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January 1, 2018 Volume 22 Number 1 Painting on borrowed timepg. 24 inside Letter to the family: A mother’s treasure 4 The blood of modern-day martyrs 6 Every name deserves to be remembered 12 PM40063104 R09613 2 Canadian Mennonite January 1, 2018 Editorial personal recognition or even revenge. It seemed like a good idea We may need to confront our own sense of moral superiority. (What if we are the Virginia A. Hostetler self-righteous religious authorities that Executive Editor Jesus confronted?) This can happen in our personal relative of mine sometimes tempted to act on their own assumptions spheres but also in well-meaning institu- starts out a funny story with the without considering carefully the things tions, and even the church. Looking Aline, “It seemed like a good idea that others in the conflict hold dear. back, we see examples of good intentions at the time.” Ah, yes, how things can turn “Hearing and attending to plural moral gone wrong: the practice of shunning in from well-intentioned to humorous! Or values offers us an opportunity to clarify, our Mennonite tradition, the racism of much worse. to deepen, to enrich our own residential schools, the colonialism of Last fall, I attended a lecture by values, and the subsequent deci- mission efforts, and the systems of domi- Reina Neufeldt entitled “When sions, actions and judgments then nance brought about by patriarchy. Those good intentions are not enough: that we make that are part of this in power likely saw themselves as moral Confronting ethical challenges journey towards reconciliation,” and upright. Yet they did, and sometimes in peacebuilding and reconcilia- she said. continue to do, great damage. tion.” Neufeldt is a professor in Neufeldt’s cautions and advice We, as individuals and as groups, need the Peace and Conflict Studies program have to do specifically with the influence to recognize the times when our good at Conrad Grebel University College, of people seeking to build peace. Perhaps intentions were not enough. Hindsight where she is described as a practitioner of we can apply them to other areas of our can help us see what may not have been “reflective peacebuilding.” (Her recorded lives. obvious at the time. lecture is online at .bit.ly/2BGQWLd.) At this time of year, we look back and The American poet Maya Angelou Neufeldt has done research around the reflect on our actions. Some of our past once said, “I did then what I knew how to ethics of peacebuilding and has worked choices bring a sense of accomplish- do. Now that I know better, I do better.” with nongovernmental organizations ment. Other memories make us cringe: How can we move beyond that appar- involved in international peacebuilding Why did I do that, say that? Why didn’t I ently “good idea” of the past? First, we projects. From her on-the-ground experi- remain silent? Or: Why didn’t I speak up? offer ourselves some grace: we did what ence with communities and societies in It seemed like a good idea at the time. we knew; we can let go of regret. Some conflict, she gleaned stories that illustrate As followers of Christ, we have a situations will call for an apology or for how the best efforts of individuals and strong desire to be ethically pure. We like restitution. Then we move on, charging organizations sometimes brought about to think that our actions spring out of ourselves to do better next time—to get bad results, and even death. It turns out the best intentions, out of a deep moral more facts, to acknowledge our under- that even the noble goal of making peace grounding. Yet our actions sometimes lying assumptions, to hear the unheard can cause trouble. have undesired consequences. voices, to examine our motives, and to Neufeldt offered caution on how our Confronted with a tricky situation, we listen to human and divine wisdom. good intentions can cause failure in may simply be ignorant of the complex- We can accept the invitation to move peacebuilding. She charged listeners to ity of that reality. We may also need to forward, envisioning strategies for doing examine the moral values that peace- acknowledge that our motives are more good—better. As Romans 12:2 says, we builders bring to a particular situation. complicated than we want to admit. are invited to “be transformed by the We need to consider how our values Maybe we were afraid to consider those renewing of [our] minds, so that [we] can differ from the values of the other people most affected by our actions. There may discern what is the will of God—what is in that conflict. Peacebuilders may be have been an unrecognized desire for truly good and acceptable and perfect.” About the cover: Jim Tubb sits in his Duke Street studio in downtown Kitchener, Ont., surrounded by paintings, art supplies and music—including jazz—that fuels the work. Read Dave Rogalsky’s story on page 24 to learn more about this artist who is literally ‘painting on borrowed time.’ PHOTO: DAVE ROGALSKY, CANADIAN MENNONITE ISSN 1480-042X January 1, 2018 / Vol. 22, No. 1 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063104 REGISTRATION NO. 09613 Letters to the family: A mother’s treasure 4-7 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE ITEMS TO : contentsArlene Friesen profiles the lives and witness of seven CANADIAN MENNONITE, women featured in Martyrs Mirror. Dave Rogalsky’s 490 DUTTON DRIVE, UNIT C5, ‘The blood of modern-day martyrs’ focusses on the cur- WATERLOO, ON, N2L 6H7 rent persecution of Anabaptists in East Africa. Phone: 519-884-3810 Toll-free: 1-800-378-2524 Fax: 519-884-3331 Web site: canadianmennonite.org Challenges and excitement 15 Facebook.com/Canadian.Mennonite @CanMenno The new Joint Council exhibits ‘a strong sense of collaboration’ at its first Please send all material to be considered for publication to: meeting, according to MC Canada moderator Calvin Quan. General submission address: [email protected] Readers Write: [email protected] Milestones announcements: [email protected] ‘Choose something to do’ 20 Paid obituaries: [email protected] Bruce Guenther of MCC Canada reports to a Saskatchewan audience Calendar announcements: [email protected] that the organization’s disaster responses in 2017 were appropriate and Material can also be sent “Attn: Submissions/Readers Write/Milestones/ sustainable. Obituaries/Calendar” by postal mail or fax to our head office. Reprint requests: [email protected] The quiet labours of a Low German translator 22 Mission statement: To educate, inspire, inform, and foster dialogue on issues facing Motivated by a love of linguistics and Low German-speaking colony Mennonites in Canada as it shares the good news of Jesus Christ from an Anabaptist Mennonites, Ed Zacharias of Winkler, Man., spent a decade translat- perspective. We do this through an independent publication and other media, work- ing with our church partners. ing the Bible into Plautdietsch. Guiding values: Painting on borrowed time 24 Hebrews 10:23-25 • Accuracy, fairness, balance • Editorial freedom • Seeking and speaking the truth in love • Open hearts and minds in discerning God’s will An exhibition of Jim Tubb’s jazz-inspired paintings opens during Winter • Covenantal relationships and mutual accountability Jazz Festival Weekend at the Registry Theatre in downtown Kitchener on Feb. 23 and 24. ‘Posthumously or otherwise,’ the lung-cancer survivor Area churches and MC Canada financially support 38 percent of Canadian Mennonite’s annual budget. says of the show, showing no fear of death. Board of Directors (by appointing body): Young Voices 27-29 MC Canada: Doreen Martens, Henry Krause, Rod Wiens, Elmer Hildebrand; Articles by YV editor include ‘A space odyssey,’ about aspir- MC B.C.: Linda Matties; MC Alberta: Arthur Koop; Aaron Epp MC Saskatchewan: Larry Epp; MC Manitoba: Ken Reddig; ing astronaut Taryn Haluza-Delay, and ‘I’m aware of my sin and my MC Eastern Canada: Tim Reimer; CMPS: Lois Epp, Ally Siebert, Bryce Miller need for a Saviour,’ about Close Talker guitarist Matthew Kopperud’s Board Chair: Henry Krause, [email protected], 604-888-3192 life as a touring musician. Head Office Staff: Tobi Thiessen, Publisher, [email protected] Virginia A. Hostetler, Executive Editor, [email protected] Regular features: Ross W. Muir, Managing Editor, [email protected] For discussion 7 Readers write 8 Milestones 14 Barb Draper, Editorial Assistant, [email protected] Betty Avery, Graphic Designer, [email protected] A moment from yesterday 14 Online NOW! 23 Lisa Jacky, Circulation/Finance, [email protected] Yellow Page 26 Calendar 30 Classifieds 31 Aaron Epp, Young Voices Editor, [email protected] Advertising Manager: D. Michael Hostetler, [email protected], It seemed like a good idea 2 toll-free voice mail: 1-800-378-2524 ext. 224 Virginia A. Hostetler Correspondents: Will Braun, Senior Writer, [email protected] We know who we are 8 Amy Dueckman, B.C. Correspondent, [email protected] Willard Metzger Donita Wiebe-Neufeld, Alberta Correspondent, [email protected] Donna Schulz, Saskatchewan Correspondent, [email protected] Believe the best about each other 9 Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe, Manitoba Correspondent, [email protected] Dave Rogalsky, Eastern Canada Correspondent, [email protected] Melissa Miller One-Year Subscription Rates Be like Scrooge? 10 Canada: $46 + tax (depends on province where subscriber lives) U.S.: $68 International (outside U.S.): $91.10 Darren Pries-Klassen Subscriptions/address changes: (e-mail) [email protected] Printed in Canada Award-winning (web) canadianmennonite.org member of the (phone) 1-800-378-2524 ext. 221 Canadian Church Press God at Work in the Church Feature Letter to the family: A mother’s treasure By Arlene Friesen hildren are among the most important things given to us in our lives.