Author: Fred Redekop

I know a very smart guy. He is at the top of his professional life. I think he is doing well, and can be considered to be upper middle class in both money and influence. He is a loving Dad, and a great husband. He is involved in his community. He grew up in a safe environment.

A little while ago, he had a violation of his personal belongings. The intruder or criminal did not end up taking anything, but my friend felt violated. I have not had much stolen from life, but I know the feeling of being unsafe and violated. It is not a good feeling, and when it happened to me, I did not know what to do. Something was stolen from me while I was walking back to my car, in a dark parking lot.

My friend, who is such a great guy, decided to buy a gun. He lives in the United States of America, and he has the opportunity to buy a firearm. My question around guns and the US has always been, why do people buy a gun when they feel that they are at risk ? People want to keep their things and their family safe. They might hear about a mass shooting or there might be a flurry of robberies in their town, and the first response is to buy a gun, a rifle, a pistol or a machine gun. They want to keep their family safe. What are the alternatives to buying a gun ?

In other countries, I do not think people do this. I might be wrong. But in my experience with America, it seems that the first way to find reconciliation when you feel you have been wronged is to find a weapon. Violence never brings reconciliation. People seem to be afraid in their homes, and when someone approaches their home, they pick up a gun to protect. It seems the normal thing to do. It is relatively easy to find a gun , if you want to purchase one in a store ( like Walmart ), at a gun show or on the black market. Why are gun death rates lover in other countries ?

I have never held, or shot,  a gun, so maybe I am not one to talk about gun control or violence. I fear guns. I have been to places in the world where soldiers walked around , showing off their M-16 or A-47. When I saw that, it was unnerving. We lived in Thailand for three years. On the night we arrived, our taxi was stopped and a soldier put a machine gun through the window. I have never forgotten that.

So, if someone knocks at my door in the evening after dark, would I go for my gun, if I owned one  ? Do I fear the stranger that much, that I believe that there is always a chance of violence ? I do not want to live like that. I live with enough fear and anxiety, that I do not need a gun in my house .

As of yesterday, there have been more than 300 mass shootings in the United States in 2019.  It seems, and I am far off from U.S. culture , that people have trouble resolving disputes without guns. Husbands shoot wives, neighbours shoot each other, and it goes on and on. There are targeted shootings, and there are random shootings, and then there are all those shootings at schools.

Fred Redekop

“At Bill’s request, cremation has taken place. There will be no funeral home visitation or service. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre would be appreciated.”

“At Jeanne’s request, there will be no funeral home visitation. A family service will take place.”

You will find these kind of sentences at the end of many obituaries. I believe this is a recent phenomenon. I might be wrong. It is religious people and non-religious people who choose this kind of end of life celebration. It is often said that these arrangements were made by the person who has died. They have told their family or the funeral director that they do not want anything after they die. Sometimes, there has been family conflict, and the family finds it difficult to be together. I can understand that. Or, the person who has died does not want people to go out of their way to remember them. The deceased person thinks that this might make it easier for the surviving people.  

Why do people not want any services or remembrances of their life ? It might be because they were introverts in their life, and they do not want a fuss made after they die. I am an introvert, and I could see wanting to be left alone, but the funeral and visitation is not for me. It is for the community and family who want to make sense of the loss of their loved one.  I think it is important for community building to have a visitation and a service for the community.

There are churches in our community that always have visitations, and hundreds of people show up. Seemingly , the whole community comes out. . The lines are long, and the grieving people are happy to greet these many people who want to show compassion. For some visitations, it takes hours to go through the whole line, and greet the family and friends. I think this is healthier. Death becomes very real. People want to come out and show their compassion. If people plan a visitation and funeral service, they are appreciative when people take the time to come. It is not what you say, it is that you show up. Community happens.

Nothing, or everything, or something in-between. Many people in this world are lonely. I think it is a great idea to have something, so that people can be in the midst of people. I mentioned I am an introvert, so my inclination is to be by myself when someone I know, dies. But, I need people to walk with me during the beginning of my grief. I am also a mystic, and so I want to deal with death with God by myself, but I need my community ; and I must not go inside myself too much because it would add to my loneliness. I need the community. We need community.

“ Everyone is invited to the church foyer, to celebrate with family, friends and the community for ‘John Smith’. We want to be together so we might feel the compassionate community, and we do not want to walk this journey of grief and loss by ourselves. Please come out and grieve with us.

