Josh was just an ordinary kid, and he had an ordinary problem - he was being bullied at highschool. Wanting to let people know he existed, he was a good person, and to react positively to the negative attacks, he wondered what he could do. So he held open a door. Every day. For months. That small act changed everything.
Perhaps because it's such a small thing we can all relate to it, or perhaps...
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It’s Christmas – the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus two millennia ago. One of the carols we often sing is, “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see they lie.” Until this year I envisioned a peaceful village when I sang it, replete with angelic choirs, awestruck shepherds, and the blessed Virgin Mary and Joseph admiring the newborn baby Jesus. This summer I imagined myself...
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My grandfather’s village is just down the road
It’s blessed with the richest of olive groves
On Fridays when grandfather takes me on his knee
I feel the shade of a tree that I’ve never seen
I’m fighting for freedom, peace and security
I’ll never forget what they’ve stolen from me
Wrongs like these must be avenged
I will not rest until they taste just revenge
We’re fighting for freedom in a...
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Tonight, as I was cooking dinner, I browsed my list of podcasts and chose CBC Ideas. I clicked today's show, and was surprised to hear the voice of my friend, Jean Paul Samputu. Jean Paul Samputu is the man who gives me the most hope of anyone in the world that forgiveness is humanly possible, even after the most vicious atrocities.
Jean Paul is Rwandan, and tragically, he lost numerous members...
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I saw two films at the Jayu Human Rights Film Festival today, both first-person accounts from eloquent boys. Faridullah's Day Off was a touching account of a young boy from Afghanistan who dreams of going to school, instead of the brick factory, when the muezzen's call to prayer awakens the family each day. Rising in the darkness, the whole family - from the 5-year-old daughter to the father -...
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After visiting the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa, which closed at noon, I had no itinerary. I started walking down the hill.
“Lady, lady!” A stranger was calling me from a car.
“Yes?” I answered.
“Abraham said you needed a tour guide.” Abraham was the Kenyan security guard at Baha’i Gardens I’d been speaking with about his faith.
“Actually, I do. What do you suggest?”
Chaim gets out a map and points...
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On my friend’s recommendation, on my first evening in Tel Aviv, I walked through Jaffa port. Alighting at the clock tower, the street bustled with open air restaurants, kiosks, groups of teenagers, wandering couples. The sight and sound of the sea attracted my eye. I went to investigate, and capture the light with my camera.
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I hoped I'd sleep for 24 hours after my 24 hour overnight flight, but I awoke suddenly and finally after 8 hours. I opened the curtains to my first view of Tel Aviv in daylight. The bright sun reflected brilliantly off the white buildings. I craned my neck to peek west from my north-facing window and saw the Mediterranean sea.
I'd so anticipated this...
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On my second day in Israel, I sought my own peace. My plan was to meditate at Baha’i Gardens in Haifa, renowned for its beauty. A Baha’i friend described to me years ago in Toronto; today I can finally see it.
With ample time, I adventurously decide to travel by bus and train. While I feel illiterate in this land of signs that I can’t even decipher the letters of, friendly Israelis explain that...
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At 11 PM I board the first plane and settle into my seat. I'm on my way to Israel. I have been anticipating this trip for years, yet planned it in two weeks when a break in my hectic work schedule emerged. I'm excited, nervous, and prayerful that God will make the connections that I didn't have time to. Only my first 2 nights are booked to recover from jet lag in Tel Aviv; it will take me 24...
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