Author: Fred Redekop

Yesterday ( Monday January 21 ) on  CBC Radio there was a report on abuse by an RCMP doctor on women officers.  It happened over the course of many years, and many women were abused. The women began to talk with each other about examinations by the doctor that seemed wrong. They began to name it as sexual assault. This kind of abuse was carried out over the course of almost thirty years. The doctor who alleged did this is now old, and reported to be very ill. The women were abused. You do not go public to tell the story unless it happened. The first part part of the abuse is the actual crime, and then there is the secondary abuse when the superiors, and the institution, does not believe you. It seems like the institutions whom you work for are more interested in buyouts and liability issues, than caring for the women that have been abused or assaulted .

The women in the story have carried the stories for a long time, and are now wanting the public to hear about it. The RCMP is a revered institution in Canada. The red uniforms are almost sacred in our country. They are the police in many of the areas of the country, and they are to care for victims who are at risk. Their motto is “ Defending the law “. They are to protect us. So, it is difficult to know how to react to their activity in not defending the women of their own force.

I have been a Mennonite minister for almost 30 years, and the Church, Mennonite and others,have have an abuse problem as well. We have buried abuse between four or five layers of carpet in our history. We have not believed the women who have come forward, and have said “what will it do to our churches”. It will make our churches smaller as people leave the congregations, when the church does not stand up for the victim or abused women. We have moved abusive pastors from one church or parish to another, in order to protect the minister rather than the victim. Again, this is secondary abuse to the women who have come forward. Why do we not want to stand up for the people who have been hurt and abused ? Is this not our calling ?

There is a story in John’s biography of Jesus of Nazareth. It is in the earlier part of the book, in chapter 8.  The woman has been caught in adultery. Where did they find her, and where is the man ? The group of men want to stone her to death. Jesus makes them wait, and writes in the sand… In the end Jesus says, All right, but let the one who has never sinned, throw the first stone.” John 8:7. SILENCE, and they all walk away. Jesus stands up for this woman , who by law should have been stoned. Jesus confronted the authorities, but more importantly he listened and believed the woman’s story.

Let us believe those who have been abused, and believe them when they tell us the story.

Fred Redekop

Who is watching me ? I have noticed over the last few years a disturbing thing on my cell phone and computer. It seems someone or something is/has been watching my online presence. They know when I have booked a room somewhere because restaurants near the place where we are staying,  pop-up on Facebook . And when I am typing an email, things I write in the email will show up the next day on my Google searches.

On Facebook, a social media site on the Internet, it now has this function to get you to like more people, called “ People you may know “. It has people on that feed that I know from high school. It also has people connected to some people I already know. Recently, there was a woman I might know, who walks in the morning at the Rec Center. I walk at the Rec Center too. I assume that Facebook has my location of my cell phone tracked , and maybe hers as well, and Bingo, I might know her. She came up on my feed. Wooooooo !

A few years ago I had “shared “ a story about the  United States and its security issues. It was critical of the the things that the U.S. had done in the world to other countries. I am left of center in my political views, although I reserve the right to be conservative as well. Anyway, I posted this on Facebook, and within the hour, I get a “friend request “ from a school friend of mine who is working for Homeland Security in the U.S. He was working under Obama, and was working with faith groups in community building. I had visited him in Washington in 2011. I had not heard from my friend in over five years. It felt strange to get this post to be his friend on Facebook right after I had posted the article. I accepted his friendship. I am not scared.

I am not into conspiracy theories, but I am assuming that Google and Facebook track my thoughts and internet traffic. They know my location , if my phone or computer is on. I am not scared about this. But, if I do something questionable, will they share that information with people like Homeland Security. When I cross borders, my passport is scanned and they know where I have been in the last ten years . I do not worry about this, ( I do not worry that this article I will be posting  on WordPress, and I will post in on Facebook, and you will find me in your next Google search of my name) but I do think about it. What does it mean for who I am as a person ?

God, as I experience God, is the same way. God knows my words, actions and internet travelling . God knows that I lean a little left of center. But , I really know that Gods loves me, and God cares about my every move. Through the Bible, God’s Spirit and the Church, I know that I do wrong, and should be called to turn my life around.

But, God is not about fear and conspiracy theories. God is about mystery, and faith, and love beyond all understanding and all  knowledge. Whom do I follow , God or Google ? Who do you follow ?