Fred Redekop

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I have been aware of the occupation of Palestinians for over 35 years. I learned about it while I was attending seminary in the United States. Following the wars of 1948 and 1967, the Israeli government took over land from the Palestinians, that was not theirs to take. The international community continues to see the occupation of Palestinian land as a breach of human rights law. There have been numerous U.N. resolutions telling the Israeli government to give back the land. Israel also have taken water away, limited imports, put up checkpoints , built a wall and arrested many children. These are all against accepted international law. The Israelis have all the heavy war equipment , guns, tanks, airplanes and bulldozers. It is unfair and unjust . They are the occupiers and the Empire. They are not going to give any of the land back, and they hope all the Palestians leave, so they can have all the land. They continue to build new settlements on occupied land. This kind of Israelis are called Zionists. It is a ethnic movement, and not a religious one. The Israeli state is not religious; it is a political organization. In the 1800’s, Theodor Herzl began the idea of a Jewish state, and the movement picked Israel as a place to settle. They feel that the land is theirs, and they have the right to occupy it. Any Jew in the world has the right to return to live in the political place called Israel.

What is anti-Semitism ? It is when Mr. Trump says, “ there are good people on both sides.”when referring to protesters who said that Jews are not going to be in control anymore. It is when someone refers to “ Jewish lightning “ as a way of talking about arson. It is when we say that we are going to “Jew” something down, to get a lower price. It is in the Chrsitian tradition when we have said that Jesus was killed by Jews. And the church had held it against the Jewish people for 2000 years. It is the Final Solution that was carried out by the Nazis in Europe from 1939-1945. It is when the Iranian President says that we want to push the Israel nation into the Mediterranean Sea.  Anti-Semitism is trying to shame Jewish people, by saying they are bad persons in all things that they do. I believe Christian Zionism is anti-Semitic because, in the end it proposes that all Jews will be destroyed.

As a Christian, I would like the nation of Israel to act like the kingdom of God. But, the nation of Israel is not a religious entity. The state is not the same as the kingdom of Israel and Judah of the Old Testament. But, the people of God are only the people of God, if they act justly , love mercy and walk humbly with our God. It is when the kingdom takes care of the least of these, the widow, the stranger and the orphan. ( according to the Old Testament ). But, who is the kingdom of God in the Middle East and the world ?

So, as always, international peacemaking is complex. I believe the United States and Canada should pressure the Israeli government to live up to international human rights obligations. We must all treat the Palestinians with dignity and respect. That is not anti-Zionist or anti-Semitic. It is, I believe, the right thing to do .

Fred Redekop

On Saturday June 8, I listened to two people call Canada from the Gaza Strip in Palestine. There were eight different sites from all across Canada that were set up to listen to problems in Gaza. The first person was an orthopedic surgeon. There are not enough medical supplies in Gaza. The government of Israel does not allow the medical supplies to enter Gaza. Why would the government do this to increase the suffering of all people ? The surgeon also has noticed and documented that the Israeli snipers shoot at the lower limbs of the demonstrators . Citizens of Gaza want to be able to return to their homes , and they walk up to the fences/gates. There are snipers on the other side, and they target to maim the young people. And they use bullets that explode on contact. Who designs these kinds of bullets ? There is no exit hole because they explode inside the limbs.  

The other man was a young dental student . He had done some volunteering at the local YMCA. He worries about the high unemployment rate among  young adults. I believe he is 21 years of age, and has endured three wars with Israel. Hamas sends out missiles, and Israel responds ( or begins the battle ) with rage. The number of people killed in Gaza far exceeds the number of those killed in Israel. Israel has more firepower than almost any other country other than the United States. And, they receive 3 billion dollars of military aid from the US every year. No questions are asked about how this aid is used.

These two men are not optimistic, but they do have hope that things will get better. Israel has put restrictions on many other things that are not allowed to be imported into Gaza. We cannot live without electricity, and the electricity in Gaza is cut off without notice. They have power only about half of the day. They shut it off in the whole area. Hospitals cannot cope with this loss of power. Someone in the Israeli government/military decides to do this. Is this not a human rights or war crime ? There are also restrictions on cement and other building supplies, and so after each of the small wars/battles, there are not enough supplies for the people of Gaza to rebuild.

