Something Fishy about GOD

There seems to be something ‘fishy’ about God.  It’s right there in Genesis.  God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures.”  Voilà – there they are - the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves and swarms in the waters.  God saw it and declared it good.

Even the ancient Greeks were into fish. The Greek word for fish is ichthys which first century Christians used to create the acrostic Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, which stands for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour.”  They also used the fish symbol to designate Christ. The word ‘fish’ has plenty of other theological overtones. Christ fed the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves and called his disciples ‘fishers of men.’ 

It is one thing to know the Christian origin of the fish symbol but did you ever swim with fish?  Have you been privileged to touch the sleek body of a dolphin or a tiny baby stingray?  Have you been close to a shark or had a manicure compliments of a Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp?  I have.

Scuba diving does not have to be your forte to experience any of the above thrills.  Forget about Hollywood’s amnesic fish in Finding Dory and the grouchy, seven-legged octopus Hank. As entertaining as the movie was, even in 3D, it just didn’t feel as if you were right there in the midst of God’s awesome fishy creation.

Recently, visiting Ripley’s Aquarium in downtown Toronto filled me with awe!  Now, that is a totally different fish story.  Although not in the deep oceans, it was an invigorating way to spend a July afternoon with my friends. Ripley’s is home to an awesome miniature version of the Creator’s ‘waters teeming with swarms of living creatures.’

Ripley’s features several mesmerizing aquatic exhibits, my favourite being the incredible walk-through tank. Visualize a stingray leisurely gliding along just above your head within arm’s reach, its glistening white belly in stark contrast to the nearby steel grey shark. Fish swam above and all around me. I was enveloped by 5.7 million litres of marine and freshwater, seemingly sharing the habitat of some of the most exotic critters from across the world. Literally gawking, in awe and wonder, we meandered through exhibit after exhibit teeming with these innumerable exquisite sea and freshwater jewels. I was intrigued by the octopus, Hollywood Hank’s real life relative. Did you know God gave this startlingly strange creature three hearts and a good mind? 

Overwhelmed, I sat and pondered, humming the familiar verse of Daniel’s Canticle, “All creation, bless the Lord, seas and rivers, bless the Lord. Dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.” I felt blessed in the presence of God’s magnificent creation.  God was palpable in this sacred space. In this kaleidoscope of vibrant colours, I sensed God’s luminous face. The memory lingers, the gratitude remains. 

Guest Blogger: Sr. Magdalena Vogt, cps

If you haven't read it yet, rush out and get a copy!

Many of you may have already read this book, since it was first published in 2009. A copy was given to me by a friend a few weeks ago – and my recommendation is that if you haven’t read it yet, rush out and get a copy immediately! 

I knew little of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands, other than a memory of reciting them off in school geography lessons many years ago - Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark – but this book will certainly bring to light a picture of Guernsey and its people at the time of the German Occupation during World War II, and the aftermath and attempt at recovery and stability in 1946.

The story is comprised of a series of letters exchanged between Juliet, an aspiring young author, the members of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and other local residents, and her friends.  Jumping from character to character and incident to incident, we are introduced from one Guernsey inhabitant to another and so are given a crystal-clear picture of the individual personalities, their acts of heroism during this time of war and occupation, their fearlessness, kindness, and their struggles. 

The letters merge to give us a book will make you laugh.  It will also make you weep, sometimes with sadness, but often with tears of joy at the reminder of the strength of the human character through tragic and difficult times, the survival resources that can be mustered, and the essential goodness and hopes of the human spirit. 

Guest Blogger: Margaret Magee, Administrative Coordinator, Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

BLOOD the STUFF of LIFE

Once again, I find myself blindsided. Don’t get me wrong; as a Missionary Sister of the Precious Blood, I believe in the power of the Precious Blood of Jesus. However, we live in deeply disturbing times or should I say, ‘in a world gone mad’? We live in a world where the blood of 49 innocent people stained an Orlando nightclub a deep crimson red. ‘Why did they die?’ is the question posed most recently by Time Magazine. Why indeed? 

In the midst of trying to cope with one tragedy, the violence continues city after city after city – one can hardly keep track of them all. No wonder so many of us are anxious about our own safety and the safety of our loved ones. Books galore, such as Overcoming Anxiety for Dummies, are geared toward soothing our nerves.  Dummies? Really now. These days many of us seem to be more like experts, rather than dummies, in the anxiety department. For example, with his fear mongering, Donald Trump is raising the anxiety level not only of many Americans, but also people beyond their borders. 

As difficult as the concept may seem, Mr. Trump, just like you and me, is a child of God, as are perpetrators of violence. We are all sisters and brothers, human beings who share the common source of life coursing through our veins – our precious blood. As a sub-stance, there really is no substitute. However, blood is a wily fluid. To various people, it connotes dramatically different things: health, life, death. Indeed, we usually don't give much thought to blood on a regular basis, unless we are watching a vampire movie, donating blood or suffering from a cut - or watching the latest news update about yet another violent death. We all know this much – the approximately 5 liters of blood flowing through our bodies is truly a matter of life and death. It is also the same blood that coursed through the veins of Jesus.

Travelling quite extensively during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis recently in Armenia visited a genocide memorial. In the guest book, he wrote: “Here I pray with pain in my heart that there may never again be tragedies like this, so that humanity may never forget and may know that good wins over evil.”

We, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, daily pray for peace and safety for all who share this earth, our common home. May we fall into mercy, catch glimpses of the grace daily bestowed on us and may the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ protect us.

Guest blogger, Sr. Magdalena Vogt, CPS

Canadian Muslims aspire to peace, tolerance and justice

It seems as if an invisible weight is placed upon my shoulders every few days, and the hijab on my head feels heavier. All this happens in the four minutes or so that it takes me to catch the radio news as I drive my kids to school in the mornings.

Islamist. Terrorist. Islamic State. Jihadist. Radicalized. These are all words now conflated with Muslim in the minds of the general population.

Let’s be clear. People such as those labelled this way do exist and carry their corrupt ideology, beliefs and agendas that, in their warped minds give them the licence to wreak havoc on society — your society and mine. Not only have they perverted my religion, but they’ve also hijacked my identity, stolen my security and left me captive in society’s basket of “bad apples.”

Their every heinous act piles another layer of weight on my shoulders.

I am a Canadian Muslim woman, proud to wear many hats: Mom, wife, friend, neighbour, community builder, school parent council leader, chauffeur to dance, piano, swimming and martial arts classes, and the loudest soccer mom in the stands. But with each of these hats, I also wear others — head scarves, in my case — that invite the invisible burden of labels that get applied so commonly, without people pausing to reflect upon the impact of these words to render innocents powerless and vulnerable.

Fatima Coovadia picks up her children Ihsaan Patel, Nuha Patel and Muhammad Patel from school in Saskatoon on June 21, 2016. (Michelle Berg / Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

I wish that I could change the lens and transform the image of “Muslim” from the Omar Mateens of the world to just me — the me who is just like you. I pay my taxes. I don’t text and drive. I am a regular at the Tim’s drive-thru. I like and react on Facebook. I weed my garden and shovel my sidewalk, and I bleed green.

I also pray five times a day, meet my charity obligation and fast during Ramadan. I also have completed a pilgrimage to Mecca. This does not make me different from you. It simply makes me closer to my Creator. It makes me more mindful of His bounties and prompts me to reflect on how I can be the best person, the best Canadian that I can be.

I am a regular citizen, a champion for equity, and a mom who wants her daughter to be able to enjoy shopping without self-consciously tugging at her hijab.

I remember a time when society was like a box of chocolates — when each individual brought a unique flavour to the community. The differences brought a new dimension of interest and talent that enriched us all. There was a unique place for each piece within the box.

Then 9-11 happened. Many innocent people died on that day, and in response 100,000 equally innocent people died in a flash in a war that we now know was based on false assumptions. When will this madness end?

There is a great need for us to share our values, and to get to know each other better.

Islam is part of the Abrahamic tradition alongside Christianity and Judaism, and it is practised by more than a billion peaceful people around the globe, transcending gender, race, ethnicity, language, culture and geography.

In Canada, Muslims serve as doctors, builders, accountants, restaurateurs (ever willing to spice up one’s taste buds), teachers and so on. We practise our faith and live our lives as ordinary Canadians — these are not mutually exclusive. We aspire to the same values of peace, tolerance, justice and good neighbourliness as our fellow citizens.

After all, it is the actions of the doer that are most important. Good people have good values and lead good lives.

How good will it be to feel like that unique chocolate again, surrounded by equally unique neighbours, each with their own space within the same box.

Fatima Coovadia is a mom and health-care consultant in Saskatoon. Story first appeared in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix on June 25, 2016. Used with permission.

Poverty Inc.

The subtitle for POVERTY, INC. says it all: “Fighting poverty is big business. But who profits the most?” This film draws attention to the many ways in which those of us in developed countries are getting rich at the very expense of the people we want to assist.

Some of us have the opportunity to feel good because we give our old hand me downs we don’t want to others who we pretend will not have them except for our generosity. Some of us can feel good about buying new shoes because at least we know a free pair will be donated to others in need. Some of us are actually able to gain monetary wealth because of our business savvy that “seems” to be doing good. As I watched the movie I found myself wondering how many textile companies have been put out of business by people donating clothes to developing countries. Why buy what you can get for free. How many local economies have come to a standstill because we import all kinds of manufactured goods from our Western cultures that could come from the local community?

Many of the people interviewed from many different countries repeated that it was good to give when people are in need but if donations are still needed five years later there is a problem.

The most striking aspect of the film was the way in which I was confronted by my own prejudices and misconceptions about life in the developing countries. As someone who has been actively engaged in a variety of social justice activities and organizations for a number of years I wasn’t expecting any great surprises. I was wrong. I am embarrassed to admit that I was startled by images of lush foliage as we listened to the words “where nothing ever grows” from the song (Feed the World) Do They Know It’s Christmas Time. Equally surprising were the images of solar street lights being developed in Haiti and computer businesses located in cities in Africa.

Throughout the movie it became absolutely apparent that those in the developing world need to participate in the global economy that they are currently being excluded from because of “paternalism”, the developed countries imposing what we think their needs are upon them. The message is clear – this doesn’t work. It is our responsibility to allow developing countries to develop. We must recognize that these countries can, and in fact need to become active participants in the global economic community to truly raise themselves out of the cycle of poverty.

But don’t take my word for it. I would encourage you to watch the film for yourself and make your own decisions about supporting our sisters and brothers in developing countries. The conversation needs to continue.

Guest Blogger
Annette Donovan-Panchaud
CSJ Associate
Campus Minister, King’s University College, London, ON