The great urbanist Jane Jacobs observed that the presence of children in the city is a sign of urban health. She was echoing the prophetic words of Zechariah who pictured God's salvation in the earthy terms of a safe city: "The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there." (Zech. 8:5). That's… Continue reading Friday Photos
The woes of Toronto's Mayor continue. Stripped of most mayoral powers he's now leveraging this moment for celebrity status - and as one commentator wrote, he's "more dangerous as a celebrity than as a leader." I was guest on a recent episode of Context TV that explored political scandal and Mayor Ford (not because of my… Continue reading An episode on Context TV
I saw this good wisdom from Jim Wallis in his book On God's Side. It's such accessible Christian living, putting the gospel into play in our everyday living. Ten personal decisions you can make to help foster the common good. If you are a father or a mother, make your children the most important priority… Continue reading Promote the common good
One of the upsides of the mobility of pastoral life is you get to enter a variety of new places with eyes wide open, often seeing and appreciating things locals easily pass by. In both Calgary and Vancouver, our previous homes that are still in our hearts, Betty and I felt like resident tourists and… Continue reading Friday photos
One of the great features of city life is the architecture, the shape and feel of the built form. Here's a few shots of Toronto's iconic modernist city hall designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell.
Today is Family Day in a variety of places across Canada. Who can argue with a holiday in February? (yet another reason, my good American friends, you should want to be Canadian!) And since the holiday is about family, here's something for all my family and friends who might think me stark-raving mad for moving… Continue reading Family Day in the city
Squinch 