Thank the Creator for the Canoe

It wasn't that long ago that it seemed as though every Canadian household with a bit of storage space at home or cottage owned a canoe, or at at least a canoe-ish vessel. Some of them were marvelous canvas-covered, cedar-stripped works of art, as well as being engineering marvels. These were made by companies such as Chestnut and Peterborough which no longer exist. They gave way to dubious but durable "craft' made of aluminum and which clanked like old-style garbage cans. Then came  canoes whose material was masked by a variety of proprietary names, but are plastic, just the same. We have owned all of the above and still have a couple.

Canoes have largely disappeared into the garages and boathouses in favour of kayaks, many of them are modified plastic wading pools with the name kayak attached to them. After decades of paddling in canoes and an earlier era of canoe-tripping with our kids we now have sea kayaks ourselves.

This Year of the Virus we have paddled a lot, beginning in late March. We've been in the kayaks lately but for the first 15 or so forays onto lakes and rivers we were in a canoe. Ruth and I have paddled together for about 45 years so its rare that we aren't in sync, without needing to think  about who does what.



Canadian Canoe Museum

Yesterday was National Canoe Day so I should once again note that what canoeing icon, Bill Mason, called the perfect craft is both highly practical and the vessel which can usher Groundlings into a profoundly spiritual experience in Creation. There are wonders to behold in a canoe or kayak which are visible and audible because they are self-propelled and so close to the water. We do our best to paddle in places and at times when others won't be around but when motorized boats roar by we are reminded of why we choose the "arm strong" method of propulsion. 

There is the sense of the holy in proximity to an otter, or blue heron, a loon or a lunking great snapping turtle, all experiences we've had already this year. If I was creative I would write a prayer for National Canoe Day, and perhaps I will...sometime. I would include gratitude to the Indigenous peoples of different continents who figured out how to use the materials at hand to create their canoes and kayaks, all from renewable materials.

Cottonwood Delight

Eastern Cottonwood - photo: David Mundy

Two days ago I cycled along the Belleville waterfront at an early hour. It was rather overcast and the wind seemed to be a gale into which I was riding. Along the way I passed a number of Eastern Cottonwood trees, a species I wouldn't have identified at other times of the year but are so prolific in spreading their cottony seeds at this time of year.

As I huffed and puffed around Zwick's Park (did I mention it was windy?) I saw a lone cottonwood in one of the large grassy areas. The strong breeze had carpeted the lawn for at least 25 to 30 metres downwind. It was so unique and unexpected that I stopped and took a photo which just can't do it justice. 

I've mentioned a couple of times that we have taken to following the practice of an elderly woman described by Fred Bahnson in an essay about the Church Forests of Ethiopia. As she entered the wooded compound with the church structure at the centre the woman made the sign of the cross, bowed reverently, and then gestured as though she was receiving the gift of the trees. That moment near the cottonwood was holy for me.

On the return trip (with the wind at my back!) I stopped at our community garden plot. Behind the garden there are two stately Catalpa trees covered in blossoms. I love catalpas with their extravagant flowers and over-sized leaves. I felt blessed for the second time that morning. There is a biblical story of a garden, although it is Eden, not Eat'n. There is also a tree in that garden, which should have been admired rather than plundered, or so the story goes.

 All I know is that as I age I appreciate trees more and more, and know that they are a gift from the Creator. I'm doing my best to honour them, delight in them, and pay homage where it is due. 



Catalpa -- photo: Ruth Mundy

Super Natural Awe and Wonder

Wesley Allsbrook

We are very happy that we can "bubble up" with our grandchildren who we didn't see "in the flesh" for months because of COVID-19. On Saturday our two Trenton grandsons came for a sleepover and during the day we drove north and east to the Depot Lakes Conservation Area. We were supposed to camp there as a family in August but that has been cancelled, sadly. We paddled to the island where we would have camped, roasted hot dogs, swam, and generally enjoyed the natural world -- Creation.

At one point I looked over to another tiny island, eight to ten metres away and realized that there was a loon siting on her nest immediately by the shore. I was aware that loons nest very close to water and that the wake of boats and personal water craft often washes eggs out. Just the same, I've never seen a nest even though we've spent countless hours on the water through the years.  All four of us watched her in the stillness, then she entered the water and dove. We could see her swimming before she resurfaced and spread her wings, majestically. It was holy to experience this together. 