Fred Redekop

I have been Facebook for 10 years. I have been on the Bible for most of my 60 years. I think that I have posted on facebook the most about the Palestinians.  I believe they are persecuted by the Israeli government. Israel has all the power, the guns, the checkpoints , the water , the land and the support of the United States.  I cannot understand why the U.S. watches it happen and does nothing. The Palestinians (  Muslims and Christians ) did not carry out the Holocaust,  but they seem to have to pay for it. The Holocaust was carried out by Western Christianity.  I think the Palestinians should be able to have their land, and peace. So, I have posted many times about this, but I do not believe I have changed any person's ideas about it. Those who agree with me, agree with me, and who do not agree with me, do not agree with me. There is much anger on both sides, and I am angry too. But it seems to be a waste of my Facebook time and space. What do you think ? If it is important , then I should do it ?

I am also a Bible person. I share Bible verses on Facebook,  and I write this article once a week on WordPress.  I think the Bible is important to my faith, and it has been the church's book for its 2000 years of history. It is not straightforward.  It does not answer my science questions.  It challenges me on my ethics and moral responsibilities in my life. It has many broken characters/people that God used in the past.  I hope to be used by God in my world today. But, I do not know if I have had anyone change their minds on the Bible or faith. People have their own views, and we do not change easily. People tell me that I should not  believe the Bible because it is a bunch of fairy tales of long ago. It is sexist and racist. And how can you worship a God that kills all those people in the Old Testament stories ? All very good questions that perplex me too.

Paul, that early church letter writer, speaks about this kind of dilemma many times in his letters. “ I do what I do not want to do “ , but he also continues to inspire people to love one another , and if it is up to you , you should live in peace . He is trying to change the minds of people in those small new communities in ancient Turkey and Greece. He did not always get it right in his own mind, because he says it is “me” speaking, and not always God. Paul wrote to many new churches, and had some conflict with them.

I guess I will continue to try to change the minds of people, and also be open to have my thoughts, ideas and strongly held positions to be changed by you, and hopefully by the “ Ground of our Being “.  Jesus asks us to really change our minds in the Sermon on the Mount in the biography that we call Matthew. He says that you have heard it  said , but “I tell you it is now this way”. Whoa !!! he is changing the work of God from Moses/God from Sinai. Let that sink in, and then wonder if you can change your mind . AMEN

Fred Redekop

“…for if you keep silent at this time…. but you and your Father’s house will perish. And who knows, whether you have come to the kingdom for such a  time as this “  Esther 4:14 .

 The speaker is Esther’s cousin Mordecai. There is a possibility of a Jewish genocide in the story. Haman has set out a plan for the Jews to be eradicated. Esther must enter the King’s room without permission, and her life might be ended. Her dilemma is whether to risk her life for the life of her faith community ? What would you do ?

There is an international agreement to abolish nuclear weapons. The “ big” countries who own these weapons of mass destruction have not signed on yet. The group advocating for this action won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. If we do not work towards this, then our world might not survive.  It seems the United States under its current President wants a new nuclear arms race because he thinks he can win the race. It is crazy to think like that. It is taking the world hostage with these earth destroying weapons. And the money used could save the poor children of Yemen and elsewhere. Speak to Harold Albrecht, Prime Minister Trudeau, the UN Secretary, and yell it into the sky as well. Why would anyone want to own a nuclear weapon in their own backyard ? To scare people, and make them fear for their lives ? That is just wrong policy.

What do you think of the changes in the weather we have had in the world in the past few years ? Those wildfires in California, the drought here in Ontario, those hurricanes in Florida, the flooding in Bangladesh, and the the four hottest years on record ? Maybe it is just a cycle. We have not had carbon emissions in any other cycle ? Carbon emissions is the outlier. It raises the temperature of the planet. And I am guilty of having too large of a foot in this world. I use too much carbon. How do I stop my out of control life ? We cannot stop our/my addiction ? The United Nations report on climate change is scary. They are not trying to make us feel guilty. They say that we need to change our lifestyles all over the world . We will not change because we feel guilty. That never works. What must I do today ? Do you still think it is just another cycle ?

Tuesday January 1, 2019 begins a new year. Maybe our faith has called us to such a time as this. It might just be the time for all of us to become activists. The problems and concerns are enormous for all of us little people to deal with us alone. Can we work together ? We cannot just throw up our arms or just throw up, and give up to despair. We must remain positive, and work the best for the entire planet. These are planetary problems, so our governments and international organizations must be our leaders. We must write to them because we can, and must invite them to find plans to save us all, from ourselves.

Jesus said the Kingdom is for our children. We must act as caregivers to the planet , so that our children and grandchildren can live in this kingdom we call Earth. Let us all have a great year in 2019. We have to, for the Kingdom

Fred Redekop

I like cartoons. The internet has lots to look at, especially political/editorial cartoons during this time of political intrigue in the United States. I am biased, and lean a little left of center in my politics. I have noticed that there are a lot of cartoons at the marriage altar, at the top of a mountain, a psychiatrist couch or at the pearly gates of heaven. Often, the writers/cartoonist leave me laughing or crying, but they are often right on point.

