Summer Sizzles On!

How do we make decisions about 'sacred space'?

Left: This abandoned 19th century building two blocks north of Ground Zero will become an Islamic centre, including a mosque. It is the brainchild of the Cordoba Initiative, a group founded after 9/11 to help build bridges between modern Islam and the West. Many right-wing groups oppose it. Right: A protester shows how he feels about a similar initiative underway in California. How do you feel about this? Log in to our forums page and tell us.

Sharifa offers a Muslim perspective on the near-Ground Zero "controversy"

"ms clear that objections to the construction of a centre at this site by a Muslim group are based on emotion, and, in its less benign form, prejudice. Unfortunately, this is a situation where emotions and pre- judgment have been allowed, often under the guise of patriotism, to make irrational judgments on the faith of almost one-quarter of humanity." Read more.

NEW SERIES: Inter-faith Approaches to Prayer!

Sharifa starts us off with a Muslim perspective on this ancient and most inter-faith of rituals

In the months to come, Lutherans Connect will feature a different faith or spiritual tradition perspective on prayer.

"As a Muslim, I pray five times a day, at specified times (these change throughout the year, from winter to summer as the length of the day changes). Most people have seen the iconic pictures or images of Muslims praying and prostrating in congregation. This is what we refer to as “salah”. Another, less formal method of supplication is called “dua” and it would be equivalent to Christians praying with clasped hands. In fact, Muslim use the dua as an opportunity to establish a personal conversation with God, make special requests, or simply to supplicate and ask of His Mercy outside of the usual prayer times (often times before or after the five structured prayers, but even during the formal prayer when we prostrate ourselves). Read more.

Janaki reflects on slavery and spirituality

"How much of where we sit spiritually is a function of our history? Do we see ourselves as worthy of God's grace, or as displaced from access to grace due to history? Do we nurture each other in love, or do we perpetuate the rocky soil and fallow ground experiences of others? During the "down-time" of the week when Tivoli was under fire, I was mostly unable to sleep. I read a lot during that time, and one of the articles I read was about the systematic "breaking" of the African slave, to make the slave more pliant for the plantation economies. We think "history" and we think "a couple of hundred years ago", but the imprint of that breaking process continues to clothe the souls of our post-emancipation population." Read more.

Ryan on the joys and challenges of writing

"Sometimes I want to run from the act of writing. To just get up and flee. Adios, writing. Keep your syllables and conjugated verbs at bay. And then I read a solid book (See: Sloane Crosley’s “How Did You Get This Number”) or stumble upon a likewise brilliant morsel of inspiration." Read more.

Marsha on Reaching Out

"It seems to me that, in this busy age, we're often so tied up in our day-to-day lives, with their pressures, that we're reluctant to let others in. To inconvenience ourselves, however slightly, to help someone else out. I'm writing this to invite you to let others in, extend a helping hand, even when your first thought is that you don't have the time."  Read more.

Ryan on the G20 Fail

"I was reporting on the G20. As such, I was actually in the vortex of both the peaceful and absolutely inane black bloc tactic “anarchists.” I took in both the police and protester violence firsthand. Now before people voice their opinions and presumably take their sides (protester VS. police), let me note something. What happened in Toronto over the weekend and past week (as I covered it all) was too nuanced to take a side. Nor is that the real issue at play. And if you weren’t there to see how both sides reacted, it is tough to make a strong argument. No really, it is. Because peace, civil liberties, justice, fairness, proper judgment and control were all lost. Absolutely lost. On my account, it was a saddening moment." Read more.

Marsha on Standing up!

"As I headed to downtown Toronto this past Saturday, en route to an appointment with my (hair) colourist, I had my iPod tuned to a “the best of” compilation by John Mellencamp. One lyric that got stuck in my head for the rest of the weekend was this: You’ve got to STAND for something or you’re gonna FALL for anything. I thought to myself, hmmm, there’s a lesson in there. It seems that John Mellencamp, like many of us in “the second half” (of our lives) have learned these lessons the hard way. (But at least we’ve learned!)" Read more.

Rebekah on attempting to be faithful during the G20!

"So as we stand witness to the G20 this week are we ,"the church", raging with life? I read the demands of the Summit of World Religious Leaders: governments must close the gap between rich and poor, prioritize environmental sustainability, end militarism and cycles of violent conflict, and put the Millennium Development Goals back on track. Of course I want these things! It is a very important thing to bridge religous boundries and discover what we agree on. It is very important to speak out and demand just governance and policy. But why are we asking the governments and corporations of the world to do our work! Isn't bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth our job? Shouldn't we also be looking at the gap between the rich and poor that we foster, the way we fail to prioritize environmental sustainablility, the way we perpetuate conflict through consumerism, and our lack of respect for women's right, GLBTQ rights, and indegenous rights? Where is our imagination?" Read more!

Janaki witnesses another siege in Jamaica

"I'm here for a few months, "visiting" from Canada. I'm staying with my mom in a home that is in "a good part of town". The windows all have grills on them - standard practice in urban Jamaica. The house is surrounded by a 10-plus foot wall. The wall has barbed wire on top of it. We have a large double-gated entrance to this protected property in this good part of town. It is operated by an automatic gate opener. We have a rottweiler (Paris) and a pit-bull (Toby) in the yard. All the grills have vibration sensors on them. In the night we set an alarm. We have panic buttons. If we think someone is on the property and press the button (or the alarm is triggered), a security company (whose services my mom receives for a monthly fee) sends armed personnel to our home. They have a key to open the gate. They check out the premises to keep us safe. My mom pays taxes in Jamaica. When I worked here I too paid taxes. By the time all the deductions are made, these taxes approximate one third of one's salary. This is in "a good part of town." But we are 'safe'." Read more.

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