From Cameron Kaufman-Frey, our pastor:
Here is a link to a podcast that I found very interesting. In meeting with President Ahmadinejad, Robert "Jack" Suderman and other church leaders were criticized for in some way offering President Ahmadinejad legitimacy or acceptance. Jack talks about how he saw it as a way to witness to the way of peace. I encourage you to have a listen, as it will get you thinking about how we witness to world leaders and how we relate to religious leaders from other faiths.
Cam
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
fear and hope
Mike Turman recently began a "ministry inquiry" program in our congregation, and wrote this article that was published recently in Canadian Mennonite:
Fear and hope drive all people. This is the most prominent lesson I learned on the MCEC Yella trip to Israel-Palestine this past May. During the three weeks we spent in the Holy Land, our group of 23 young adults was exposed to overwhelming layers of history, religion, culture, race and politics. The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the hope and fear to be witnessed on both sides stood out for me.
The security wall surrounding the West Bank is the most prominent symbol of this conflict and of the lesson I learned. We travelled to Bethlehem and stayed for three days in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour. For visitors, as for residents, it is hard to ignore the massive eight meter concrete structure that passes right around and through the city. It may be seen as a symbol of fear: the Israeli fear of Palestinian violence. Conversely, it represents the fear that the Israeli military is inflicting to the residents of the West Bank.
Throughout those three days our host families and others we met told us about the difficulties imposed on them. For instance, the night we arrived I was taken to the birthday celebration of my host family's grandfather. In spite of the cake and gathered relatives, the festivities were muted. That day was the 60th anniversary of the Naqba, “the Catastrophe”, when Israel was formed and many Palestinians were forced from their home towns. It's harder to celebrate when simply commuting to work could mean an hour or more of waiting at a checkpoint.
We walked along the wall ourselves. It runs right through the city of Bethlehem, dividing neighbourhoods arbitrarily. The West Bank side is covered with art and graffiti. Politically charged images of beasts, bombs and cultural clash seemingly respond to the wall's dehumanising effects—it not only cuts off all residents of the West Bank from the land (Jerusalem, Israel and other cities), it also keeps Israelis living nearby from seeing their Palestinian neighbours. 8-meter tall concrete slabs can do little but oppress the spirits of people on both sides.
Yet as we walked along that overbearing wall we saw signs of hope. There are hundreds of hopeful messages spray-painted on it. German slogans recall the Berlin wall and the belief of its builders that it would stand for hundreds of years. The Israeli side of the wall wears banners proclaiming peace in Hebrew, Arabic and English. A favourite mural of ours was a colourful collage of teddy bears and toys, with the words, “I want my ball back! Thanks” written above. The hunger for free and secure lives is palpable on both sides.
This discovery of the forces that drive people has changed me. Before, conflicts around the world seemed distant. The greatest hopes and fears I encountered during my life as a student were getting good grades, of having enough money for the term, or the insecurity of a bad breakup. Now, though, I've seen what happens when a whole group of people is violated in some way, as both the Jews and the Palestinians have been in the last century. They are all looking for the kind of security that we have in Canada. We must not take it for granted.
This trip and its lessons have given me purpose as well: to share the thin slice of perspective on humanity that I've gained. We are connected to people and events everywhere. The pain and joys visible in that part of the Middle East is analogous to the experiences of people in conflicts throughout the world, whether affected by residential schools in Canada, devastated by natural disasters in Indonesia, or hoping for change in Zimbabwe. In a sense, these are matters of life and death, yet life goes on nevertheless.
There is a challenge here for me and for each of us, as Christians. Though fear is a powerful force, I now know in my gut what I'm working for: hope.
- Mike Turman
Fear and hope drive all people. This is the most prominent lesson I learned on the MCEC Yella trip to Israel-Palestine this past May. During the three weeks we spent in the Holy Land, our group of 23 young adults was exposed to overwhelming layers of history, religion, culture, race and politics. The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the hope and fear to be witnessed on both sides stood out for me.
The security wall surrounding the West Bank is the most prominent symbol of this conflict and of the lesson I learned. We travelled to Bethlehem and stayed for three days in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour. For visitors, as for residents, it is hard to ignore the massive eight meter concrete structure that passes right around and through the city. It may be seen as a symbol of fear: the Israeli fear of Palestinian violence. Conversely, it represents the fear that the Israeli military is inflicting to the residents of the West Bank.
Throughout those three days our host families and others we met told us about the difficulties imposed on them. For instance, the night we arrived I was taken to the birthday celebration of my host family's grandfather. In spite of the cake and gathered relatives, the festivities were muted. That day was the 60th anniversary of the Naqba, “the Catastrophe”, when Israel was formed and many Palestinians were forced from their home towns. It's harder to celebrate when simply commuting to work could mean an hour or more of waiting at a checkpoint.
