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In Keeping with the Spirit of the Season – so to speak.

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I got a chuckle from the reports on the Christmas tree kafuffle at Seattle airport. The chuckle arose from annoyance at all the e-mails and newspaper letters from people demanding we keep Christ in Christmas and suggesting I (we) are un-Canadian of un-Spiritual if we do not support their exclusionary demands.

OK, I admit to a little smugness over these self-labelled Christians being reminded that this season “belongs” in part to an earlier faith in Judaism. Lest others feel the need to stake their religions claim to this season, I concede that this Season traces it roots back to early pagan Winter Solstice celebrations. In fact the timing of Christmas is a result of the early christian church feeling the need to have a celebration at year’s end/turning to allow them to compete against the pagan faiths for followers.

The “it is OUR season” ranting has reached a level of annoyance such that I cannot help being amused at anything that serves to hoist these self-labelled Christians on their own petard by establishing earlier claims to the season for other Faiths and belief systems. I have grown tired of this holier than thou, this is OUR celebration, exclude those who do not believe exactly what we do attitude of these self-labelled Christians.

The point of my rant, ahem – scolding, and the reason I refer to these people as self-labelled Christians is that their behaviour shows a total lack of understanding of what the season is truly about. The fact is that the Seattle Rabbi who set the kafuffle off shows more understanding of the Season in urging the return of the trees – without his demand being fulfilled.

The Christ who comes at Christmas is about and for others, bringing a spirit of renewal and love. This season is about forgiveness; new beginnings; love for our fellow man; about the lesson of the Good Samaritan; treating others as we would want to be treated; about sacrifice for others; above alleles it is Inclusive.

Christmas is about OTHERS! It is not about or belonging to ME, as the “it belongs to us Christians” as the attitudes of these mistaken, self-labelled Christians suggests. Actions have consequences. In their self-centered beliefs and actions these theologues miss the raison d’être of the Season.

In behaving this way they, like Lewis Carroll’s Marley and Scrooge, “labour upon the chains they forge and of their own free will gird about themselves”. For in truth their Spirits do not go forth among their fellow man but are locked within the confines of their personal religious beliefs and their money-changing (hands) temples. To them Marley’s lament “Mankind was my business!” is nothing but a line from an old story.

Christ was and is about caring for others, sacrificing so that mankind could lead Full, Happy, Loving and Free lives. Mankind was Christ’s business.

Take a moment to reflect and meditate upon yourself and the season. Should you find that you have forgot about your fellow man, forgetting the design behind the season, you may want to take a look for the chains you have forged and meditate upon what Christ would have you do to break your chains and set your Spirit free to walk among your fellow man.

May the love and Spirit of the season fill your Soul, spill over and call blessings upon yourself, family, friends and your fellow man throughout the New Year.

Homeless, Municipal

Hmmmmmmm.

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Ouch! A friend called Sunday to smack my nose for being to hard on the City in my letter on Extreme Weather planning. It made for an interesting discussion. Although, when the major contribution by the City to Extreme Weather planning, in the main part, is to not put up barriers …

While my friend is correct that the City has come a ways in both awareness and attitude, but there is so much more they must come to perceive, to gain some understanding of and needs that call for action that letting them rest on their “laurels” is just not good acceptable. The temptation to avoid these messy issues by hiding behind “Social Advisory Committees”, “Regional Social Committees”, Social Planners and so on is great that we must continue to (cattle) prod them to keep moving and into action.

The conversation served to highlight just how much one’s perspective on housing, poverty, homeless and addictions is affected by one’s position on the “have nothing to super rich” scale of material possessions.

I can see and understand where my friend and the other involved, caring citizens see so much progress made and being made. I can also see and understand where my many friends, both homeless and poor as well as those involved directly in helping the homeless and poor, see no progress made and nothing happening.

June, July and August so many people are on holidays, at different times, everything goes on hold until sometime in mid-September. Currently we are into the Christmas/New Year season and pretty much on hold again. Understandable? Yes and No.

When you and yours are inside and fed vacations and the holiday season seem fair, deserved and necessary. When you and yours are standing in a cold December rain – vacations, holiday seasons and things moving forward with glacial slowness are just more barriers to improvements to your survival and regaining a life worth living.

1/3 of the year wasted on vacations and the holiday season. Something accomplished years down the road. These do nothing about the cold December rain falling on your head today or in providing support, encouragement and help in getting your act and life together – today or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow …

So while I can see and understand my friend’s point and point of view, sometimes it is so hard to stay reasonable and positive. Particularly in light of my current economic state, balanced on a financially secure/unstable pivot point so very close to returning to being homeless. Sometimes I find I have to bite my tongue to not scream “Get your pampered asses in gear” or to give in to the urge to round up all the players, stand them in the cold December rain and deny them access to any resources other than those available to the homeless and poor.