During the past three months the boys' parents have got them outside often, exploring trails, cycling in the neighbourhood, swimming more recently. They love it all, as did their parents when they were young. 

There is an article in the New York Times about the detrimental psychological impact on children who are in settings where the coronavirus has meant confinement for long periods of time.The piece by Meg St-Esprit McKivigan is called  ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ Is Really a Thing: Children’s behavior may suffer from lack of access to outdoor space, a problem heightened by the pandemic. Both her name and the title are mouthfuls and the article is worthwhile. 

 Parents are aware of behaviour changes with irritability and anxiety. It seems that Nature Deficit Disorder, a phrase coined by Richard Louv, a journalist and the author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder does exist. 

I'm convinced that the Creator meant for us to connect with the world around us, that we are "natural" as well as appreciating nature, that we are embodied by design.I imagine that the God who chose to be with is in this world in the person of Jesus, played by the lake called Kinneret and climbed hillsides and trees as a boy.

One of the greatest gifts we who are people of faith -- Groundlings -- can give our children and grandchildren is our example of delighting in the world around us and sharing this exploration with them. 

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, Then and Now

Official waves away Summer Solstice interloper at Stonehenge

 “Immediately after the suffering of those days

the sun will be darkened,  and the moon will not give its light;

 the stars will fall from heaven,  and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Jesus of Nazareth Matthew 24:29

Ah yes, COVID-19. Even the Summer Solstice has been affected by the deadly coronavirus. or at leas the gatherings to celebrate the longest daylight hours of 2020 have been. In recent decades thousands have gone "full Druid" and gathered for the solstice at Stongehenge, the extraordinary Neolithic thing-ma-jig on the Salisbury Plain in Great Britain. Research suggests that the massive stones used to create it were dragged a great distance at least 2,500 years ago to create this remarkable seasonal clock, of a sort. The reasons for the site, the engineering required to transport the stones and build the structure before the wheel,  and the actual purpose of the circle are lost in the mists of time. This hasn't stopped the wannabe Druids of our time from flocking to Stonehenge every for both the Winter and Summer Solstices.



Druid at Stonehenge

I often look at the photos of these celebrations and the participants appear rather, how to say...goofy. Lots of folk in "druid drag" even though they probably reject the trappings of liturgical Christian churches. Still, I've come to appreciate that there is something innately human and profoundly spiritual about observing the seasons and celestial movements across the skies. Astronomy was one of the earliest sciences, and of course we have that story of the Magi in search of the toddler Jesus. The bible has lots of "signs and portents" connecting what happens in the heavens with the God of Heaven. 

We are aware that the Druids of Ireland made connections between their faith and the faith of the Christians who came to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. In turn the Christians found ways to intertwine the two traditions in the earthy expression of the earthy faith we now term Celtic Christianity. 

As churches empty and congregants age we might consider that half a million people signed up for the Virtual Stonehenge, the online observance of the solstice. They even invited Clonehenges, inviting participants to create their own faux stone circles at home.

Hey, before we knock it, maybe we need to ask what is being touched here and how we celebrate the goodness of Creator and Creation.

30 Days Urban Wild

At the beginning of the month I wrote about an initiative called 30 Days Wild which encourages people to do something outdoorsy every day during the month of June. It's a great idea and fits well with our lives, even during the pandemic. Our community of 50,000 is on the Bay of Quinte and within an hour (even 15 minutes) we can be places where we encounter very few people. Being early risers helps as well.

We regularly cycle in town, along the Bay of Quinte shoreline trail and sometimes up the Moira River. Some days we cover 15 to 22 kilometres on our urban routes. While it would be a stretch of the imagination to call these wilderness forays we certainly see lots of wildlife. Recently we've seen green and blue herons, ospreys, and multitudinous turtles, one of which we assisted across the road. Earlier we saw migrating ducks and mergansers, as well as a loon passing through. Now there are lots of cygnets with their swan parents.

Mammals? Beavers, muskrats, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, squirrels and more squirrels. There are spots where the wildflowers and flowering trees flourish in Spring, much to our delight. 

One of the spots where we regularly see a variety of critters is a holding pond next to a noisy factory. Apparently "location, location, location" isn't a high priority. 

As you may know, I regularly remind readers that the bible begins and ends in a garden, and the river of the heavenly city in Revelation is clean and lined with trees. I'd like to think that we can all appreciate 30 Days Urban Wild if we're just willing to pay attention. 