We walked along the wall ourselves. It runs right through the city of Bethlehem, dividing neighbourhoods arbitrarily. The West Bank side is covered with art and graffiti. Politically charged images of beasts, bombs and cultural clash seemingly respond to the wall's dehumanising effects—it not only cuts off all residents of the West Bank from the land (Jerusalem, Israel and other cities), it also keeps Israelis living nearby from seeing their Palestinian neighbours. 8-meter tall concrete slabs can do little but oppress the spirits of people on both sides.
Yet as we walked along that overbearing wall we saw signs of hope. There are hundreds of hopeful messages spray-painted on it. German slogans recall the Berlin wall and the belief of its builders that it would stand for hundreds of years. The Israeli side of the wall wears banners proclaiming peace in Hebrew, Arabic and English. A favourite mural of ours was a colourful collage of teddy bears and toys, with the words, “I want my ball back! Thanks” written above. The hunger for free and secure lives is palpable on both sides.
This discovery of the forces that drive people has changed me. Before, conflicts around the world seemed distant. The greatest hopes and fears I encountered during my life as a student were getting good grades, of having enough money for the term, or the insecurity of a bad breakup. Now, though, I've seen what happens when a whole group of people is violated in some way, as both the Jews and the Palestinians have been in the last century. They are all looking for the kind of security that we have in Canada. We must not take it for granted.
This trip and its lessons have given me purpose as well: to share the thin slice of perspective on humanity that I've gained. We are connected to people and events everywhere. The pain and joys visible in that part of the Middle East is analogous to the experiences of people in conflicts throughout the world, whether affected by residential schools in Canada, devastated by natural disasters in Indonesia, or hoping for change in Zimbabwe. In a sense, these are matters of life and death, yet life goes on nevertheless.
There is a challenge here for me and for each of us, as Christians. Though fear is a powerful force, I now know in my gut what I'm working for: hope.
- Mike Turman
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fair Trade
Here's a recent article by Pastor Cam Kaufman-Frey that was published in the Stouffville Free Press:
Tainted milk in China has people talking. Usually the average person doesn't think much about international trade. But lately we've heard news, particularly from China, of tainted milk. This follows reports earlier this year unsafe toys. Suddenly we begin to wonder about products that come from overseas.
We in Ontario has also seen that trade can mean a loss of jobs. Our manufacturers are struggling to compete with low wages overseas. Hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs have disappeared. And many of the factories that now make the goods we buy are paying wages that aren't enough for their workers to survive on.
It's unfortunate if we think of trade in such a negative light. Exporting and importing goods around the world could do a lot to improve the lives of everyone. With this in mind, people of good will are becoming aware of the practice of “Fair Trade.”
Fair Trade could be called “trade with a conscience.” Instead of looking only at profit, fair trade organisations seek to ensure that products are produced in safe, sustainable ways and that prices will provide a living wage for all those involved in producing consumer goods.
Our congregation has discussed Fair Trade. Some of us are concerned with its limitations but all of us are pleased with its effects on the lives of hard working people. While it can't solve all the inequities in the world, it does make a difference for thousands of people. On the first weekend in October at the Markham Fair, we will be joining other Mennonite churches in our area in selling Fair Trade goods from Ten Thousand Villages. Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest and best known fair trade organisations in North America. It sells crafts and food from around the world, winning awards for the positive role it has played in improving the lives of artisans in impoverished regions.
If you'd like to read more about Fair Trade or Ten Thousand Villages, check their web site.
- Cameron Kaufman-Frey
Tainted milk in China has people talking. Usually the average person doesn't think much about international trade. But lately we've heard news, particularly from China, of tainted milk. This follows reports earlier this year unsafe toys. Suddenly we begin to wonder about products that come from overseas.
We in Ontario has also seen that trade can mean a loss of jobs. Our manufacturers are struggling to compete with low wages overseas. Hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs have disappeared. And many of the factories that now make the goods we buy are paying wages that aren't enough for their workers to survive on.
It's unfortunate if we think of trade in such a negative light. Exporting and importing goods around the world could do a lot to improve the lives of everyone. With this in mind, people of good will are becoming aware of the practice of “Fair Trade.”
Fair Trade could be called “trade with a conscience.” Instead of looking only at profit, fair trade organisations seek to ensure that products are produced in safe, sustainable ways and that prices will provide a living wage for all those involved in producing consumer goods.
Our congregation has discussed Fair Trade. Some of us are concerned with its limitations but all of us are pleased with its effects on the lives of hard working people. While it can't solve all the inequities in the world, it does make a difference for thousands of people. On the first weekend in October at the Markham Fair, we will be joining other Mennonite churches in our area in selling Fair Trade goods from Ten Thousand Villages. Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest and best known fair trade organisations in North America. It sells crafts and food from around the world, winning awards for the positive role it has played in improving the lives of artisans in impoverished regions.
If you'd like to read more about Fair Trade or Ten Thousand Villages, check their web site.
- Cameron Kaufman-Frey
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Harvest Begins
Here is one of the two fields that our congregation is supporting and sending the proceeds of to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Check out their website http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/ for more information about their work both locally and internationally.
And don't forget! This week on Thursday, October 16, you can celebrate World Food Day! Follow the link for more details.
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