Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our special guest Fr Dcn John Schantz, who shares his family's background and its connection to missionary work with Indigenous persons, and his professional work as a pediatric cardiologist serving a population in which Indigenous people are affected disproportionately.

In this thoughtful discussion, we consider the relationship between making amends on a personal and institutional level, our responsibility to speak out (not necessarily about the past, but certainly about present disparities and how to move forward), and we take a closer look at our motivation for responding to this issue at this time.

We return to our series after a summer away, having had time to reflect on the discussion with Deacon John. Among other things, it serves as a good reminder that it can be all too easy to approach this issue with high level ideas and concepts. The truth is that on all sides of this issue can be found very real people, affected in very real ways, which we must be sensitive too.

Fr Geoffrey and Fr Yuri discuss the pitfalls of whataboutism, the church's precedent of speaking out about certain issues (and perhaps avoiding others), and the continued need for a coherent, modest and meaningful response to this particular issue, connected to concrete action.

Pointing to the work that is already ongoing in the in the life of the church, including (but certainly not limited to) the recent canonization of an indigenous saint, Fr Yuri and Fr Geoffrey share their next steps as they prepare for the Archdiocesan council.

By the prayers of Holy Mother Olga, may their work be blessed!

Words matter. Sometimes words fall short and they disappear in short order, yet when done right they make a profound impact and can be remembered and quoted decades and even centuries later (think Nostra Aetate, or the Creed).

In this episode, we take a look at the statements made by other Canadian churches in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with the goals of taking the good, leaving the bad, and figuring out the proper response for our Canadian Orthodox Church. As we consider our own statement, Fr Geoffrey quotes from Samuel, that the Lord might also be with us and let none of our words fall to the ground!

It is important to recognize the strength and grace within our tradition to move this work forward. This is precisely in alignment with the Gospel and therefore with the Orthodox faith. It requires no change in practice, no rethinking of theology. Fr Yuri shares a beautiful analogy for the way different cultures and lands express Orthodoxy (don't miss this one!); as the Canadian Orthodox church we must learn how to express Orthodoxy in a Canadian/North American way.