Environmental Racism and Justice

I rummaged around and found a print resource from the Sojounrers Christian community called Holy Ground: A Resource on Faith and the Environment. I ordered it back in 1997 and paid five bucks for it (US) Out of curiosity I did a search and I could get a copy for $75 (US) on Amazon.com! 

This resource was a mature, ground-breaking series of essays with different sections, including Environmental Racism and Justice. These ten insightful essays explore how environmental degradation affects the poor and marginalized and racial minorities at a disproportionately high level. They work in industries which are poisonous, and live near toxic waste around the world. Charles Lee describes it as "dumping on the poor."

They were eye-openers for me -- I hadn't really thought in theses terms before. I believed strongly that as Christians we had a biblical imperative to protect and delight in God's Creation. It hadn't really occurred to me that I was in a privileged position as a white, North American male to enjoy the Earth, both as a source of wonder and resources. 



Imperialist cultures have often discounted Indigenous wisdom about the land, and whole continents have been plundered to provide wealth for a relative few. Many Canadian mining companies have a dismal record at home and abroad in treating Indigenous communities with respect. 

Only recently did I become aware that one of my environmental heroes, John Muir, was involved in the displacement of Indigenous people to create beloved parks. 

In the midst of the current groundswell of demands for justice for Blacks in the United States, as well as Indigenous  peoples, and People of Colour everywhere there is also a call to connect racial justice and environmental justice. This isn't new, given that the Sojourners resource is nearly 25 years old, but it may be that it will be finally be heard. 

Covid-19 and Outdoor Worship

This weekend congregations of different faiths are making decisions about coming together for worship after the Ontario government gave the surprise green light to gather in parts of the province.  Most decided that they didn't have time to prepare for this Friday/Saturday/Sunday but lots have already announced they won't be reconvening as worshipping communities until at least the Fall. 

During these past three months there have been a variety of reactions to the prohibition on worship and some congregations have offered up alternatives. A church in Alymer held a couple of services in the large parking lot. No one left their vehicles and the service was broadcast through car radios. Honestly, this didn't seem to violate the spirit of the law to me, but the Church of the Holy Tarmac was fined anyway. 

One suggestion for reestablishing worship is meeting outside. It would probably be easier for physical distancing, experts say that you're 20 times less likely to contract COVID-19 outdoors, and you're outside in the beauty of the Creation. Tis the season for congregational services and picnics, so why not? 



There is a growing movement toward worshipping outdoors with congregations sprouting up here, there, and everywhere in North America. The Algonquin Park ministry in which I participated the past couple of summers is now associated with Cathedral of the Trees ministry near  Maynooth-Madawaska. It is affiliated with the Wild Church Network. 

We may not want to "go wild" in our worship, but we could experiment with the outdoor format even if we choose not to go inside as a responsible and loving precaution for the next few months. As people of the Creator it could be a powerful witness in these rather confusing times. 

What do you think? 

https://riseabove470.wordpress.com/cathedral-of-the-trees/

https://www.wildchurchnetwork.com/

The Death of an Urban Whale

Have you been paying attention to the story of a humpback whale in Montreal? A couple of weeks ago city-dwellers were startled to see a whale in the St.Lawrence river, a first in living memory. Initially reports claimed that it was the first time this had ever happened, which seemed like rather typical human hubris to me. How do we know whether whales frequented this section of the mighty river in the past? 

Montrealers have flocked to viewing spots for what is an unprecedented sight in these times. Warnings have been issued about getting too close in smaller boats as people attempt to get closer. 

We have seen several of the 10 whale species of the St. Lawrence "up close and personal" in the past  but around Tadoussac, which is nearly 500 kilometres away, as well as in the Saguenay River. . Humpbacks. as with other whales. are salt-water creatures and at Montreal the river is brackish, mostly freshwater. This whale could survive here for a time but not flourish, and the presence of ships and effluent from the city would make this a less than desirable habitat. 

I've wondered whether reduced shipping traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic might have emboldened this humpback to make what seems to be an atypical foray upstream in the river. Was there a time before European arrival when seals and porpoises and whales ventured farther from the gulf of St. Lawrence?. A friend who worked on ocean-going ships told us about being alone on the early morning bridge watch while passing Anticosti Island and seeing hundreds of porpoises. He said is was a magical experience. 