The International community does almost nothing. I forward articles to my local politician, Harold Albrecht and to Prime Minister Trudeau, and they say nothing to Israel. There is all the talk about the rule of Law of Western democracies. I think it is fundamental to how we should live, but Israel is not complying with United Nations laws about occupied territories. They are breaking international agreements about human rights, but the United Nations does not enforce these laws.

Everyone  deserves a life of safety without fear. Israel is told to fear terroirsm, and then they put restrictions on Palestinians lives. Israeli citizens live in fear because they are told by their society to fear for their lives ; fear the Palestinians. This is no way to live a life. Tell our politicans to support the rights of Palestinains. As we move to an election, send them a postcard saying,  ” Remeber the Palestinians “.

Fred Redekop

The Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women ( MMIW ) report was released a few weeks ago, and we have forgotten about it already. We are arguing about the word “genocide “ that was used in the report. The researchers and writers says that the Candian majority have committed genocide to the indigenous community, and not only to First Nations women. We, and as a person from the majority population , must accept that we have attempted a genocide against the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. From Sir John A, through the Indian Act , to residential schools and the setting up of reservations, we have tried to destroy their culture, their religion and their system of living on the land. We tried to kill them off, but they are a resilient people. And I grew up near Six Nations , and never explored what was going on. I attended Trent University, it has the largest Indigneous Studies program in Canada, and I did not explore the issues there. I did participate in the genocide of the First Nations.  Let the federal government fine everyone in Canada.

I do not know where to go with the report . There are too many recommendations. They might be all good, and need to be implemented, but over 200 is too many to focus on in the society in which we live. We need a one pager, or at most a two pager that we hound our communities with every week or every day. I cannot wrap my mind around 200 recommendations. We did the same with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission a few years ago. It is another good report that sits on a shelf somewhere.

And if we would gather all the fines/money, what would we do with it. The federal governments have thrown lots of money, and it has not solved the issues. The present government said that they would make sure every First Nation community had good drinking water. That is not going to happen before the election in October 2019.  I do not have any answers. I have requested a copy of the MMIW report, but I will not  read all 1200 or more pages. What can we do ? There is a bill in the Senate to have Canada accept the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I am in favour of Canada passing this, but what difference will it make. It is symbolic, but symbols are important.  It would say that we as a nation are interested in making the First nations issues important to the whole country. But, would it sit on another shelf in Ottawa ?

I walked in a MMIW protest in Winnipeg last summer. There were about 200 people there. We closed down the main intersection, at Portage and Main. Everyone was respectful, and the police were helpful in stopping traffic. We walked to the Forks, and took part in a smudging ceremony. We heard stories from family members whose sisters, nieces  and cousins who had been killed. I am not sure, btu I doubt if any of these cases have been solved.It was important to participate, but it has not made a difference in this world. I do not know what to do. What do you think ?

Fred Redekop    

Mackenzie Bezos wants to give charity about 18.5 billion dollars. I am sorry that she is getting a divorce. Divorce is never neat and tidy, and I feel empathy towards her and her husband Jeff. They have had a large financial stake in Amazon, since they were married when the company began. So, under the law of the land, they both receive half of their fortune. She has said to the world that she will give away half of what she will get from the settlement. The Region of Waterloo’s ( this is where I live in Ontario Canada ) yearly budget is 1.8 billion dollars, so maybe her money is not so much. But it is a lot of cash in my world.

Since Ms. Bezos has told us she is going to give so much away, we should help her give to the best charities in the world. I do not believe that Ms. Bezos is a career philanthropist, so she may need my/our/your help. She will probably set up a trust or a foundation to get a good tax receipt, so she can give even more away.  The foundation will have so set up rules and guidelines to give to deserving to programs and people. I wonder what guidelines she will have ? What are her morals and ethics ? Is she religious and does she carry strongly held political views ?  Will she give it away here in the North America, or will she divvee it up in the whole world ? It is a lot of work to give this much money away. Does she plan to give it away in 2019/2020 or over the course of her life ?

