Colleen McLean

The book of Exodus is the memory of how Israel came into being as the chosen people of God. Because as church we often refer to ourselves as Israel or the new Israel, we need to see ourselves in the story.

Religion being thrown around in public discourse gives us a particular opportunity to challenge ourselves to realize our meanings and assumptions when we talk about ecumenicalism. To talk about the church is to include the global Christian community, not just a certain domination or authority.

If religion and politics matter then they must intersect

In the beginning, humans recognized they lived in times of darkness and light. They observed the movement of the sun across the sky. They discerned patterns among the stars in the same sky at night. They asked questions: why am I here on this land and not in the sky; where did I come from, where did the sun, moon, and stars come from, why is there a separation of day and night, why do other creatures on this land look different from me, etc.

My anger with God comes from not being able to escape from God’s presence. I feel too much God and it is overwhelming. It is difficult to strike a balance between living a daily routine of food preparation, household chores and driving between the kids’ schools when I feel constantly called into prayer and study.

Terrorism is an act of despair on the part of a person or group who has lost hope in the ability to affect change through non-violent engagement whether it is political, economic or religious. By my definition much of the violence in the world is that of terrorists.