Dozens of people gathered for the solemn event in Victoria Park, near downtown Moncton, in December. Names of the deceased were read over a loudspeaker one-by-one, and people affixed paper leaves bearing those names to the branches of a tree.

Local resident John Renton, part of a grassroots group called the Ragged People, which helps support homeless people in Moncton, paid tribute to friends who died from overdose and suicide.

“The invasiveness of illicit drugs is both cause and effect of the countless number of those suffering on our streets today,” he told the crowd, which included staff from various social agencies and community members, some of whom wept during the service.

Mr. Renton called for an end to stigma affecting people struggling with poverty, drugs and homelessness. “I’m glad to see a good turnout of people, the media coverage, just anything to stop stigma and bring attention to the crisis is a big deal,” he told the NB Media Co-op.

The Rev. Chris VanBuskirk of St. George Anglican Church – an inner-city church that provides hot meals and other services from its basement – presided over the service, which also included reflections from community members, music performed by guitarist and singer Jeremy Reid, and readings from scripture.

Mr. VanBuskirk cited the official figure of 51 deaths but acknowledged that the true number might be higher. In 2023, at least 55 people died in conditions of homelessness and addiction, compared to at least 23 people the previous year.

“This takes a great toll obviously on families, but also on frontline workers and on volunteers who really become close with those that they’re working with,” he said. “Obviously, it takes a great toll on friends.”

He said that efforts to get people into stable housing have improved with the introduction of the so-called Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), software that helps various social agencies and government departments to coordinate the provision of services.

But he called for more people in the community to lend a helping hand. “We need neighbours and friends… beyond the experts, just each one of us knowing that we can do something,” he said.

Shannon Barry, senior director of outreach with YMCA of Greater Moncton, said there’s been significant progress over the past year in terms of getting people from shelters or encampments into stable housing. But she acknowledged that it’s a struggle amid an ongoing shortage of affordable housing coupled with the drug overdose crisis.

“Unfortunately, our numbers just keep growing and it’s hard to stay on top of things or keep up with the inflow that we’re experiencing, especially with our low vacancy rates in Moncton, but there is progress happening,” she said.

Asked what needs to change, she noted that housing is a key aspect of people’s recovery process. “Sixty per cent of the loss that we had this year was due to accidental overdose,” she said. “So housing and addressing our toxic drug supply are definitely the ones that would have the most impact on folks that we work with day in and day out.”

NB Media Co-op

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In related news, The Fellowship of St. Alban & St. Sergius and the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine hosted a gathering to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Jan. 23 at St. John’s Convent. The evening began with Orthodox Vespers sung by members of the choir of Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Mission, followed by a light support and a talk by Dr. Tiffany Robinson on “The Shape and Architecture of the Sacred.”

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“I was very pleased that new parishioners who don’t usually come to my Advent, Lent or bible studies came out for this one,” said the Rev. Bonnie Skerritt of St. Paul, Lindsay. “It was well received and folks participated well in the conversations, answering the questions the bishops posed.”

St. Paul’s was one of the 14 churches that hosted a watch party during the series. At St. Paul’s, 12 people gathered on site, with others joining online from their homes. “It was clear to me that my parishioners wanted to hear from the bishops and to learn from them,” says Ms. Skerritt.

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The title of your new book is Rags of Light. Where does that come from, and what does it mean?
Leonard Cohen’s stunning 1984 album, Various Positions, closes with a prayer of a song called, “If It Be Your Will.” While no one song could be said to capture the spirituality of Leonard Cohen, this is certainly one of the most poignant. Asking God whether he should continue to speak and continue his offering of song, the artist sings in the last verse:

And draw us near
And bind us tight
All Your children here
In their rags of light

In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be Your will

This is a prayer for the intimacy of covenant, the restoration of faithfulness, the dawning anew of light in the midst of the night of our culture and our lives. The notion of “rags of light” conjures up both the sense that our clothes are tattered, barely covering our nakedness, and the recognition that we do not have enough light to fully illuminate the path before us. Delivered with a quiet pathos, these lines evoke something of the longing at the heart of human spirituality. Cohen has given voice to that kind of longing in a way that has resonated deeply with millions of listeners around the world. The book is written in the prayerful spirit of this song, looking deeply into the “rags of light” that compose the body of Cohen’s work, while hopefully taking a similar stance of humility about what it is that I am offering.

When and how did your passion for Leonard Cohen’s music begin, and how has the man and his music influenced you over the years, including your faith journey?
I have been engaging with Cohen’s work since a high school essay more than 50 years ago on his song “Suzanne.” And while I followed his career over the years, it wasn’t until I first saw him perform live that the spiritual power of his music and his personality struck a chord deep within me. A Leonard Cohen concert was a spiritual, indeed a liturgical, experience. His music and lyrics not only capture the ethos and longings of a multi-generational community of listeners, but consistently seem to resonate profoundly with the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.

