What would a Christian God say to the world today? Or Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu God? And can you tell the difference?

 
What would a Christian God say to the world today? Or a Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or Jewish God? And could you tell the difference? I asked ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence program that searches information online (e.g. religious websites), to give responses to those questions. How many things are different between them? The same? Spoiler alert: There are lots of similarities. Read about it in my latest column.

At Christmastime, time to drop the Huron Carol? Or maybe sing a different version

‘Twas in the moon of winter-time, when all the birds had fled. That mighty Gitchi Manitou, sent angel choirs instead. Before their light the stars grew dim, and wandering hunter heard the hymn: “Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.”

Those are the opening lines of what’s known as the Huron Carol, a much-loved song in Canada that is widely regarded as the first, if not the quintessential, Canadian Christmas carol.

 

In fact, those aren’t the carol’s original words, written in in the 17th century by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary among the Hurons (also known as the Wendat). They are the words of Canadian church choir director and poet Jesse Edgar Middleton, who wrote them in 1926.

Middleton’s words are less a translation of the original and more a complete remaking of the lyrics — they bear no relation to Brébeuf’s text and are, in fact, a heavily romanticized idea of Indigenous life springing form the imagination of a white Christian Canadian.

And now some are suggesting it may be time to ditch the carol due to that fact, and because of the church's terrible history of colonization and residential schools. Either that, or use the original lyrics or new ones written by an Indigenous person.

 

Read about it in my latest Free Press column.

Mennonites across U.S., Canada to support calls for Gaza ceasefire on Dec. 19

 

Members of Mennonite churches in Winnipeg will gather Dec. 19 outside the office of Liberal cabinet minister Dan Vandal’s office on St. Mary’s Road to hold a service for peace. 

“We want to sing and pray and thank the Canadian government for joining in a call for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge them to keep calling for a permanent end to the fighting,” said Karla Braun, one of the event organizers. 

The noon gathering will be “peaceful and non-confrontational, growing out of our Mennonite commitment to peace,” said Braun, a member of the Crossroads Mennonite Brethren Church. 

At the same time, it will be an opportunity to condemn all violence in the Hamas-Israel war and pray for the release of those still being held hostage in Gaza. 

“We want to speak up for all who are suffering, Israelis and Palestinians,” she said, noting invitations went out to members of Mennonite churches in Winnipeg last week. 

The event is one of about 40 actions by Mennonites across the U.S. and Canada today. 

Read my story in the Free Press here.

Interfaith relations in Calgary: “It’s like a bone is broken, and the rest of us can come around it like a cast to hold it and mend it until it is healed.”

In my column about the challenges facing interfaith relations post-October 7, I referred to what the Calgary Interfaith Council did to try to build bridges between the faith communities in that city. 

There wasn't enough room to tell the whole story; find it below.

The first thing the Calgary Interfaith Council did after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel was hold a listening circle for its members. 

“It was a time to share and hear how the attack was impacting board members and their communities,” said executive director Sarah Arthurs, noting this was particularly important for members from the Jewish and Muslim communities. 

Out of that meeting came a decision to hold an interfaith prayer service, which was held on December 11, and another listening circle. 

At the circle, which included members from the Jewish and Muslim communities, it was clear things were “complicated,” as Arthurs put it. “But people stayed in the room to be heard and stay connected,” she said. 

When it came time to plan the public interfaith prayer service, it was apparent the Jewish and Muslim members of the organizing committee were not in a place where they could help organize it. 

“They already had so much going on in their own communities,” Arthurs said, noting other members of the Council’s board stepped up to organize the event. “They [the Jewish and Muslim board members] weren’t able to take on that role.” 

The event itself—so far, it appears to have been the only one held in Canada to date—went well, she said, noting between 40 to 50 people attended. 

People spoke authentically, she said, and at the end there were handshakes and good conversations over food, she said, adding even though not many attended “just doing it was important. It was a first step, not a last step.” 

For Arthurs, who comes from a Christian background, the experience showed while members of the Jewish and Muslim communities have “limited capacity to have much empathy for others right now,” people from other faith groups who are not party to the conflict can “have empathy for both, we can hold space until they are ready to return.” 

That, she said, is her “rudder, finding ways to do that.” 

