Racism in Canada: Is it the elephant in the room? Illustration: david anderson http://davidandersonillustration.com
In the summer of 1979, I was a student in the diocese of Moosonee, where the priest was called the “prayer boss” by the First Nations people. I learned about responsibility, about caring for people and about the deepness of relationships between clergy and people “up North,” where everyone is less encumbered by material things.
The former primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Ted Scott, who was for me, the incarnation of what a modern priest should be, envisioned a church in which people and clergy sat side by side. Still, the model of church that we practise in most Anglican parishes is superficial. The music and the preaching are great, but what about the rest of the week?
How many of us are engaged in Bible study, prayer groups, social justice issues, supper clubs or just plain clowning around? Let’s really be ourselves and practise building relationships with God and one another: koinonia.
The Rev. Robert G. Cross
Niagara-on-the Lake, Ont.