Mennonite Central Committee is celebrating its 100th anniversary, maybe we should ask for an anniversary gift. We are religious, but not really political. We have a good record of doing good things. Or she could give it to the people of Swaziland or eSwatini ( newly named by the King 20218.) ? There are 1.42 million people in this African country , so this would come out to $13,000 or so per person. You do not have to give any to the royal family , and the political, religious and economic elite . They do not need it, so she might be able to give every person $20,000 or so. Done and finished, and Ms. Bezos does not have to worry about that money anymore. And she still has the meagre sum of 18.5 more billion to live on, plus interest. Instead of possibly waiting on studies and development programs, she should just give cash, American dollars. Just giving money has worked in places like Brazil. Let’s just trust the people who will be given the money. In Southern Africa $20,000 can go a long way.

To me, there is something wrong with so much money in one person’s pocket. Sure, they earned it. They have had a successful business, but it comes at the expense of someone.They do not need that much cash, even if they earned it legally and morally. Let the government tax them, so the municipalities around the country could solve some of the social problems that Amazon , Google and Microsoft do not have the skills nor the energy to help solve. And maybe have so much money in so few hands adds to the inequalities of poverty and social dislocation in our world. I am thinking out loud

What would you tell Ms. Bezos to do with her 18.5 billion ? With interest , it is probably closer to 20 billion by today.

Fred Redekop

Today, May 7, 2019, there has been another shooting at a high school in the United States. One student is dead, and about 10 injured. The student body and parents are terrified. There were two shooters taken into custody. One CNN reporter states that this shooting will change the conversation. After thousands and thousands of gun deaths, this one “ minor” tragedy will not change the debate.

“More Americans have died in the US in the last fifty years than in all the wars in American history “

“Though the people of the United States total five percent of the world’s population , they own almost have of the world’s guns . With well over 300 million guns in the US, there are more guns than people.”

“America also has world’s most gun deaths— including homicide, suicide and accidental gun deaths — at 105 per day or about 38,000 per year. “

These are three quotes that come from the back cover of Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin’s  book, Beating Guns- Hope for People who are Weary of Violence . The book is full of this kind of shocking and horrifying statistics of gun violence in the United States. I have been numbed by the data that comes out after each of these shootings. Martin and Claiborne’s book does a great job in outlining the statistics, but their book will mostly be read by the gun control choir, and will not change the mind of legislators and other gun rights advocates.

On pages 25, 38, 55, 73, 83, 105, 114, 123, 142, 154, 174, 183, 193, 203, 219, 233, 245 and 259,  there is documentation of mass shootings. They are called the Memorial to the Lost, and it tells the reader who the people who were killed at that specific site. The shooters are not named. There is a starkness in the names that are written down.

I work and have supported the Mennonite Central Committee for all of my life. It is the relief, development and peace organization for Mennonite and Be-In-Christ churches . I also support the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams. It is a human rights organization that walks alongside groups who are threatened with violence. Our daughter was a member of CPT for six years in Colombia. So, I am a pacifist, and am a believer in nonviolence. Both of the these organizations are mentioned in the acknowledgements at the back of the book. So, I am biased toward the arguments of nonviolence and gun control that are stated in the book. I am part of the four-part harmony choir against guns.

Michael Martin is a former pastor in the Mennonite Church. He is the founder and executive director of RAWtools Inc. The organization turns guns into garden tools. It is an example of resourcing communities with “ nonviolent confrontation skills in an effort to turn stories of violence into stories of creation. “  Michael’s organization  is a hands-on group that hold workshops to help people make these garden tools. In chapter 18, there is a practical guide to what Martin does, as he makes the swords ( guns ) into ploughshares ( garden tools ).

Claiborne is the activist and theologian of the two writers . He lives in Philadelphia, and works on the ground to makes his neighbourhood a safer place . In chapter ten, he writes about the Sermon on the Mount , and his orientation to nonviolence. It is a good biblical chapter to see where Claiborne is situated in the spectrum of Christians who speak about guns.

On page 176, it states, “ We believe in a God that would rather die than kill. We believe in a God whose last words are grace and forgiveness for the people who are killing him. We believe in a God who interacts with evil without becoming evil , who exposes our violence to heal our violence , who endures death to save us from  death. We are atheists to the god of war, and believers in the Prince of Peace . If the NRA [ the National Rifle Association ] as J. Warren Cassidy suggests, then we want nothing to do with the god that they worship “  I believe this is a fundamental statement of faith for Shane ( and Michael ) in the book.

