As a member of an active refugee committee, we are happy to celebrate this day. We will have some life stories and special music from people within our church who are here as refugees. My concern is we celebrate World Refugee day in a time when the US has largely cut off accepting any refugees and Canada has reduced the numbers we are accepting by 30 to 40 percent. What is the larger CRC doing to address this. Like your article says, this is a call to compassion and faithful witness. Shouldn't this be part of our faithful witnessing that should be talked about at synod?
I'm sorry Eric, but this goes beyond being the outrage of the day. This has been brutish, fear inducing and leading to trauma for so many who did follow all the rules from the start. And yes we should first of all care about law enforcement excesses. If they don't follow the law where does that leave us. And when we talk about our brothers and sisters in Christ how many have too much fear to even attend their services, and that includes CRC's. I'd like to understand how came to believe as you do on this matter.
Hello Eric, sometimes in life we are called to be quiet and patient but other times we a called to speak. Think the old testament prophets calling for justice especially regarding the poor and widows. Think back to the Christian acceptance of slavery, the German Christian church before and during WWII. However we do it our denomination should be speaking to the present situation in the US. And as far as a litmus test the church wasn't afraid to give us one for the HSR. I don't know how you would see this differently.
This issue is so important as a multicultural church. The letter from Pastor Harold should be printed in full in the Banner. Their is so much hurt, fear, hardships and injustice among the communities of immigrants that the church has to respond in as many public ways as possible. Without love for these communities we are just resounding gongs. 1 Corinthians 13.
Thank you, Sarah, As Canadians and Americans our stories always started somewhere else. My Canadian history started when my parents immigrated with their parents in 1948 and 1949. Thank you for reminding us that there is no us and them. Our church has been blessed by Afghan and Congolese refugees.
Posted in: World Refugee Day: A Call to Compassion and Faithful Witness
As a member of an active refugee committee, we are happy to celebrate this day. We will have some life stories and special music from people within our church who are here as refugees. My concern is we celebrate World Refugee day in a time when the US has largely cut off accepting any refugees and Canada has reduced the numbers we are accepting by 30 to 40 percent. What is the larger CRC doing to address this. Like your article says, this is a call to compassion and faithful witness. Shouldn't this be part of our faithful witnessing that should be talked about at synod?
Posted in: What If I Remain Silent?
I'm sorry Eric, but this goes beyond being the outrage of the day. This has been brutish, fear inducing and leading to trauma for so many who did follow all the rules from the start. And yes we should first of all care about law enforcement excesses. If they don't follow the law where does that leave us. And when we talk about our brothers and sisters in Christ how many have too much fear to even attend their services, and that includes CRC's. I'd like to understand how came to believe as you do on this matter.
Posted in: What If I Remain Silent?
Hello Eric, sometimes in life we are called to be quiet and patient but other times we a called to speak. Think the old testament prophets calling for justice especially regarding the poor and widows. Think back to the Christian acceptance of slavery, the German Christian church before and during WWII. However we do it our denomination should be speaking to the present situation in the US. And as far as a litmus test the church wasn't afraid to give us one for the HSR. I don't know how you would see this differently.
Posted in: Letter to the Christian Reformed Church in North America
This issue is so important as a multicultural church. The letter from Pastor Harold should be printed in full in the Banner. Their is so much hurt, fear, hardships and injustice among the communities of immigrants that the church has to respond in as many public ways as possible. Without love for these communities we are just resounding gongs. 1 Corinthians 13.
In his service
Karl Slomp
Posted in: We All Carry the Story of Displacement, Part II
Thank you, Sarah, As Canadians and Americans our stories always started somewhere else. My Canadian history started when my parents immigrated with their parents in 1948 and 1949. Thank you for reminding us that there is no us and them. Our church has been blessed by Afghan and Congolese refugees.