And so, when I pastored the Wine Before Breakfast community at the University of Toronto, we found ourselves often going to Cohen for music that would deepen our liturgical experience. The “Cohen Eucharist” that we curated at St. James Cathedral on Dec. 8 was an example of what happens when all of the music and prayers are written by Leonard Cohen and brought into creative engagement with the scriptures for the day and the Eucharistic prayer.

Why did you write Rags of Light, and what is its main theme?
Well, it’s all there in the subtitle: Leonard Cohen and the Landscape of Biblical Imagination. You see, there was nothing “generic” about Cohen’s spirituality. Rather, his was decidedly and unapologetically a biblical spirituality rooted most deeply in the Torah, but also in the Christian scriptures. Indeed, he referred to these scriptures as the “landscape” within which he worked. This is, if you will, the foundation of Leonard Cohen’s imagination, the beating heart of his poetry and song.

The landscape of biblical faith provides, for Cohen, the living narratives, mythology, symbols and motifs through which he describes and engages present reality with both prophetic depth and priestly compassion. And that’s the heart of my project in this book. I am seeking to engage Cohen, in conversation with the scriptures, in such a way that my readers might be able to take up Cohen’s own invitation to walk into that biblical landscape, and perhaps to find home there.

You include the Christian scriptures in Cohen’s sense of the biblical landscape. What was Cohen’s relationship with Jesus?
Complicated – which is a lot better than being non-existent. And actually, any living relationship with Jesus needs to be complicated. From the first hit song “Suzanne” to “It Seemed a Better Way” on Cohen’s last album, You Want it Darker, Jesus has been a constant companion. Once, when asked about his relationship to Jesus, Cohen had this to say:

“I’m very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says, ‘Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek’ has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness.”

He went on to describe Jesus as a man “who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended.” In Jesus, Cohen said, we meet a “generosity that would overthrow the world if it was embraced because nothing would weather that compassion.”

So Cohen confesses his attraction to this Jesus, and, not surprisingly, there are references to Jesus throughout his body of work. Recall that on “Suzanne,” he sang of Jesus:

And you want to travel with Him
And you want to travel blind
And you think you’ll maybe trust Him
For He’s touched your perfect body with His mind

There is a point of deep connection that engenders the possibility of faith because “maybe” you can trust him. That “maybe” sometimes moves to “you know he will find you” to “you know you can trust him” at different points of Cohen’s life.

In our conversation at the cathedral after I presented the Snell Lecture, Dean Stephen Hance asked me about “It Seemed the Better Way,” a song on the final album before Cohen’s death. Here it seems as if Cohen has come to a final resolution about Jesus.

Seemed the better way
When first I heard him speak
But now it’s much too late
To turn the other cheek

Sounded like the truth
Seemed the better way
Sounded like the truth
But it’s not the truth today

Is this his last word on Jesus? “Sounded like the truth/but it’s not the truth today.” No, there is more. The song concludes with these words:

I better hold my tongue
I better take my place
Lift this glass of blood
Try to say the grace

Holding his tongue, the poet understands his place and adopts a stance of humility rather than an arrogant militance against Jesus. Yes, there is deep doubt, ambivalence and struggle here, but the poet does not close the door on Jesus. Rather, he brings together the shocking image of lifting a glass of blood with the Jewish tradition of saying a grace, a thanksgiving, to the Lord of the Universe after a meal. This is a clear and provocative reference to the Eucharist.

That Jesus maintains a central place in the landscape of Leonard Cohen’s imagination is clear until the end, not least in the devastatingly beautiful title song of the final album, “You Want it Darker.”

With death ever more closely on his horizon, Cohen offers the opening lines of the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer of blessing and doxology over the dead: “Magnified and sanctified/Be Thy Holy Name.” The Name, revealed in the burning bush and that dare not be voiced (Exodus 3:14), is magnified and sanctified before the death of his children. Cohen begins that prayer, but then in the next line he evocatively transposes this Jewish prayer into a Christian telling of the story. “Vilified and crucified/In the human frame.” When the Holy Name enters history, when the Word of Words takes flesh – that is, when the Covenant God fully enters into the fray of violence and betrayal – the result is murder. What does the magnified and glorified Holy One look like in the midst of this relationship? Vilified and crucified. Why? Because we kill the flame.

Let’s be clear: I am not saying that Leonard Cohen was a Christian. He was a Jew and remained a Jew throughout his life and in his death. But in the landscape of his imagination, indeed, in the deepest places of his spiritual identity and struggle, we will always find Jesus.