So, how do you change the point of view of a Christian who thinks it is fine to own a gun, and be willing to shoot it at someone to save their own life. And why is it okay to advocate through the NRA to have people own guns who should not have them ? The debate is so polarized. I agree with Shane’s biblical ideals, but I am aware that other Christians want to own a gun, and have the right to shoot it, especially in very stressful circumstances. A relative of mine has nine children, and he has a gun, just in case someone enters his house or yard unannounced. There is no way to convince him ( or his wife ) otherwise because it is so much a part of the society in the United States. And why is the American society so fearful ? What are they afraid of in 2019 ?

“ We’d celebrate a community that no longer trains for war but that plots for peace, a community that doesn’t let fear dictate how neighbours interact with one another and whether they  welcome a stranger . These celebrations can be built with tools that have been transformed from a past we are ready to leave behind . We can recognize the past through the ritual transformation of swords into plowshares. “ ( page 258 )

This is the vision and hope for the writers/activists/artists, to have a world without  guns. I am left with a question about American society. Why do Americans feel the need to resolve conflict,  both large and small, by shooting one another ? The Swiss have guns in every home, but they have fewer killings. Is it inherent in Americans that they resolve conflict in this way. American nation was forged out of a revolution from the British. With that conflict so much part of the American mystique, is violent conflict in their DNA ? Does the policy of Manifest Destiny, of acquiring land through force, part of the DNA as well ?  

May 31.. Another shooting. “ At least 12 people killed in Virginia Beach Mass Shooting; suspect dead “ — The Globe and Mail .

Fred Redekop

Fred works as a storyteller for Mennonite Central Committee in Ontario Canada. He has never owned or shot a gun.

John Bolton, the National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump, says that Iran has laid mines, and hit some Saudi ships ( May 28, 2019 ). How do I know that this true ? Is it true or is it fake news ? And is it all true or is it somewhat true, and it is somewhat false. Iran and Saudi Arabia both exist, and that is true . These kind of reports are out their all the time, trying to influence public opinion.

During the build-up to the War in Iraq, the idea was to find weapons of mass destruction. We ( and this includes Canada ) went to war because the case was made that Saddam Hussein had them hidden somewhere in the country. Colin Powell, the Secretary of State in the U.S. , made the case for the Iraq War by showing the movement of weapons through satellite images. He showed the pictures to Congress and to the United Nations. They were not what he said they were. They were trucks with trailers driving around rural Iraq. But, the world believed it, and we went to war ,and we are still at war with somebody in Iraq. Colin Powell, a respected military man and a diplomat, lied to the world, or his bosses lied to him, so we could go to war.

But, how could we know anything different because he showed us those satellite images ? I did not have other images to show the world. No one from the Democratic Party in the United States had  images to contradict what what supposedly true in those pictures of Iraq. The powers of the Empire ( that is the United States ) had all the pictures, it had CNN and it had all the newspapers reporting on what General Colin Powell had told us as true. Truth did not have a chance.

So, how do I know what I know ? I am a spiritual/religious person. How do I know about God, Jesus and the Spirit ? I am a Christian spiritual person , so these concepts are important to me. I have not seen the three persons of the Trinity. I have not seen any of them at all. But, I believe.

I have the Christian Bible to help me understand how people experienced God. But God seems to be saying different things to different audiences in both the Old and New Testaments. I think I have a good idea about Jesus because there are four different biographies. But they do not quite line up in the right ways to have a coherent story about Jesus. I think it invigorates my faith when they do not have the same timeline or geography. But, this is just me writing and thinking.

I have a hunch that I have faith in the living God of Jesus Christ. I have faith, but not certainty.

In 1968, the United States said that North Vietnamese torpedo boats shot at a U.S. ship in the Gulf of Tonkin ( off the coast of Vietnam ) . There was no images, no cable news, no Google or Facebook and no newspapers on the Internet to verify the event. And it would not matter if all of these social media had been there. The U.S. went to war with Vietnam over this incident, that now, has been proven to be false. A disastrous war ( and all wars are disasters ) ensued, and both countries were severely damaged by the war. The US has not confessed to the untruths that they told to themselves and to others.

I have a hunch ( and believe ) that God will be my guide in all news, and events and life. This is what I believe. How do you know if something is true or not ? What is your hunch ?

