Putting Christ In Perspective

Keith Dow

December 22, 2017

The glories of Renaissance painting have given us an image of Jesus at odds with the Saviour who walked beside the poor and dispossessed, writes Convivium contributor Keith Dow. 

Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi stands in sharp contrast to the portrait of Jesus from Popular Mechanics’ article The Real Face of Jesus in 2015 What might it look like to shift our perspective from unattainable ideals of the human body to perceiving the unique and intricate beauty of everybody created in...

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God With Us

Brittany Beacham

December 22, 2017

With the very advent of Christmas upon us, Brittany Beacham gives Convivium readers this irresistible reflection written from the pure-hearted beauty that is the full meaning of Christian faith.

In the times of the judges, the people would turn away from God, becoming like the pagan nations that surrounded them, forgetting that their worship was owed to Him and Him alone O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear A child ...

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The Gift Of True Love

Theo Caldwell

December 21, 2017

Theo Caldwell reminds us that only by truthfully examining why we give can we understand the God-given love at the heart of Christmas 

The reason the Golden Rule is to treat others as you would like to be treated, and Christ instructs us to love others as we love ourselves (the starter kit to loving God above all things), is that this is motivation to which people can relate Similarly, two people doing the same good deed may look i...

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Canada’s Silence About Christmas Violence

Janet Epp Buckingham

December 21, 2017

Janet Epp Buckingham wants to know why the Canadian government doesn’t speak out against the evil of attacks on Christians around the world as they celebrate their Saviour’s birth

As the recent horrific bombing at Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta, Pakistan shows, church services at this time of year can be a special target for violence against Christians in the many regions of the world where they are a minority These are important first steps to preventing and resp...

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The Flaccid Faith Of Jedi Knights

Evan Menzies

December 20, 2017

Viewers of the latest Star Wars installment watch the ancient religion of The Force droop like an old agnostic’s shrug, writes Convivium contributor Evan Menzies

Luke is able to redeem himself through once again fully embracing the Force and sacrificing himself for the new Rebellion by the end of the film, but there’s no doubt what conclusion Director Rian Johnson intends to steer the audience toward: the Jedi, and the Sith for that matter, as we know them, ...

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Justice For The Global Poor

Ed Wilson

December 19, 2017

While the world’s impoverished people need food, water, clothing and medicine, they also need the safety that comes from living in truly just societies, says Ed Wilson, executive director of International Justice Mission in Canada. 

Most importantly, we partner with all levels of government and work alongside local police, judges, prosecutors, social workers, church leaders and others, providing training and support to strengthen the entire community’s response to violence against the poor As we work through this collaborative ...

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The Benedict Adventure

Breanne Valerie

December 18, 2017

One of the most controversial books of 2017 was Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option, which was criticized by many as advocating Christian retreat from the secular world. Convivium has asked writer Breanne Valerie to live out the monastic Rule of St. Benedict in her daily life as a busy social worker and Vancouverite.

Although Benedict upholds the importance of immediacy when it comes to obedience, to even get to the place where we can hear the voice of God in others and then implement the suggestions and commands in a timely manner, we must till the soil of our souls so that it might be soft enough to receive th...

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Faith Over Fear

Brittany Beacham

December 15, 2017

Fear, that chronic illness of the human condition, is best overcome by trust in God, Brittany Beacham writes. But, she counsels, keep an extra Winnie the Pooh nightlight handy just in case.

You see, leaving the door open a crack is a great thing when all that's out there is your parents’ room three feet across the hall and your sister’s room four feet to the right, but as it turns out, leaving the door open a crack is NOT a viable option when outside your door waits a long, dark hallwa...

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Clear Numbers For School Choice

Beth Green

December 14, 2017

Beth Green, program director for Cardus Education, tells Convivium’s Peter Stockland that Angus Reid polling data released today show Canadians overwhelmingly support public funding of faith-based schooling

Convivium: Those numbers are, at least in part, a function of the representation in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario where there are very thriving Catholic school systems, aren’t they? People in those provinces see religious schools – at least Catholic schools – as a normal part, as you say, of co...

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An Encomium For Actual Icons

Raymond J. de Souza

December 14, 2017

Only icons are iconic, Father Raymond J. de Souza cautions. Deep fried dough and Neil Young are not

But a street is not an icon, and by definition the transit authorities of Toronto are incapable of writing icons Every person, made in the image and likeness of God, is something of an icon of the divine John the Baptist, which, proper to the Eastern tradition, is resplendent with sacred icons ...

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Excited to Build Bridges

Mark Tymm

December 13, 2017

Mark Tymm came from one of those families: on Sunday mornings he grew up putting on corduroy pants, buttoned coats, polished shoes, and piling into the van with his family. As he grew, he met more people with different perspectives and patterns (like sleeping in on Sunday!). As his community grows more diverse, he looks forward to building more bridges.

Looking back on life is a scary prospect sometimes, but I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had so many opportunities to study, grow, challenge my perspectives, refine them, test theory in the real world, and continue to press into my faith as it finds itself in my every day Their primary mandate...

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A Seriously Extraordinary Celebration

Katherine Jesty

December 13, 2017

Katherine Jesty recently joined a l’Arche community in which people with and without intellectual disabilities choose to live our lives together. One of the first things that struck her was the joy.

In our community when we celebrate someone we sing a song “thank you Lord for giving me ____, right where we are”, and passing around a candle, sharing stories ...

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He Shall Be Called Wonderful

Erik deLange

December 13, 2017

In Stephen Chbosky’s film Wonder, Convivium reviewer Erik de Lange finds the Gospel message on love of Other

When it comes to Wonder, whether it’s August Pullman, the boy with facial differences, trying to fit in with his classmates, his sister Via, losing her best friend, or even Julian, the class bully, seeking to please his parents, it is a story about belonging “Dear God, please let them be nice to him...

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The Expanse

Thomas Sanz

December 13, 2017

Do you ever take a moment to let your gaze linger on the horizon? What does the expanse of land and see evoke within you? 

“6 And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters ...

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An Image of Freedom

Dayna Hillier with Renae Regehr

December 12, 2017

Convivium contributor Dayna Slusar talks to the founder of Free To Be about helping young people understand their bodies are gifts from God, not dependent on social media judgements

Convivium: The Free to Be Talks social media pages continue to promote ideas and conversations around having a positive body image and how that contributes to confidence and developing leadership skills Convivium: In reaching for that perception of ourselves as whole people, how can the church begin...

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