A recent cartoon on Facebook has me thinking. The top part is is about normal spirituality , and it seems to be a person on a slow steady walk up to maturity. There might be a few valleys, but for the most part, it is a steady climb to heaven, or Nirvana or nothingness. It is called “ Other People’s Spiritual Journey “  The second part of the cartoon is entitled “ My Spiritual Journey “, and is a tangled web of lines, and the person lets out “Gasp” . There is horror on the women’s face.

This is my spiritual journey with God. I am not disciplined in any way. I cannot follow a prescribed pattern. But somehow God meets me. I trust God will infiltrate my soul at some point in my Advent / Christmas walk of faith. I start Christmas by playing Bruce Cockburn’s Christmas album on November ist. We buy a real tree sometime in December. We light Advent Candles at church. We host my wonderful siblings around Christmas. We exchange Christmas cards. I  have met God at those times and at other times. But I am a Type B… or maybe even a Type C kind of person, so it is never in a straight line, but it is  a garbled and tangled web that I weave to meet God. It happens less than I would like it to.

But maybe it is God that weaves an uncertain walk of faith. The whole Christmas story is of uncertainty . The Holy Family becomes a refugee statistic right after the birth. That is not what I think should happen to the Saviour of the World. Maybe God is a Type B personality . Maybe the normal part of life journeys is all about brokenness, recovery, hope, loss, death, unknowing, and strange crap that happens to all of us.

Recently, a refugee came to Canada from Congo via Ethiopia. He had been in Ethiopia for 6 ½ years . He is 27, and speaks five languages, and is very open and polite. He had less than a month notice before he got the acceptance he was coming for Canada. Most of his family is missing or killed, and it has been too dangerous for him to ever return to Congo. His journey has been one of entanglements, but now his new life is before him. His life is like many of the more than 60 million refugees in the world. Not normal, not certain, not comfortable.

“ When they had seen him ( the Baby ), they spread the word concerning what they had been told to them about the child .” Luke 2:17  This is about the shepherds. They are going to telling the uncertain story of Christmas. Did they lead Mary and Joseph out of Bethlehem, so they would have safe passage to Egypt / The Holy Family’s life was not normal , and either is ours, and that is okay. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Fred Redekop

 “ In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God “ Isaiah 40:3

We are preparing to celebrate Christmas one more time. Some people I know do not like the holiday at all. They say that is too commercial, and too much pressure is put on presents, money and family. They just want to get to January. It is tough to go against the flow of the present Christmas,  and find a more meaningful or less stressful celebration of the Birth . There are too many lights, feasts and trees to fight for a different way of honoring the Saviour’s coming as a human baby.

Christmas today is about excess, but the original birth was also about excess. It was God becoming like us, human. God of out there, came close to all of our lives by being born a boy with a mom and dad. The excessive love of God for the world is found in that lonely birth in Bethlehem. Soon after the birth, Jesus and his parents became refugees. What if that part of the story, about refugees, is central to Christmas ?

How can we make straight the way of God ? What does that mean for the church today ? God is going to do what God is going to do, after all God is God ? But, how do we align our lives with what God would want us to be about for Advent and Christmas ? Any ideas that you are exploring this year ? A constant set of questions for people who want to follow God.

The passage from Isaiah talks about a desert. A desert is normally a place of thirst, heat and sand. For me, there is also a sense of loneliness with a desert, but that does not have to be the case at all. But Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of making a desert straight for the Lord. Do we have to go to the desert in order to live a better life for God ? We all want to live in oases for all time. We want to be healthy until we are about 85, and then we can die quickly with no pain or disability ? Is this right for you ?

Does Christmas for you have aspects of the desert ? There might be family problems, not enough money for food and presents, and you have lost your job ? How can we experience a desert in our lives as a gift this Christmas. In the desert of life, we might a new gift of dependence on God ?

I met a man this fall from Palestine, and he lives near the little town of Bethlehem . He is a Christian, and he works at the trauma center for children. He said that all the children in his community are traumatized by the occupation of Israel in his town. Through checkpoints, arrests, tear gas, and identity checks, children are shaken by these events. Tarek tries to give the children skills to overcome the trauma that sets in early in their life. This is a real desert for the communities around Bethlehem, for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, for everybody. Christmas, and the excessive love of God,must infiltrate once again to the Holy Land and beyond .

In verse 5 of chapter 40, it says, “ And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all the people will see it together. “  This is my hope for Advent.

