This week, the West looked on in horror as the Taliban advanced into Kabul with shocking speed; in just a few days, it seemed, two decades of nation-building was being undone. It was a sad reminder that the world is a violent place, filled with injustice and tyrannies of all kinds. And it seems that … Continue reading The Armour of God: A Reflection on Ephesians 6.10-20
One theme that has recurred in my Sunday reflections over the past few months is the idea that we receive grace as a gift from God, but inasmuch as that grace is at work in us, we will also give grace to others. As I wrote in November: Grace is a gift but it isn't … Continue reading Growing with Intention: Value Metabolism
For the past three weeks now, our Sunday Gospels have been following Jesus' long discussion about bread in John's Gospel. Two weeks ago, the scene was introduced by Jesus' miraculous feeding of a large, hungry crowd, which we saw was an object lesson for what the Kingdom of God is like. Last week's reading showed … Continue reading What Fills You Up: A Reflection on John 6.35, 41-51
Before I moved to Toronto, I used to live in Victoria, a beautiful city on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. I often found myself showing visitors around, and one of my favorite things to do with them was to take them to Beacon Hill Park, which offers a beautiful mix of carefully tended flower … Continue reading Growing with Intention: Transcendent Beauty
In last week's Gospel reading, Jesus fed a crowd of thousands with just a small amount of food. In my reflection on the passage, I asked why this story was so important to the first Christians that it recurs six times in the four canonical Gospels. I suggested that it was because it manifests the … Continue reading Bread and Circuses? A Reflection on John 6.24-35
Matthew Root 