Today we got news that this humpback has died of causes unknown. A necropsy will be performed to establish the cause of death, if possible. We can mourn the death of this leviathan, to use a biblical term.from the psalms and Job and Isaiah which was eventually used for whales. We can also mourn the loss of diversity in the seas and oceans and great rivers which would have been wonders to behold. 

The World's Oceans, the Creator's Oceans

Haida Gwaii

On World Oceans Day yesterday there were many posting on social media recognizing the degradation of oceans, their economic importance to humanity, the threat of rising sea levels to coastal areas and island nations. 

There were also reminders of the sheer beauty and wonder of our beleaguered seas and oceans. We call our planet Earth but it could be Ocean, given that salt water makes up more than two thirds of the surface. 

Earlier this year it was likely that we would visit oceans on three occasions during 2020. We were hoping to take up the kind offer of cousins to spend time at their summer place on Chesapeake Bay and in the Fall we wanted to return to the outport Newfoundland community where I first served in ministry to see a dear friend who's had a debilitating stroke. 

We had also planned a trip to Haida Gwaii, the archipelago off the British Columbia coast which is sometimes called the Northern Galapagos. Our time there was to include a five-day kayak excursion in Gwaii Haanas, the National Park co-managed with the Haida First Nation. This trip has been cancelled, or at least deferred to next year. We doubt either of the other two will occur this year meaning that for the first time in a couple of decades we won't experience the sea. I'll admit that seeing that Haida Gwaii/Gwaii Haanas photos resulted in pangs of loss. We always feel so enlivened by proximity to the sea and feel the presence of the Creator. 

The oceans and seas are celebrated in scripture as places of terror and delight. Genesis and the psalms invite us to consider the diverse creatures of the sea. The story of Jonah involves a sea voyage.The apostle Paul spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in a variety of ways, including voyages on the Mediterranean. 

We know beyond doubt that the diversity and abundance of the oceans in biblical times was far greater than it is today. So I'll try not to mourn our loss. Perhaps the pandemic which keeps us and millions of others at home this year will be a meaningful Sabbath for the seas.

 

Green God, Green Trinity?

View from the Cup and Saucer Trail 

During the time we lived in Sudbury in Northern Ontario (11 years) we held a number of congregational "saunters" and information events on environmental issues. On a couple of occasions we invited Franco Mariotti, a staff scientist at the wonderful Science North to join us. He came on a climb up the Cup and Saucer Trail on Manitoulin Island with his two boys and his eyes and ears made it a memorable experience. Franco was a presenter at the Lands For Life travelling forum on public lands in the North, as was I on behalf of the Friends of Killarney Provincial Park and for the United Church.


Franco Mariotti as a Science North Blue Coat

I had coffee with Franco once where we touched on the issues of faith and care for Creation. He conceded that he had drifted away from the Roman Catholicism of his upbringing. He heard about the Creator in the liturgy but didn't experience much practical reverence for the natural world which eventually shaped his vocation. Sadly, too many others have felt the same way, regardless of denominational background. 

That conversation was probably 25 years ago, or more, but I obviously haven't forgotten it. Today is Trinity Sunday, which means we acknowledge God-in-Three-Persons. "Trinity" is not a biblical term but reflects the wrestling of the early church to comprehend the God who brings all things into being, who lovingly enters into Creation in Christ, and whose breath/wind of the Spirit continues to enliven and shape us. The scripture readings are always gathered to reflect these expressions, including a Creation passage. This year is all of chapter 1 of Genesis, and a bit more. 

The liturgical colour for Trinity Sunday is green and we might all ask how we will honour a "green God" today and everyday. For six days God created a world of astonishing beauty, variety, and balance, and declared delight in what was accomplished. Surely we, as Groundlings, can "live with respect in Creation" as we honour the blessed Trinity. 

Time for Nature, Time for Creation

All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful:
in love, God made them all.

1 Each little flower that opens,
each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colours,
God made their tiny wings.  R

5 God gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God our maker,

who has made all things well.  R

Today is United Nations World Environment Day, an event which is recognized in more than 100 countries around the world. The theme this year is Time for Nature, which seems rather innocuous -- isn't it always? Digging a little deeper we find that the theme refers to a focus on biodiversity as species loss and degradation of nature This is actually hugely important and many scientists have pointed to a loss of biodiversity as contributing to the spread of disease and the possibility of pandemics. Can you imagine what global chaos might occur if a novel virus was unleashed?

