By Kevin Burke, LSW That cute little baby in the manger is carrying a sword. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Mathew 10:34) When Jesus speaks of bringing a sword in Mathew’s Gospel, this is clearly not a call to physical violence (see Mathew 26:52.). Jesus speaks of the fact that his words, actions and teaching will cause division, foment controversy, and at…

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By Kevin Burke, LSW Christmas can be a magical time, especially when enjoying the season through the eyes of children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  However alongside the lights and festivities, the joy and wonder of this special time, many can quietly struggle with a sense of grief and loss. You don’t have to be an Ebenezer Scrooge to recognize that the expectations for an idealized Hallmark Christmas fail to match up to the complex realities, the uncertainty and fear that are part of many…

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Mary Wagner is a human rights activist from Canada. This Christmas Mary will celebrate the birth of Christ with friends and family. But for most of the last decade, Mary Wagner has often celebrated the birth of Christ in prison. Her crime? Mary enters abortion centers, peacefully prays, and shares a rose and information about other options with each woman in the waiting room. She refuses to obey Ontario’s “bubble law” that requires protestors to maintain a specified distance from…

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By Kevin Burke, LSW – “A Virginia high-school teacher, Peter Vlaming, was fired on Thursday [December 6] after refusing to address a transgender student by the student’s preferred pronoun.”  – “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked. “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here…” Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland We know that under great stress, deprived of proper rest and nutrition, our immune systems are weakened.  Our immune response is compromised…

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