Why Did We Allow the Burnings?
In July at least 56 Christian churches were vandalized or burnt to the ground.
As of this writing in September, 2021, our flags are still at half mast for the hundreds of Indigenous children whose unmarked graves were discovered across Canada. A true tragedy. Some of the graves had been marked but the wooden markers eroded. Most of the children in all of the unmarked graves are nameless and lost to us. We know that many of the children in those graves were abused in horrific ways and the Residential School System was a terrible idea from the start. Our indigenous brothers and sisters grieve and we grieve for them and with them.
The other day Terry and I went for a sunny, autumn drive and came upon one of our beloved Catholic churches, St. Jean Baptiste in Morinville, Alberta. It had been burnt to the ground, its bells actually melted into the dirt.
I read a few articles on the subject of burning down our churches a while back and was particularly drawn to the article by Rex Murphy called, “ Why is it OK to harm Christian places of worship in Canada?”
Provided by National Post A former Polish Roman Catholic church near Redberry Lake, about 90 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, burns to the ground on July 8, 2021.
He quotes…” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe took to Twitter to record his grief over the destruction of a Polish Roman Catholic church near Redberry Lake, “a church in my home constituency that has been maintained by generations of volunteers.” His tweet echoed statements from Aboriginal people whose churches had been burnt — that these places of worship had served their parishioners for a long time, some serving as a gathering place for generations.”
Here is another part of the article that really resonated with me…..
“Why, following this stream of attacks, is almost everyone so calm? I’m not putting that question to the “burn them all down” crowd, who are apparently living on their own strange island or housed with the BC Civil Liberties Association. One cannot expect a well of sympathy from the bunch that wants to see more burnings.
Yet it is surely a question for every other Canadian. Religion is, for those who hold a faith, one of their deepest values. Perhaps even, for some, the deepest. So why is a whole series of attacks on Christian churches receiving only routine coverage?
Here’s a question: If 10 or 20 holy places from any other major religion had been attacked, and in a matter of just a few weeks, what would have been the reaction from governments and the news media?
There would have been a storm on all fronts. Reassurances from the politicians. Visits to the various sites. Relentless questions from the media. Sermons from all altars. Grave condemnations of these horrible “hate crimes.” You would be hearing the familiar line “this is not who we are” from sad-eyed leaders. But in the past few weeks, there has very little of any of this. Strange.”
And he continues….
“Then, let’s have some equity here. We should be able to expect the same sensitivity, alert response, and urgent investigation to the burning of a Catholic or a Protestant church as would follow the burning of a temple, a synagogue or mosque. An attack on a person’s faith or on the symbol of a person’s faith is the same across all lines and all beliefs.
What’s been done so far? How much do we know of, I presume, the various investigations? Considering the scale and frequency of these events, and the highly sensitive atmosphere of these times, is there some task force co-ordinating the investigations? Where are the condemnations by our political leaders? What we have heard so far has either been long-in-coming, or — to be kind — tepid upon arrival.
I will note one outstanding matter. Those who some would expect (wrongly) to most easily let these attacks pass, Indigenous people, have been among the strongest and most persuasive in their condemnation and disavowal. There’s a combination of charity and resilience in some of their statements that is as rare as it is commendable.
That, too, holds a lesson. Those carrying the sharpest burdens sometimes have the widest hearts.”
Although we didn’t attend this church, I remember performing my music in a lovely outdoor concert there before Covid. It brought tears to my eyes looking at the ruins of the historical building, much beloved by its parishioners and community.
Isn’t it interesting that most of the Indigenous peoples themselves were against this reaction to their own suffering?
Let these destroyed former places of worship remind us that it is never the proper response to react to hatred….with more hate.
Only love can heal. And we need so much love right now.
(Here is a photo of the former St. Jean Baptiste church….)
Photo by Doc Brew.