Another Saturday, another look at what has been lighting me up and lighting my way this week.
Two related things dominated this week for me. The first is another snowstorm on Saturday and Sunday that dumped an additional 25 cm (10”) of snow onto a city that was already facing the most snow on the ground I’ve seen here in a decade. The second was a visit from a friend from out of town (also Saturday — his plane touched down a few minutes before the flurries started). Since it was his first time in the city and was game for an adventure, we ended up being out and about for pretty much the whole storm and its aftermath. It was exhausting tromping around the city in those conditions, but it was also kind of exhilarating! The benefit was that it often felt like a VIP private tour of the city, as major destinations were virtually empty. All in all, it was a very fun long weekend in wonderful company. And I have to say that, while they’re always in style, there’s nothing quite like authentic loukoumades to warm the soul on a snowy day.
Trudging through a city in adverse conditions — slippery and uneven underfoot and limited visibility, with gusts of wind that could knock you off course — feels like a good metaphor for life in our world today. Doing that with a friend was a good reminder of the power of connection and mutual responsibility. As much as I may roll my eyes at the poem “Footprints in the Sand,” there’s something to be said for remembering that we’re not alone in life’s trials. Even if we may not think God carrying us is the best metaphor for this, we might rightly recognize the presence of God, as well as our human companions, and plead “Just don’t stop walking with me….”
I didn’t read too too much this week, but there were two highlights. The first is Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s inspiring book How We Learn to Be Brave (2023), which explores vocation through the lens of having the courage to step up to the plate in whatever it is we are called to do, whether that’s staying put, starting over, or accepting unavoidable circumstances. It’s absolutely worth the read. The other was Isaac’s Song, by Daniel Black (2025). It’s a sequel to Don’t Cry for Me (2022), which was my favourite read of 2023. While it didn’t quite reach those highs for me, it was still a really beautiful read, tackling challenging and evergreen themes of fathers and sons, intersectional identities, and forgiveness.
My favourite new albums of the past week were Divinations by Oracle Sisters, which has riffs that feel nostalgic without being identifiable of any particular era or scene, and Saint Motel & the Symphony in the Sky by Saint Motel, which is pretty impeccable pop as far as I’m concerned. (It’s early yet for yesterday’s new releases, but I’m already loving Sam Fender’s People Watching and am excited to listen to the new albums from Tate McRae, Mike Posner, and Youth Lagoon.) In terms of tv and movies, I enjoyed a rewatch of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), which has an amazing cast and in which my part of Toronto plays a starring role (in the snow no less!). I also finally got around to watching Netflix’s adaptation of the charming queer graphic novel series Heartstopper. It’s just so sweet and so charming and so joyful. It really makes me shake my head and wonder why queer joy is so hard for so many people to swallow.
So what’s lighting you up this week?
Matthew Root 