The Heart Grows

I am not sure if its because it seems so short or Winter is so long but Canadian Summer is precious. I have written little though I have thought much.  Fall blogging begins soon. 

This is a blog post slightly out of the norm but very much connected. Community is vital. Communities are made of people. As I have said before, everyone matters. That is where this is coming from. I created a petition. Recently, Canada Post made the decision to close the Prince Street (downtown) post office location. Here is a portion of the letter that was sent out to those who lodged feedback on the issue: "After careful consideration and review of customer feedback, Canada Post has decided to relocate the Truro Main post office at 664 Prince Street to 366 Industrial Avenue in the Fall of 2013.  We will provide you with an update once a relocation date has been confirmed.  As per the  Canadian Postal Service Charter  that governs Canada Post, the Corporation undertook a 30-day public consultation before deciding to relocate this post office. " I am not sure how many signatures would stop them or how much feedback they have received already bu...

In this article, I continue exploring the idea of “What is Church?” I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about work in general and this idea of “working for the Kingdom.” There were many things brought into the conversation. Once again, I chewed on this idea of church, faith, work, and our assumptions. It made me realize that I do sometimes get lost swimming in my home culture here in Atlantic Canada. These are not new ideas but are deeply rooted in old arguments and assumptions. I do think it is always good to continue the conversation. I will confine this opinion piece to two points: I put forward that all Believers work for the kingdom of God and all Believers live by faith. Or at least should.  clean up after the South Asian tsunami Work is good. We had work before the Fall. After the Fall we wound up with toil mixed in with work. As with everything, Jesus needs to be the centre. Jesus should be the centre of all that we are as Believers. It is ...

My wife and I are putting on our first art show. We have each produced 21 5x7 pieces for the show. We are excited. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/CalabreseDesigns

We grow. We all do. Some grow in weird ways depending on wounds in our life or strangling cares in our environment. We change. Our ideas become more refined and some are outrightly abandoned. If we stop learning and growing we are dying. I will change my mind. I have changed my mind. There are things I did at 19 out of youthful zeal that I cringe at remembering.  If you are reading this and got caught up in that, I am sorry. Even as I read old blog posts, I wonder at the nuances of things I have written. Am I the same as I was then? I guess that is, in part, what blogging is all about. It is the process of writing down thoughts, feelings, experiences, facts, stories, and connecting it all together. Connecting what is written both internally within the blog and externally to the greater context of politics, geography, and the present moment in the scope of history and culture.  I explore ideas of art and creativity and responsibility; archaeology and the importance of res...

UPDATE (2021): This was never a reference, at the time, to anything akin to "all lives matter." I was thinking at the time that this would help in issues of mental health, that a person who could read this would realize that they truly matter. I was also thinking that it may be a bit of soft evangelism (something that is no longer me either) and I regret that. This saying above has been stymied by a future context. Which is fine and which is why I have taken down most things that pertain to this 'movement.' Times change and it is important for people to grow and change. I want to make sure that I am heard unequivocally, BLACK and INDIGENOUS LIVES MATTER!  This blog is called “Everyone Matters” and it is found at a url that has “Carpe Aeternum” in it. What is up with that business? C’mon buddy, cap’, fellah, pal, explain yourself. Alright Internets, I will explain myself. I was watching an episode of one of my favourite shows, “In Plain Sight.” There was a theme in...

Aaron, There are many things I would want to continue to say concerning #idlenomore in particular and protest in general. Please walk with me as I delve into this subject more. I hate even using the word subject because these movements are people! These are individuals and communities that we are talking about. I want to never lose sight of the people or lose the heart of a movement simply because I become a cold academic who begins to dissect something dispassionately. There is no objectivity. There is only subjectivity. Humanity is the heartbeat of God. I truly believe the world can change. I believe that the hearts of individuals and the hearts of nations can be transformed. That is why I am continually saddened by the ignorance of Christians and the apparent apathy of Christians. Protest is one method to see Nations transformed. I will continue to use the #idlenomore movement as a case study of Believers’ response to injustice. This is a movement physically close to me ...

Aaron,  I write this to you, as a letter. I write it as an open letter. I hope this explains my heart in this matter but also more then just my heart. There will be eavesdroppers. To you I say, that I do not write this as a judgement against my friend. I write this from my experience in response to a question he asked. I endeavour to write with love and respect.  With the backlash against the #IdleNoMore movement having begun in the media and social media. I could no longer remain silent. History matters. We are beings living within the context of history and there is a weight and responsibility there.  This is a people movement. Responders need to stop looking for a list of demands like you are a hostage negotiator and listen to the heart of a community. If you have never read about people or social movements then start with wiki and go to your heart’s content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_movement My thoughts and emotions have been informed by past people...