Who is this book for?
This book is written for a very broad audience. Certainly it will most directly appeal to people who have been touched in one way or another by the songs and poetry of Leonard Cohen. For those folks, I’d like to invite them into the biblical landscape of Cohen’s imagination. I hope that this book will lead you deeper into Cohen as it leads you deeper into the shape of biblical faith.

Perhaps you have a sense that there is a failure of imagination in the Church and in broader society. I think that Cohen has much to teach us. Or maybe you are just interested in the relationship between faith and culture. This book could also be for you.

This book extends the invitation into the biblical landscape and spiritual struggle that is at the heart of Leonard Cohen’s rich artistic contribution.

Rags of Light: Leonard Cohen and the Landscape of Biblical Imagination can be ordered through bookstores.

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This was my first visit, although a number of women from my parish’s Anglican Church Women group have attended in past years. Helen Lee from Roseneath was most willing to take me in her car. She and I attended a preparatory meeting one Saturday in March.

Why was I choosing to spend the weekend now? After having been in and out of church throughout my life, I joined Christ Church when we moved to Campbellford, where I have now worshipped for some years. But I find myself constantly questioning. This weekend was a new experience, one where I might find some answers.

What did I find? Comfortable accommodation by Buckhorn Lake, superb eats at all stages throughout the day, but above all such a wonderful welcome from everyone. The approximately 120 guests, along with all the staff, were so accepting, friendly and helpful, giving the feeling of being clothed in warmth.

The chosen theme was “God lights a fire in our heart.” Laurie Robertson, the keynote speaker, and the Rev. Sharon Sangster, the chaplain, together with women of the planning committee, were always available to show understanding and encouragement when needed.

Ms. Robertson gave four well-constructed talks relating to different aspects of the theme. Immediately afterwards, we divided into our designated small discussion groups to chat, talk and explore the ideas further. During the first of these, we were asked to consider the four stages of fire: flickering, flare, flame, embers. Might we care to identify our beliefs and how we share them with one or more stages of fire? Each of the highly focused talks provided much thought for animated discussion in the ensuing small group meeting.

There were two lovely services. The first was a late afternoon Taizé service by candlelight in the Rustic Chapel. Taizé prayer is a simple, meditative form of worship, calling all to dwell deeply in Christ’s presence around and within us. It was an evening prayer for all Christian faiths. The final Eucharist provided a wonderful ending to the weekend.

The nearly two days were packed with lovely music, hobby time, conversation time or just time out to sit, contemplate and soak in the feel of the lake. Of course, it was appreciated if you participated fully, but no one was judgmental if you didn’t.

In any gathering there are probably as many shades of belief as people in the room, but here many women openly demonstrated the joy they found in their relationship with God.

Did I find answers? Maybe some, but very many more searching questions. Would I come again? Most certainly yes.

AWARE Peterborough is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a retreat on the first weekend in May. Learn more at www.awarepeterborough.com.

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For the past eight years, the Creative Devotions, a sewing group that is a part of the church, has gathered to create Christmas satchels – sweetly created little bags – that are filled with goodies for older kids and donated directly to the Youth Wellness Hub in Haliburton.

“We saw a need there,” says Louise Sisson, the people’s warden. “It was something that was started by the Rev. Ken McClure. He was very much a storyteller and loved the story of St. Nick.”

The legend of St. Nick started around 350 BCE with a Greek Orthodox bishop named Nicholas, who heard that a local townsman was struggling and had to sell his three beautiful daughters as a result. Nicholas went to the man’s home late one evening and threw a small satchel of gold into a window. The gold was enough to save the man and his daughters from poverty. That story has been woven and evolved into the background for the modern-day Santa Claus.

Each year, the Creative Devotions put together 50 small, colourful satchels for youth in the community, and include three gift cards, an orange and some treats. Mary Sisson, the hub’s manager, disperses the satchels to individuals in need.

The Youth Wellness Hub is “a one-stop shop for youth aged 12 to 25,” she says. “It is an inclusive, positive and welcoming space where youth can access a broad range of services and supports delivered in a respectful and inclusive fashion.” From April to December 2024, the hub saw 1,932 visits for activities and provided food security to about 47 youth.

Ms. Sisson says the satchels provided by St. George’s are a bright spot for many of the youth in the community, particularly as that age range is overlooked during many holiday campaigns. “For older youth who may be on their own or don’t have a connection to family, to get this gift is so special,” she says. “We are just so grateful for this partnership over the past few years.”

For her part, Louise Sisson is proud of the hard work the church has done for the community hub and shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to supporting the youth. “The hub looks after them,” she says. “It gives them a place to go after school, a place to listen to music, play games and be a safe space. It’s just such an awesome place to have in our community.”

This article first appeared in the Haliburton Echo. It is reprinted with permission.

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