And no matter what is going on in the world, people of faith can “still pray, be kind, find a way forward,” she said. “It’s like a bone is broken, and the rest of us can come around it like a cast to hold it and mend it until it is healed.” 

Answering the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmastime

 

“Smile, be friendly and go soft on the bells.” 

With those words, Kristin Marand, who co-ordinates marketing and communications for the Salvation Army’s Prairie division, welcomed me to my two-hour volunteer shift at a Christmas kettle at the Superstore on Gateway Road in Winnipeg. 

I was there in answer to an urgent plea for volunteers to help the Salvation Army raise $300,000 to help Winnipeggers in need. 

Read about my stint as a bell ringer for the Sally Ann in the Free Press. And if you have some free time, why not volunteer where you live, too? For more information, go to the Salvation Army website. 

John Lennon-Yoko Ono bed-in for peace an inspiration for calls and prayers for peace today

 

In July, I stayed at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. By chance, I was given a room on the 17th floor, just two doors down from the suite where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their famous bed-in for peace in 1969 — the same place where they recorded the song Give Peace a Chance. 

It’s impossible to miss the suite when you are on that floor; large murals adorn the hallway leading to the room, and the words “Give peace a chance” are printed in a huge font across the door. 

I mention that experience because, in November, independent Montreal journalist Taylor Noakes wrote an open letter to Mayor Valerie Plante suggesting that city hold a rally for peace in the Middle East. He based his case for holding the rally, in part, on that city’s connection to Lennon and Ono’s bed-in. 

I also mention it because a place like Winnipeg could also be a place for such a rally or service for peace—like they held in Calgary in mid-December. Or any other Canadian city, for that matter, even if it might be a difficult thing to do. 

Read more in my latest column.

Manitobans (and anyone else) invited to pray for peace in Middle East Dec. 15-17

 

Manitobans of all faiths are invited to pray for peace in the Middle East, and around the world, this weekend. 

The Manitoba Multifaith Council is calling on people to pray as congregations, and individually, on Friday and Saturday.

“During this time of year, many faith traditions share an emphasis on light, peace and goodwill towards all humanity,” Rocky Baronins, a member of the council’s board, said. “We invited people to pray for peace in all the world.”

Baronins said he hopes that by taking time to pause and pray, people will “think about who we are all together as Manitobans, as part of the human race, even if we have different faiths and views.”

In addition to praying for peace, Baronins said people will be invited to reflect on and pray about the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in Manitoba and across Canada.

“It’s a way to say we all want peace here and around the world,” Baronins — a member of the West Winnipeg Stake, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — said.

The call for peace is coming at a time when international tensions are high.

“Many people have family and friends in places that are experiencing conflict,” Baronins said, noting the council doesn’t feel the time is right to hold an in-person event.

Congregations and individuals can pray in their own way, he said.

“We are all on the same side of peace… this is a way to collectively say we all want peace,” Baronins said.

A selection of sample prayers will be posted on the council’s website at http://wfp.to/6kk and the hashtag #prayforpeace has been created so people who participate can share their experiences on social media.

“We hope this weekend of prayer can have a positive impact on our communities,” Baronins said.

From the Dec. 14 Winnipeg Free Press. 

Christmas cancelled in Bethlehem

Christmas has been cancelled in Bethlehem this year. That’s what Palestinian church leaders in that city have decided because of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

There won’t be any public celebrations, Christmas lights or a decorated tree in Manger Square — not as long the war continues.

There will still be a manger scene, however, located in the sanctuary of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. But instead of the baby Jesus being surrounded by his adoring parents, shepherds, wise men, animals and angels, it will feature a swaddled doll lying in the debris of a shattered building.

Read my column about it here.

Why do people still go to church? People across Canada share their reasons

 

The story of Christianity in Canada the last 20 years has been one of decline — attendance and affiliation are both decreasing for many congregations.

But not everyone has stopped going to church. I recently asked people on social media who still go to church to tell me why.

For most, it’s about community. Almost everyone listed that as being important. But other things came up, too, such as worship, music, growing in faith and service. Some also mentioned things such as connecting with the divine, the holy or with transcendence, or being in God’s presence.

Nobody mentioned sermons. (Although one person mentioned “Bible teaching” in general.)

Read about why people go to church in my WFP column here.