Recent events at UBC and in the city of Vancouver has brought the on-going problem of violence by men against women to the forefront of the news. Students at UBC are on high-alert. In conversation I notice that some men admit that its difficult to address the prevailing attitudes that perpetuate violence against others. Why is it difficult for men to address each other on what is rightfully “not cool” and “not acceptable”?
Jackson Katz challenges men who care to speak up.
Seth Godin recently wrote about three kinds of business: the geography based business, the commodity based business and the community based business. He writes, “And the third type, the modern type, the type that’s the most difficult to build and the most stable once built is the community-based business.”
Yes. Some of my favourite businesses are community-based. Their survival is rooted in creation of community through what is shared.
This weekend the Vancouver Sun’s Mia Standby highlighted some community-based grocery stores in Vancouver. Take note all you community dreamers. There is much to learn.
Yesterday while driving across the city a couple of times I was able to listen to CBC Radio1’s rebroadcast of the Killam Prize Symposium.
It featured the following four winners:
Jean Grondin is a philosopher and professor at Université de Montréal. He is an expert on the ideas of Immanuel Kant and Martin Heidegger, and the author of over twenty books.
Louis Taillefer is a physicist and a leading international researcher on the topic of superconductors. He is a professor at Université de Sherbrooke and holds the Canada Research Chair in Quantum Materials.
John Whalley is Canada’s leading research economist. He is a professor in the Department of Economics at Western University in London, Ontario and director of the school’s Centre for the Study of International Economic Relations.
Mark A.Wainberg is one of the most renowned and productive researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS. He is a professor at McGill University, and his research is aimed at slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa.
I particularly enjoyed the conversation about discovery generated through the interaction of the “old” and the “young.” As well the need for PI: Passion and Intuition in the process of discovery.
Here’s to all my friends at UBC hoping for the next great DISCOVERY!
The broadcast is 53 minutes and its worth the time.
When the canary quits singing, there’s trouble. The phrase “canary in the coal-mine” references a historical mining practice of taking canaries into a coal mine. The canary would show distress from carbon monoxide, methane, or carbon dioxide earlier than the miners working and breathing the same air. The canary was their early warning system.
Religious liberty is our canary. Where religious liberty falls, other freedoms will soon decline.
This week perhaps in recognition of the importance of religious liberty in our global conversation, Prime Ministry Stephen Harper announced the creation of Canada’s newest office: The office of religious freedom. Andrew Bennet a former professor and dean will be the director.
Religious liberty as a societal value is a complex set of beliefs and convictions. Within Christian thought and practice, religious liberty for all is a philosophical position that evolved over many years after governments gave certain expressions of Christianity favoured-religion-status. The network to which I belong points back to Roger Williams , founder of Rhode Island, as a leader that dramatically advanced the pursuit of liberty beyond “my group” to “for all.” I am aware within my own tribe of baptists though, that our stated value for religious liberty is not often taught and is more often pragmatically neglected when confronted with our pluralistic and democratic society. In those cases, the canary is under duress.
My hope for the Office of Religious Freedom is that it will take its small budget and multiply it by encouraging reflection, scholarship and praxis within Canada’s diverse cultures and religious communities to pursue a “for all” vision of religious liberty. The global mix of Canada’s citizenry in our cities and our universities affords us the opportunity to create safe spaces for the intentional effort required.
Being the canary watcher is not enough. It will not be enough for Canada to critique countries and governments that deny religious liberty. We must learn to recognize the signs of duress and consider how to stimulate and support the hard work, thought, and sacrificial actions required for liberty.
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:19-21
19And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Observations:
Peter commends the prophetic word of the Old Testament to His readers.
It is a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.
The Holy Spirit catalyzed the prophetic word by the will of God.
Application:
I love the picture here. Waiting for morning. The Word of God is like a lamp brightening the dark places of my heart, until “the morning star rises” and a new day dawns casting out all the darkness. Jesus is the morning star, He is the new day.
The Word of God encourages me to wait on the Lord. To look expectantly for His deliverance. To pray with the Spirit, “Come Lord Jesus.” The Word of God shows me how waiting can be active. And it is divinely inspired to reveal Jesus Christ in a broken world and even a broken heart.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, some of my friends need hope today. May they see the promise of a new day in the company of your Son. AMEN.
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