We are in a time of crisis. The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on our health, on our healthcare systems, communities, and economies is going to be immense. We don't know what is going to happen or when this is going to end. The old battle between faith and fear is being waged in all … Continue reading Crisis: A Reflection on Palm Sunday
We've had a rather apocalyptic beginning to 2020, with vast wildfires sweeping through the fertile parts of Australia. Our screens have been filled with images of men and women standing amidst the remains of their homes, images that are becoming all too common across the world (California, Oregon, BC, Alberta, northern Ontario, Greece, Spain, Australia, … Continue reading From Under the Rubble
Today, Christians celebrate the great feast of Epiphany — the celebration of God's light shining into the world in the life of Jesus. In Western practice, the feast commemorates the visitation of the Magi — the Greek word generally referred to Zoroastrian priests versed in astrology — to the child Jesus. I can't help but … Continue reading A Feast of Confounded Expectations
One of the great joys of reflecting on the feasts and seasons of the Church year is to see how they are all so deeply interconnected. We can't really think about Christmas without thinking about Easter; nor can we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus without thinking about his Transfiguration, or experience Lent without experiencing Epiphany. … Continue reading Christmas Gifts of the Spirit
O Immanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God. Most of us are familiar with the Immanuel prophecy through Isaiah 7. In context, Jerusalem is under threat from the combined armies of Israel and Aram and the prophecy offers hope that … Continue reading O Immanuel: God is with Us
Matthew Root 