Category: PEACE WITH OTHERS
Socio-Political Transformation
May the peace of the Creator embrace you. I write this not as a distant observer, but as someone who has walked a long road of faith, theology, and peace work. Along the way, I have met people who carry deep wounds — not from strangers, but from religious leaders, communities, and doctrines that were supposed to bring life. Some of these wounds were inflicted in the name of “saving souls.” I have seen how the threat of hell is often used as a weapon. I know what it feels like to sit under teaching that speaks more about eternal punishment than about the Creator’s compassion. And I have seen the fear, shame, and silence this creates. For years, many of us deny this harm. We convince ourselves that suffering is holy, that questioning is rebellion, or that leaving is betrayal. I once carried these same burdens. But over time, I have learned to see that the divine is not the voice of fear. The divine is peace.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/08/29/when-faith-turns-fearful-a-pastoral-counsel-for-those-experiencing-religious-spiritual-r-s-abuse/
Doug Klassen’s visit to Mindanao was, at its heart, a journey of companionship. As Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Canada (MCCanada), Doug came not merely to see projects or attend meetings, but to walk alongside us—listening, learning, and sharing in the life of our community. For three days, we moved together through the varied landscapes of Mindanao, carrying conversations that deepened our bond as companions in peacebuilding. On the first day, he shared breakfast with CFP staff and baristas, lunch with PBCI staff, held an afternoon meeting with Bennette Grace Tenecio-Mañulit, and concluded the day with dinner alongside the Mindanao PeaceWeavers’ leadership. The second day took us to Camp Darapanan for a meeting with senior Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) representatives, followed by lunch in Cotabato City with Datu Haron Al-Rasheed Baraguir. On the third day, we traveled to the Malipayon Peace Hub (MPH) where Doug had breakfast with MPH staff before returning to Davao City for a lunch meeting with the PBCI Board of Trustees. The visit concluded with a reflective meeting between Doug, Joji, and me.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/08/11/deepening-the-companionship-doug-klassen-visits-pbci-cfp-fields-in-mindanao/
The identity of the Jewish people and their connection to the ancient Israelites has long been debated across theology, history, and science. Recent genetic research reveals a striking truth: Palestinians embody continuity with the ancient Israelites. Their genomes carry the deepest and most direct ancestral roots in the land. This reality stands as a prophetic indictment against Israel’s colonial project, which continues to displace Palestinians through ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and genocide in Gaza. As a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, I see this not only as a political crisis but as a moral and theological catastrophe. For the very people who claim to inherit the promises of ancient Israel are now committing violence against those who most directly embody the continuity of that heritage. This is not simply a matter of human rights—it is a betrayal of divine justice and covenant.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/07/25/palestinians-as-heirs-of-the-ancient-israelites-genetics-prophecy-and-the-betrayal-of-shared-ancestry/
On 04 July 2025, during the Mennonite Church Canada Gathering held in Kitchener, Ontario, I had the privilege of presenting a reflection entitled Creating Spaces as Companions: Redeeming Koinonia in the Life of Mennonite Church Canada. This presentation was part of MCCanada Priority in the Gathering 2025 theme—deepening our commitment to relationships across congregations, cultures, and communities. I shared how koinonia, as envisioned in Scripture and global theological discourse, calls us beyond transactional partnerships and institutional habits inherited from colonial and industrial legacies. Instead, I invited our church to reimagine partnership as covenantal, relational, and Spirit-led companionship—a sacred journey of walking together in justice, mutuality, and love.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/07/07/creating-spaces-as-companions-redeeming-koinonia-in-the-life-of-mennonite-church-canada/
On 21–22 June 2025, while I’m enjoying the presence of my daughters and their families here in the Greater Vancouver Area, Canada, the world witnessed a historic and deeply alarming event: the United States launched a direct military attack on Iranian soil, striking three of its most fortified nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. For the first time in modern history, the U.S. did not just target Iranian proxies or operatives abroad; it attacked the core of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure within its borders. As a Filipino peace builder, this moment compels deep reflection. Such an escalation raises urgent questions about the fragility of international diplomacy and the thresholds that major powers are now willing to cross. It brings into sharp focus the immense human cost that could follow if global leaders abandon dialogue in favor of force. This act not only threatens regional stability in the Middle East but also reverberates globally, challenging all of us who work for peace and justice to redouble our efforts.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/06/25/reflecting-on-the-june-2025-u-s-strikes-against-iran-while-with-my-family-in-canada/
Bibliology, the theological study of the nature, function, and interpretation of the Bible, has historically occupied a central place in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Within traditional Christian theology, the Bible has often been viewed as the sole and authoritative revelation of God, particularly within Protestant contexts shaped by the Reformation principle of sola scriptura (McGrath, 2017). However, a growing body of scholarship in theology of religions and comparative theology invites us to approach the Bible not as the exclusive word of God, but as one sacred text among the many scripturized worldviews of humanity (Smith, 1993; Clooney, 2010).
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/06/09/bibliology-in-a-pluralist-world-a-reflective-theological-perspective/
Christology, the theological reflection on the identity and significance of Jesus of Nazareth, has been central to Christianity since its beginnings. Yet, as many scholars emphasize, the first three centuries of the Jesus movement—when believers were known simply as followers of The Way—were characterized by a plurality of Christologies rather than a single, authoritative doctrine (Casey, 2010; Ehrman, 2014). It was only with the rise of imperial Christianity under Constantine that a particular Christology, codified at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, came to dominate the theological landscape. From my perspective, I love Jesus of Nazareth as the historical teacher, prophet, and embodiment of divine love. I also respect the Christian tradition that identifies him as the Second Person of the Eternal Trinity.
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Permanent link to this article: https://waves.ca/2025/05/15/christology-in-context-a-panentheist-and-peacebuilding-perspective/
