Due
to mandated
COVID-19
restrictions,
all in-person
gatherings are
suspended for
the time
being.
_________________________
Marg
Black
Tri-Churches
Parish Nurse
As
our Parish
Nursing office
is still closed
at this time,
please reach out
to us by phone
at (416)
494-5364
or contact any
of the agencies
below:
Toronto Mental
Health Support -
211
Seniors Help
Line - (416)
217-2077
Seniors Safety
Line - (416)
899-1011
Crisis Help - crisisservicescanada.ca
_________________________________________________
Your
Latest Parish
Nursing Health
Tip
posted on June
12, 2021
A Different Pandemic
As if COVID-19
weren’t enough,
we now have a
new pandemic of
hatred and
destruction.
Within 2 weeks
we have learned
of a mass grave
at a former
Indigenous
residential
school
containing the
remains of 215
unidentified
children, and a
family out for
an evening walk
murdered by a
20-year-old
white man with a
truck due to
Islamophobia. I
feel as if I am
swimming in an
ocean of grief
for those who
have been
irrevocably hurt
and guilt
because I am a
white person
with a British
heritage.
So I am seeking
answers and a
way forward.
First, I am very
grateful for
family members
and friends from
different
backgrounds. In
my family are
children who are
part Asian, part
Black, and Metis
and they are all
wonderful people
whom we dearly
love. And I have
Muslim
neighbours who
are very good
friends, always
bringing me food
when they have a
family BBQ and
waiting to
invite me over
again when COVID
is gone. Having
all these people
in my life is a
truly enriching
experience. The
residential
school system is
a more
complicated
matter that
weighs all of us
down. The
fact that these
things were
happening at the
direction of the
Canadian
government
without our
awareness, and
worse still that
the churches
were involved,
is beyond
terrible.
How can these
things happen?
I believe that
hatred is the
offspring of
fear. We are
afraid of things
we don’t
understand, of
changes that may
negatively
affect us, of
not being in
control. So we
build up
terrible
negative
stereotypes in
our minds and
seek to destroy
the things we
feel threatened
by. Hatred and
discrimination
destroy not only
those who are
the objects of
hatred but also
the haters.
Regardless of
whether they
ever face legal
justice, the
haters live in
self-imposed
prisons for
life. This
is not the
Canada I
understood as I
was growing up,
and not the
Canada I want
to live in
now.
So how can we
change things
for the better?
I think the key
is working hard
not only to
recognize our
potential hidden
biases, but also
to ensure we
open ourselves
to learn about
those who are
different. Under
the skin we are
all children of
God. The Bible
is full of
stories about
helping others
(e.g. the Good
Samaritan).
Jesus summarized
all the law and
the prophets
into the Two
Great
Commandments:
Love God first
with all our
heart, soul,
mind, &
strength: and
second, Love our
neighbours as
ourselves. This
may not be easy
but it is the
way forward.
Even if we have
never had
negative
thoughts about
others, terrible
wrongs have been
done in our
society and we
need to
acknowledge that
to the victims
and to work hard
to change a
culture that
allows these
things to
happen. Only
then can begin
to heal and go
forward in
unity.
Let us all pray
for God’s
guidance,
strength and
patience to help
us.
Margaret
Black
Tri-Churches
Parish Nurse
_________________________________________________
Pastoral
Message
posted for Sunday, February 28, 2021
Dear members of the Tri-Churches congregations
We are deeply saddened to share with you that our
beloved minister, the Rev. Robert Reid, died last
Sunday on February 21, not being able to recover
from the Covid-19 complications.
We are so grateful for all the prayers that were
offered not only by this congregation, but by so
many friends, along with the Presbytery of East
Toronto - prayers for healing, for peace, for
courage and for comfort.
Robert himself knew that his life was safely in
God's care, and though this is not the outcome we
had prayed for, we too trust, as Marg Black puts
it, God has chosen to heal him in a different
way. We grieve together with the Reid
family, our family of faith here at Iona, and all
our friends of the Tri-Church. We give
thanks to God for Robert's life and witness to the
Risen Christ, for his ministry and wonderful
friendships in our midst.
Each of us has previous memories that no one can
take away from us. If you wish to write down some
of your memories for the Reid family, please
forward them to Marg Black, so that she can
collect them for Robert's family.
Those who wish to make a donation in loving
memorial of the Rev. Robert Reid,
please consider:
Robert Reid Memorial Fund
c/o Iona Presbyterian Church
1080 Finch Ave. East,
North York, ON, M2J 2X2
