The Christian story is the story of Jesus and so the Gospels are tellings of Jesus' story and focus almost entirely on him. It is always noteworthy, then, when they shift the focus away from Jesus and onto another character. Today's Gospel reading is one of these occasions, telling the story of the beheading of … Continue reading History Repeating: A Reflection on Mark 6.14-29
There are times when following a lectionary creates some interesting parallels or juxtapositions to what is happening in the world. Today is one of those days; for today is July 4, the national holiday the United States of America, the most powerful country the world has ever seen. Even in this time when many Americans … Continue reading Power Made Perfect: A Reflection on 2 Corinthians 12.2-10
Canada's moment of national reckoning has continued this week, with the uncovering of yet another mass grave on the site of an old Residential School, this time in Saskatchewan. This is no surprise — anyone who has been paying attention has known these graveyards existed; far too many children disappeared from the schools for it … Continue reading Out of the Depths: A Reflection on Psalm 130
We continue to live in apocalyptic — that is, revelatory — times. So much that has been hidden is coming to light. So many old societal wounds of race and class and gender that many of us were led to believe were healing, if not healed, have been shown to be open and festering. These … Continue reading How Good It Is
We humans are a rather predictable lot. Our heads are turned by good looks whether we want them to be or not; we can know someone is manipulative and still find ourselves caught up in their charm. We are drawn to the biggest, the most powerful, and the 'best'. The shiniest. The brightest. But these … Continue reading A Kingdom of Small Beginnings
Matthew Root 