Fred Redekop

“Fear Not “ is what the angel of the Lord says to Mary, Joseph and Zechariah . When angels show up in the lives of biblical characters, the angels are frightening. These angels that came to announce strange births are scary things. Zechariah and Elizabeth are not prepared for it because they are old. Mary and Joseph are young and not yet married. Of course they are afraid, but they all respond, eventually, in positive ways and actions.

In recent political campaigns there has been fear used as a tactic. This did not happen in the recent Waterloo Region elections. When fear is used as a tactic, it is very hard to undo that. If I do not vote for a certain candidate, I might lose my job, immigrants will overwhelm us or if I vote for the other, government entitlements will bankrupt us. It is never good to make decisions based on fear or guilt. We must be positive about who we are, and about the policies that we want our country to be about. We must act well to each other. We must be brave, and hold onto to values that make us Canadian.

And in our churches, we must act the same. We must not use fear to hold people hostage. We must love each other with love that passes all understanding, and extend that love to everyone. We must not guilt people into acting and believing in certain ways. We must be brave and courageous.

Mary is told by the angel that she will be the mother of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Joseph is told the same, but he knows that he is not the dad. He wants to walk ( or run fast  ) away. Zechariah is so overwhelmed with the idea of he and wife being pregnant, that he was struck quiet, till his son ( John the Baptist ) is born. But all three visitors from heaven, tell them to “ fear not “ or do not be afraid, or do not let your fears overwhelm what you must do in the story of God here on this earth.

I find it so strange that God does need us humans, the shepherds, the mom, the Wise People, to help bring about his Kingdom. Do not be afraid of the surprise that might come to your life. Listen to nature, listen to the angels in your life, listen to the Church, and listen to Word, and to the Spirit, as you are called to change the world in positive and life giving ways.  Be Mary or Joseph this Advent and Christmas season. Have a “ Fear Not “ Christmas !

This is my final article on the Observer website. I thank the newspaper for publishing my articles for over two years. I am now a Township Councillor here in Woolwich, and so in consideration of possible or perceived conflict of interests, I will stop writing for the Observer . You can receive  my articles at ponderanewsite.wordpress.com,  facebook or my blog at fred.redekop@gmail.com. Please stay in touch.

Salaam and strength for all of our journeys of life, and faith.

Fred Redekop

I love the CBC. I like their radio better than their television. Two radio segments that I really love are IDEAS and UNDER THE INFLUENCE . IDEAS is about  anything and everything. They host the annual Massey lectures, that are about a current issue, and delivered by a Canadian. UNDER THE INFLUENCE  is about marketing and business. Much about what is discussed has relevance to the church, and how it is struggling at this point of its history. There are many more shows I really enjoy on CBC Radio.

On Friday December 7, CBC Radio will host its annual Sounds of the Season event at its downtown Toronto building  in the Barbara Frum Atrium. I have always wanted attend, but as a pastor, Fridays are always busy at the church, so I have not gotten there. The event raises money for the food banks in Toronto. There are interviews and music performances all day long. The CBC invites people to donate non-perishable food items, or cash, to go to help relieve the hunger pangs of people in Toronto. This event has been held for over ten years, and they always try to beat their record in the amount of pounds of food that they collect, and the amount of cash that is raised. They take donations through Christmas.

It is a great project, and doing it at Christmas is a good idea. But, it is also unnerving to always break the record for food items and cash. This means that poverty is increasing in Toronto and Canada. Toronto is considered to be one of the great cities to live. There are many million dollar condos all over downtown. But, poverty continues to grow, and the food banks are used more often by families at risk of not having enough. I wish Sounds of the Season  would continue to highlight Canadian musicians and world changers, but it would be nice if they could raise only 100 lbs of food, and $20,000 for people who don't have enough to go around the table. But, this year more money and food will be needed.

Jesus once said, “ The poor will always be with you “ ( Matthew 26:11). What does this mean ? It might mean that the poor are somehow connected to us living out our faith ? Maybe those in power ( like me ) see our needs being more important ? I am so much focused on my own well-being , that I forget the poor and disadvantaged ? Some people might always be a risk for not having enough ? The Old Testament talks about taking care of those at risk. They structured it into the community beliefs system. The mark of the Israelite community  to be faithful, is how it takes care of those with the least amount of resources. The community had a system called “ Jubilee “ where everyone gets a fresh economic start . It is unreasonable to think we could do that today in our world . We live in a complex world, but we are always trying to find ways to take care of the people most at risk, because we want to be a good society. No one needs to be poor. Do they ? What does it say about our wealth that, we have so many families who live below the poverty line ?

What must we do ?