All in hopes of communicating to them some understanding of the urgency and frustration I feel. Instead I take a deep breath, recite the serenity prayer and put pen to paper (so to speak) in hopes of educating and widening peoples understanding and perspectives.

Oh yes. In answer to the question posed about what I want from the City? I want them to bring to filling the basic living needs of those suffering poverty and homelessness the passion, the commitment, the marshalling of resources, the rallying of the public, the unlimited use of city staff and funds, the rush to put needed facilities/buildings in place – even if it requires borrowing millions of dollars to do so, “putting the arm” on local “donors” and the willingness to go to any lengths to get their way that they behaved with for the luxuries of Plan A.

Homeless

Kudos to the Extreme Weather Team

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Mr. Dave Murray deserves kudos not only for the hours he put in preparing a plan for and during the Extreme Weather the City experienced but for the example he sets for having one’s priorities in order. He used Food Bank funds to fill the pressing need for mattresses and sleeping bags, knowing the need to replenish these funds would cause extra work. Lives saved vs. extra work? Sadly, experience has shown that all too few in the City have this same generosity of spirit.

With the severity of the snow, cold and wind-chill the Extreme Weather the City experienced had the potential to KILL. Imagine the field day the national media would have had with people freezing to death, from lack of charity, on the streets of a City that prides itself on the number of churches it has.

How should we say thanks? Those who regularly support the Food Bank say thanks, in the most meaningful of ways, with every donation and hour volunteered. For others: why not drop by and say “Thank You”, help in replenishing the funds expended providing shelter from the killing cold and/or help to ensure that the Food Bank has sufficient stocks on hand to not only meet the Christmas Season demands but also sufficient food to make it through the post-holiday bleak period.

I want to take a moment to also offer Kudos to the many volunteers who put in so many volunteer hours to keep the Salvation Army open 24 hours a day during the crisis. And to Dave W. for his decision to keep the building open those 24 hours. I want to make special mention of Mr. Chris O’Neill who put in countless hours helping in the early morning with work caused by the extra people staying at the shelter and spent many more hours serving coffee to keep the Redemption Café open six extra hours a day.

Fortunately we will never know how many lives these citizens, so generous in spirit, saved. Which is, in the end, the best thanks they could get.

Homeless

Hippocratic Oath?

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I thought of Kevin George Ellis the other night and the abysmal way MSA Hospital treated this dying man (see tribute to the fallen http://www.somethingcool.ca/backissues/073106). Even worse than the way they treated Kevin is the fact that they continue to deliver substandard health care to the homeless putting their lives at risk. And, in the case I am thinking of, perhaps putting the health of the general public at risk.

One of the members of the homeless community has staff infection. The hospital gave him medication and sent him on his way – knowing he was homeless. I am not a doctor but from all the reports I have read of staff infection outbreaks in hospitals it sounds extremely infectious and easy to pass along. Now X is considerate enough that he warns people of his infection rather than trying to hide it. One could wish the medical professionals in Abbotsford had such ethical behaviour.

X also understands why, especially in the vastly overcrowded conditions caused by this life threatening weather he should not be in the Shelter. What I, and others, do not understand is why he is not in the hospital until he is fully well. Instead he is walking around the city leaving a trail of staff germs behind to infect unknowing members of the public. At the very least this would seem to be very questionable public health behaviour. Given the severe weather outside it is definitely a humanitarian issue. Just how many more unfortunates will the hospital contribute to the death of? How many dead will it take until the Fraser Valley Health Authority shows leadership and insists that MSA fulfill its purpose and deliver good healthcare to ALL suffering illness?

Homeless

Extreme Weather

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It is past cold, into the realm of bitchin’ cold. With all the snow on the ground, the fierce wind and the cold, the weather is life threatening. Many of the Abbotsford residents living on the streets have been sought whatever shelter, at whatever “price” they must “pay”, just to survive. For the first time in Abbotsford there is an Extreme Weather Plan in place and the coordinator of the plan has been checking up on the current population of the Salvation Army’s emergency shelter in case it is necessary to open additional beds.

Why is it that this year, for the very first time, Abbotsford has an Extreme Weather Plan in place? Because some concerned citizens gave their time and effort to get together to develop a plan and to get the plan approved by the provincial agency responsible for overseeing these plans, to ensure that when the weather turns deadly there are beds available to save lives. The City of Abbotsford is so lacking in leadership and vision that a group of citizens were forced to get together to address this life threatening issue.

Perhaps even more disheartening is that, in a city noted for the number of churches within its borders, not one was willing to step forward to open its doors to the poor and destitute when extreme weather threatens their lives. Apparently churches in Abbotsford favour the Inquisition behaviour model, distaining the lesson of the Good Samaritan.

Providentially for those so unfortunate as to find themselves homeless in Abbotsford, there are citizens whose principles and spirit values compel them to step forward to provide leadership and to render life-sustaining aid to those in need. Sadly, for the soul of our City, there seem far to few of these people willing to love their brother – even those brothers so many consider undeserving of love.