October 18, 2013
Dear Friends:
Wednesday was a rare day of lofty ideas. I was privileged to hear two wonderful talks by valued elders of the United Church. Well, to be honest, I (regrettably) heard only part of the second one, but that is because you can only fit so much into a day. I can’t do justice to either of them here, but let me share a little of what I heard.
First, I attended a graduation ceremony at York University, where my friend John Whyte was the honorary degree recipient and gave the convocation address. John is a constitutional law scholar, a former dean of law, a former provincial deputy minister of justice, a voluminous writer, mentor to many (including me), and someone whose contributions to constitutional debates in the 1970s and 1980s helped shape Canada. He is better known outside the United Church than within it, but church is an important part of his life, and he is well known in the Wesley congregation in Regina, where he has chaired the board and preached on occasion.
Our connection stems from shared work in the administration of justice, but it became closer during my time in Regina, where more often than not I had lunch after church with John and his wife Tessa, either at their house or mine.
John was addressing law graduates and others, but instead of talking about legal theory, he quoted poetry and spoke of the deepest human experience of mercy and love. He referred to the part of life that lies below the surface, containing an impulse to fairness and justice that is greater than the law itself. He said that the burning purpose of humanity is “to turn what is, to what is good.”
Afterward, several people, perhaps unaccustomed to hearing these themes addressed with such subtlety and inspiration, commented that John’s talk was “almost theological.” Having seen the way John’s intellectual life, spiritual life, and sense of community are all intertwined, this didn’t surprise me at all!
Of course, the convocation was longer than I had imagined, so I was late getting downtown to Emmanuel College for the lecture by Douglas John Hall. I don’t know Professor Hall personally, but I’ve been touched by his work since first hearing some of his thinking reflected in the preaching of Peter Short during my time in the Yellowknife congregation. During the long month prior to General Council in 2006 when I was required to maintain my pending appointment as General Secretary as a closely guarded secret, I prepared for the role by reading Douglas John Hall’s book Bound and Free: A Theologian’s Journey.
I’m clearly not the only fan: Wednesday’s event was moved to a bigger room in Victoria University because of the enthusiastic response. The room was still full to overflowing when I made my tardy entrance, and I found myself sitting on the floor at the back. It didn’t matter one bit: the acoustics were fine and the words so worth hearing.
Professor Hall talked about having taught many students who arrived with little or no church background or understanding of scripture. He found that very often these young people found themselves drawn in by the stories of the Bible and the writings of the theologians whose commentaries illuminate our faith. He wondered to the assembled body on Wednesday whether we have lost our way and need to spend more time with scripture and the work of the great Christian scholars. I have been pondering his statement that, “We are called as never before to give a reason for the hope that is within us.” He spoke of a quest for wisdom that goes beyond doctrine.
By the end of this day of feasting on words, my head was full of thoughts, and my heart was full of hope.
Nora