Fred Redekop

Thanks to my wife, I am back walking in the morning. She has found our neighbour to walk with early in the morning, and it has inspired me to walk for half an hour as well. And, actually, I am now up to 45 minutes most mornings. I walk a bit outside, and then I head to the Memorial Center to finish off my short period of exercise.

I like to walk by myself. I find it helps me to walk at my own pace, not thinking I have to speed up or slow down with a walking partner. I walk up and down streets, Ernst, Brubacher, Arthur, First, Second and Snyder, right before sunrise, and before I go to the Arena.

When I get to the running/walking track above Dan Snyder Memorial Arena, there are usually some walkers there. We have sort of become a community. We do not know each other, but we seem to congregate near the same time on most weekdays. Some of us walk, while others run. We nod to one another or we might say “ good morning” or “ how are you doing ?” There are some couples there, who walk together, and there are some friends who are there to walk together, and they talk together. And, depending on the Woolwich Minor hockey team that is practicing, there might be some parents who walk upstairs at the Arena.

Why do people come on the weekday to walk ? What are they thinking ? I go around the track about 15 and 20 times. I get passed by some walkers, and while others let me pass them. I think about my work, my family and the community here in Woolwich. But, I am curious what others are thinking ? If I am to preach on a Sunday, I might be thinking of the biblical passage that I have been given to speak about . If the Leafs played the night before, and I watched the game, I might think about them ( and they are playing well ). Or, I might be worrying about something in my life, and exercise is supposed to help me not worry so much. I think it might work sometimes, but not always. This week, I was thinking about some of people that have died that I used to walk with years ago. What do you think about when you are exercising ?

There is a biblical story about walking. It is is in Luke’s biography of Jesus. It is near the end of the small book. Jesus has died and been resurrected. He walks around for about 40 days, and then returns to heaven( I do not get this part of the story ) . Anyway, he is walking by himself to a small town called Emmaus, and he meets these two guys. They tell him all that had happened about Jesus in the last week. At the end of the short walk, they sit down. The have a meal. They break bread together, and suddenly their eyes are opened, and  they realize have just sat down with Jesus. Then he disappears. The two guys run back to Jerusalem to tell everyone.

As I walk, I am hoping to think about changing this world, or maybe I am just exercising, putting one foot in front of the other. I wonder what others are thinking as they walk ? This is what I think when walk on weekdays at the Memorial Center

Fred Redekop

“  As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”  Mark 13:3-4

I was speaking with a Senior’s group today, and a woman said to me,

“Things are getting so bad these days. “. There continues to be violence, war and poverty in our world. Some people are saying the opposite. There are less than one billion people who go to bed hungry. That is a number that has gone down in the last few years. Maybe things are getting better ?

The Mount of Olives has a great view of Jerusalem, even today. Jesus, and his friends have arrived at this place after many years in Galilee, their home area. Jesus grew up in Nazareth in the same area, just north of Jerusalem. This was a group of men that was announcing a new way of life, and calling people to follow the teaching, miracles and hopes of Jesus, according to the Bible ( or the New Testament ). They were a group for almost three years, and now they have come to Jerusalem, one of the centres of power in the ancient world. It looks like they will confront the political  and religious people of power.

So, we find them on the opposite mountain away from the busyness of Jerusalem. They had arrived a few days earlier with a parade. There were many pilgrims in the city coming for the annual Jewish Festival of Passover. The soldiers of the occupation were mingling with the crowds, making sure that the population knew who held power. Jesus and his friends, although happy with the parade, felt the tension, and were worried about what was going to happen next. They needed time away from the crowds.

The Mount of Olives gave them time to rest, and think about what was next. The disciples hoped that Jesus/God would bring about the new kingdom during this time. He had told them that he was going to die, but in their minds that was not part of the plan that they had imagined. They wanted change in the world, and they wanted it today.

After the passage that is quoted above, Jesus explains all the bad things that are going to happen in the near future. It sounds horrible, brothers going against brothers, and many other evil  things that humans will do to one another. Then at the end of the conversation, Jesus says that that no one knows when it will happen. He then tells them, that they should be alert and on guard. Watch and listen to the signs

So what is the role of the disciples then, what is our role today ? What are we watching for, and how do we wait ? We wait and work for a better world. We work against violence against women. We work for respect for all people.

As you think of Jesus and his best friends sitting on that mountain, what would you have asked Jesus about what would happen in the next few days  The disciples here, Peter, James, John and Andrew ( two sets of brothers ), want to know what sign is going to kickstart the changes that will bring about the Kingdom of God here on this earth.

What do you think and believe about the days that we are living in ?

Fred Redekop