Once again we are reminded that the ways in which humans tend to nature, or Creation as many of the world's religions term it, are essential. In our Judeo/Christian traditions we affirm a biblical message that we are both created and directed to be loving, responsible stewards of Creation. The diversity of creatures is not something to be exploited by humans but regarded with respect and reverence and responsibility. 

We are not outside biodiversity looking in, rather integrally part of it. We ignore this at our peril. That's not so hard to understand, is it Groundlings? As the cherished old hymn says, God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell. 

To care about our planet, we don't have to be a tree-hugger or a liberal.
All we have to be is a human who depends on our shared home for every breath we take,
all food and water we need,
and the materials we use to make everything we have.
And as far as I know, we're all that.

Katharine Hayhoe Climate Scientist, Christian & Canadian

Going Spiritually Wild

This morning I was awake far too early, so, by six o'clock I was at the Frink Conservation Centre north of Belleville. This may shock you, but I was the only human on the boardwalk and on the trail down along the Moira River. It was lovely, a spiritual experience which restored my soul once again. I saw eight or nine blue herons between the two rambles. I  could hear a barred owl (who, who cooks for you all?) a pied billed grebe, a northern flicker and other birds. The blue flag (wild iris) and yellow water lilies are blooming in the beaver pond, always a welcome sight. 

I was alone today but Ruth and I have a brief ritual of acknowledging the Creator and the trees when we are out together, whether paddling, cycling, or walking. We started doing so a few months ago and it has become very important to us, what we hope is a virtuous habit. I took a moment to do so today. 



The Moira River in the early morning

I noticed yesterday that there is a movement called 30 Days Wild which invites us to do something "natural" each day during June. Not all of us can get to spots which are wilderness, especially these days. Yet we can look out our windows to bird feeders or trees. Perhaps we can enjoy urban walks or cycles to "see what we can see, hear, smell," Yesterday I cycled along the urban waterfront trail in Belleville and saw a beaver cruising by  in the Bay of Quinte and my first monarch butterfly of 2020. 

Here is the invitation to  engage in "random acts of wildness" in June. You may have missed a couple of days and you may miss some more, but the Creator is generous in the forgiveness department!

This June, join thousands of people taking part in our annual nature challenge, 30 Days Wild! We want you to do one wild thing a day throughout the whole month: for your health, wellbeing and for the planet. That’s 30 simple, fun and exciting Random Acts of Wildness. https://action.wildlifetrusts.org/page/57739/petition/1



The Maple Swamp at the Frink Centre

The Birds of the Air and Racism

Christian Cooper, skilled birder

Look at the birds of the air; 
they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, 
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
 Are you not of more value than they? 

Matthew 6:26

On the same day George Floyd, a person of colour, was murdered by a policeman in Minneapolis, a black man named Christian Cooper was looking for birds in New York City's Central Park. Cooper, an avid birder saw a woman with her dog roaming about in an area where leashes are required. When he asked her to comply with the rules she called 911 and faked an attack by an African-American man, an egregious act of deception which we realize could have led to his arrest or violence. Fortunately the encounter was recorded on phone and the two of them had moved on by the time police arrived.

The video went viral and the white woman was identified as Amy Cooper (definitely not related!) a Canadian living and working in NYC. She eventually issued an apology, insisting though that she is not a racist and lamenting that her life has been ruined. She has been fired from her job and who knows what sort of abuse she's received for her tantrum. 

Christian Cooper has not dismissed her apology and says that he didn't want her life to be upended, which is gracious on his part. 

This miserable incident brought to mind a thoughtful book by Drew Lanham called The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature. Lanham grew up in the American South and as I recall had a Baptist upbringing which he experienced as harsh and judgmental. He found what we might describe as spiritual meaning in the natural world, This eventually led to his vocation as a professor of ecology and wildlife. 



In articles, both in the past and presently, and in the book, Lanham writes about the challenges and potential perils of "birding while black" , a variation on "driving while black."  Sadly, people of colour are much more mindful about being out at dusk and dawn, and any time, really, while pursuing what should be a low-risk pastime or opportunity for research. 

https://orionmagazine.org/article/9-rules-for-the-black-birdwatcher/

These are powerful reminders to all of us Groundlings of the insidious injustice of racism in virtually every sphere of life. I will uphold the truth that I follow a brown-skinned Palestinian man who encouraged us to consider the birds of the air as we address the anxieties of daily life. 

This is Black Birders Week, bye the way, a statement of freedom to delight in the wonder of the avian world.