Should Christians attend or organize public protests of bad laws, or rallies in support of good laws? That was the question I asked myself when presented with an invitation to attend an event on the steps of the Vancouver Art…
Our presence matters
Category: Justice
Resisting anti-Asian hate, unlearning internalized racism, raising awareness
Since the pandemic began, there has been a surge of Anti-Asian hate crimes in Canada. In Vancouver alone these hate crimes rose 717 percent compared to the previous year. This is the highest spike since my family immigrated to Canada…
Uighur genocide: standing up for persecuted Muslims
The most memorable – and enjoyable – vacation our family has ever taken was in the mid-1980s, when we visited Xinjiang, in the far corner of northwest China. At the time, my wife and I were missionaries in Pakistan, and…
Indoor Easter services lost, but there are signs of increased equity
Last weekend my wife and I went out for dinner at a restaurant to celebrate life. And on Sunday, for the first time in four months, we were able to attend church in person. It was Palm Sunday, one week…
Lament for the passage of Bill C-7, for ‘the devaluing of human life’
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) laments that Bill C-7 passed into law on March 17. This bill changed Canada’s law on medical assistance in dying (MAID) in crucial and tragic ways. It allows people who are not dying to…
International Institute for Religious Freedom developing Vancouver branch
A Trinity Western University professor has been named director of the North American branch of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF); the new branch will be based in Vancouver. A recent release from the IIRF tells the story: The…
Illiberal legislation: why Christians should be concerned about Bill C-6
For all sorts of reasons, Christians in Canada (like everyone else) can often take a while to catch up on what is happening in Ottawa, and what the ramifications are going to be for both church and society. As people…
Churches restive as government hints at looser COVID-19 restrictions
Lent is a time of waiting. While the church prepares for Easter, we also await decisions from the provincial government about opportunities to meet in person again. Dr. Bonnie Henry offered some hope, but was very cautious, when she spoke…
Welcoming the stranger as kin – moving from idea to action
Almost 80 million asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced people are seeking new homes in our world today, a reality requiring urgent conversation and action. A timely new book is now available to help us reimagine personal, national and international…
Archbishop petitions court to remove Public Health Order restrictions
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver filed a petition with the B.C. Supreme Court February 26, requesting an exemption from the pandemic-related Provincial Health Order restricting church gatherings. Archbishop Michael Miller is also seeking “a declaration that the Provincial Health…