I go into WordsWorth Books  in Waterloo ( Ontario ) often. It is an independent bookstore, and I want to support these kinds of bookstores. I like the owners and their staff, and I almost always buy a book when I drop in. I really do not need more books, but I cannot stop buying, especially when I put my feet inside WordsWorth. My name is Fred Redekop, and I am a bookaholic !

So, why do adult books, novels, non-fiction and political ones not have pictures and illustrations ? Some adult books have the odd picture, and some kind of artwork  at the front or back of the book.. But, we call children’s books children’s books because they have less text and more illustration. Illustrated books are written for adults to buy for their children anyway. If we would not have bought the book, I’ll Love You forever by Robert Munsch, our kids would not have heard about it. So, all children’s book authors really have to get the attention of adults with their texts and artwork. Is this true ? Are books for children really for us older people ? Some of the jokes in these books can only be understood by adults.

“I’ll love you forever and like you for always, as long as I am living my baby you’ll be “ is the refrain that you will find in Munsch’s book. Jesus of Nazareth used this repetitious technique in the parables that he told to the communities where he lived.  This way of writing helps us to remember. As the baby, in the book,  gets older and grows into an adult the same refrain is said. Each parent who reads it must sing it to a different tune because there is no music to it. The pictures also make the book memorable.

There is also a kid’s book called, The Story of Ferdinand. A little text with great illustrations of the bull that sits under a tree on top of a hill. These illustrations are not complex ( from my point of view ) but it is a great book for non-violence. At least that is how I have heard it , as I read it over and over to our children

Then there is Potatoes, Potatoes , a kid’s book about war, farming and mothering. The pictures are wonderful, and the text is inspiring. But, it is not a kid’s book. It is marketed it as that kind of book, but it is for us adults first. We want our children to work for peace in the world when they grow. The book has an adult theme,but the text is simpler with complex drawings with great colour.

So, why do serious books written for adults do not have good illustrations of art ? This is with my tongue firmly in the my cheek, but we do learn so much from “children’s” books. We should commit ourselves to reading kid’s books every year, whether we have children or grandchildren or not. Let us see the world from another set of eyes and ears. Take it as across-cultural experience ? What do you think ?

Fred Redekop

I have heard that the world is going to end in 12 years. I heard it in 2018 , and it was from the United Nations. The UN is the world’s community with a large number of countries from this  planet being part of it. So, it might be true. I do not think that it is a scare tactic. What are they trying to scare us into believing anyway ? Some say that they are worried about climate change and global warming. It is said that the use of more and more CO2 is the many culprit in raising the temperature of the planet. This destroys crops, changes the weather and causes more flooding.

We are not going to change , if it true or not . If it is true, we are hoping some scientist will find a solution. But, I do not think we are going to change the way we do things. If she , the scientist, finds an easy situation we will probably exploit it for money. If global warming is not true, then we will continue to use up the resources here on the this earth, and hope the earth can continue to meet our wants and needs. If we do not think it is a problem, then we believe there are resources on the this planet forever and ever… No problem.

I am part of a small group, and we are concerned about the planet, and its pollution and resources, but we all fly whenever we want. We vacation, visit family and go on our business trips, and we do not blink our eyes wide shut. We hope someone solves the issue, and that we continue to have fun. We could buy the cap/trade thing, or whenever we fly we could donate to the NGOs that we like, and who are taking care of the environment  But, we love our lifestyle and we are not going to change.

I pick up garbage along the streets where I walk here in Elmira. Elmira is a clean town, and there is not a lot of trash. Most of gets blown on windy days that are the garbage pickup days. Trash blows away out of our recycling bins. But, my picking up trash is not really helping the environment . It is making our town neater and cleaner, but the garbage mostly goes to the landfill. It is still trash that we throw away, but as the one-liner says about garbage, “ there is no away “

If we have only 12, and now 11 years to fix it, what should we do ? I don't even know what has to be fixed ?  And who are the people that will survive the apocalypse ? Who will get the food and water that is good to eat and drink ? Will the world take care of itself or will we fight nail and tooth to have enough for ourselves ? Will we share with those more at risk ? Will we be more compassionate with each other ? Or will we be greedy ?

“ To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”    Micah 6:8.

 The prophet said this to his community over 2500 years ago.What were their issues ? Can this be our motto to each other, as we confront this possible emergency ? I hope that we can turn it around, but I am not much help with the science. I hope the society/church can help with the ethics and hope.

Fred Redekop