump by KJG We all know them; whether we live in the US, or hail from north of the Canada/US border. The late Allan Fotheringham (1932-2020) whose column appeared on the final page of Macleans Magazine for decades, used to describe Americans as individually, the nicest kind of person you... Continue Reading →
“The world has lost a voice of unmatched eloquence and integrity” — RIP Stephen Lewis
[Notes from a CBC article here] Former politician, diplomat and activist Stephen Lewis has died at age 88. Lewis was a former leader of the Ontario NDP, Canadian ambassador to the United Nations and a longtime journalist and environmental activist. The Lewis family said in a statement on Tuesday that he died peacefully in hospice... Continue Reading →
Such excellent sermon feedback
From Andrew DeCourt on Facebook who writes: I usually script my sermons. I do this to be precise, respect time, and keep a record of what I’ve said. But yesterday morning, I felt nudged to call an audible. I switched my sermon text an hour before church and preached directly from my heart without any... Continue Reading →
For Millions, ‘No Kings’ Is a Statement of Faith
By Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons Mar 27, 2026 - Via Sojourners The third No Kings Day this Saturday is shaping up to be the largest day of nonviolent protests in American history. There were more than 2,000 protests during the first No Kings Day in June 2025 and more than 2,700 at the second No Kings Day... Continue Reading →
I’ll be damned if Trump or Epstein or Chavez are going to steal my hope in the goodness of humanity — Anne Lamott
[Anne Lamott] We sing a hymn in church whose refrain ends, "and all around is sinking sand," and I have felt this since, oh, approximately November 2024. Everyone I know felt this, the existential instability, the sinking of our hearts. We did what we do — tried to take care of each other and not... Continue Reading →
Iran — What it’s like on the ground
s Photo supplied by anonymous author who remains anonymous for obvious reasons [Anonymous opinion first published in The Guardian] I was at work last Saturday when I heard the blast. Since that moment, the world has been turned on its head. The school called asking me to come and pick up my child. I rushed... Continue Reading →
Meet my friend, Ruth
To those of you who already know Ruth, what is wrong with this picture? To those of you who do not know her, you need to know that Ruth is typically NOT the one eating, but more likely the one preparing and setting out the food. She is an extroverted personality who loves to welcome,... Continue Reading →
Jazz, the Doctor of Democracy
Wynton Marsalis just stepped down as the managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, which he founded nearly 40 years ago. He shares his thoughts on the state of democracy in the US presently using the craft he knows so well, Jazz, to illustrate his points. TRANSCRIPT (Generated; check against delivery) [Wynton Marsalis]... Continue Reading →
We remain “battered and bruised, but not defeated.”
A Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Primate of the Province of Jerusalem & the Middle East - 28 February 2026 Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As you are all now painfully aware, in the early hours of this morning, February 28th, a coordinated and massive military assault was launched by the United... Continue Reading →