Category Religion
A Christmas Carol
It is a timeless biblical story of redemption and grace without reference to any scripture. But watching a production of A Christmas Carol you somehow feel that Charles Dickens knew what he was doing. A version of the stage play is at Canada’s National Arts Centre until December 31. I was there Friday night and […]
Basilica of the Holy Blood
I know there are rules. I don’t know exactly what they are. I have been told that every Roman Catholic church has a relic of a saint in it somewhere. No need to go into great details, you can look it up if you like. I would think, as the number of churches grow, […]
Santa Revisited
I first posted this a couple of years ago. Well, technically, I first published it in 1991 – but there wasn’t much Internet back then. I don’t know of the word “blog” had even been invented then. (I know, now that I have said hat someone will look it up and let me know.) What […]
Advent Reflections
As Christmas approaches, society seems to jack up the Santa imagery, probably to help people with their shopping, but I still run across the occasional nativity scene. It is good to be reminded that Jesus is the reason for the season. I’ve come across this image in several places in the past, and today seemed […]
December Already?
Where did the year go? It seems just yesterday we were looking at the beginning of 2016, full of hope; now things are winding down, Or should that be winding up, given the busyness of the season? Christmas is coming, but you already knew that. It is 24 days away. Unless of course you follow […]
Black Friday Wins
Resistance is futile. We have been assimilated. No, it is not Star Trek‘s Borg that have conquered, it is American culture. Although culture is probably too high-brow a word to describe Black Friday. It is a peculiarly American festival, an orgy of consumerism that falls the day after American Thanksgiving. Call it the Protestant version […]
JJ’s Christmas
In the stores this week I noticed the Christmas music playing for the first time this year. It might have been playing for weeks already, but I may have tuned it out. I’m almost done with Christmas music for the year. I’m a programmer for a satellite music channel (heard throughout North America and I […]
The Harvest
Snow in the forecast, but it was a sunny Friday afternoon and unseasonably warm. I had a long list of things I wanted to accomplish. They didn’t get done. My wife sent a text: “Are you done work? Want to enjoy the weather and go for a walk?” So it was out into Ottawa’s urban […]
Post Funeral Reflections
I have never liked funerals. I much prefer the company of the living. When I was a child I was considered too young to attend, even funerals of family members. I kind of regret now that I didn’t get to say farewell to my maternal grandparents in that ceremony. Mind you, that is an adult […]
A Drinking Problem?
At first glance the news story could be seen as weird example of persecution of Christians in the Middle East. The Iraqi Parliament has prohibited the importation, production and sale of alcohol. The booze sellers are all Christians. And with this move the Iraqi government has attacked the livelihoods of a significant number of people. […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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