The Unhoused in Guelph: A Conversation between Cathy Stewart and Kevin Coghill

This is an interview that Rev. Cathy Stewart initiated with Kevin Coghill around the situation of the unhoused in Guelph. We have reprinted it with permission. (Cathy Stewart’s voice is in bold, Kevin Coghill in normal text.)

Encampments have returned to St George Square. What are the challenges you see in this, and are you aware of ideas or plans (RCM or the city) to address this need?

There are many challenges with people sheltering in the square, but unfortunately it has taken the visibility of our homeless population to get a response from municipal leaders.  This is a Provincial and a National problem but ultimately it is within our city. 

RCM is working to address the basic needs of those who are sheltering outside, and we are seeking solutions to meeting the need, however, this is a massive cost. We have been working with the Guelph Tiny Home Coalition to find suitable land to build tiny homes and community space (kitchen, showers etc.). 

The city has passed a bylaw that will limit “where, when and how” many people are able to live on public lands, along with a map that outlines these spaces, although the map and parameters of the bylaw have not been fleshed out for the public. The struggle is that the Supreme Court has challenged some of these bylaws in other cities because they go against Human Rights. If the city is to enforce the bylaw, there will be a lawsuit that will cost a significant sum of money that could have gone to a solution instead of a legal battle. 

Many people get uncomfortable when seeing people living in tents, minimally housed. What do you see and how do you feel when you see this?

It is very uncomfortable for everyone to see people living in tents. I believe this is a multifaceted response but it should assault our sense of “right and wrong”. It is wrong that people who have trauma and mental health issues, are removed from housing, or banned from shelters, but not admitted into programs that could help. With a 10 year waiting list for both housing and programs we will continue to see this problem grow. People fear those who in living in tents because they see a desperation, a lack of hope and wonder what a person experiencing that kind of hopelessness might do. 

I see people who are not valued in society, who, even if they were to find a job, that job couldn’t sustain them because of the cost of living. 

I see people that Jesus hung around with and who we are meant to learn from and welcome in. 

I see the ones who Jesus says: “You visited Me in prison, clothed Me, gave Me a drink of water.”

I too am uncomfortable…that our systems keep people in poverty….that housing, while declared a Human Right, is not being built for those who are most vulnerable…that we still have a huge stigma around people who struggle with mental health issues and addictions.

And I am uncomfortable that local businesses are struggling in the downtown, although I do not believe this is only due to the encampment situation,  but also a change in how people shop, and the amount of disposable income people have.

Many people get uncomfortable when they see people injecting themselves in public. What do you see/feel in that situation? 

I also am uncomfortable with people injecting themselves in public and I acknowledge that I have a home to consume a beer so that not everyone sees me partaking. 

Some of the  people who have come to express their concerns over public drug use, host parties in their own home with excessive alcohol and even designer drugs..they simply have a home to do these things privately. 

Most of the drug use we see is a direct result of trauma and a desire to escape the pain that life brings…if we could help address the trauma, we would see less open drug use. 

My heart is broken for those who use in open spaces, it is a reminder to me of the pain they experience every day…and of the judgment they receive for dealing with trauma in the only way they know. The terrible reality of this is that the stigma makes drug use worse…people are more and more rejected and most experts tell us that it is community and connection that helps to heal. 

You have noted that the current housing crisis is 40 years in the making, and caused by many factors, so there is no quick fix.  What do you see as the root of the challenge, and do you know of any models that seem to carry some hope?

There are models in other countries that are working, however,  Canada is behind in social housing.

“In January 2023, Scotiabank released a report calling on governments in Canada to double the country’s stock of social housing – deeply affordable housing where rent is set at 30 per cent of household income. Currently, Canada is an outlier amongst OECD countries: social housing makes up about 3.5 per cent of Canada’s housing stock, as compared to the OECD average of 7 per cent.” Canada Centre For Housing Rights. 

We need to push all levels of government to address this issue while looking for ways to fill in gaps. I have wondered if the Church could address the hosing issue by taking existing buildings that are underused and transform them into housing (not very popular with churches). RCM has been looking into how our building could become partial housing.

What spiritual practice helps you stay focused and grounded in your work?  And/or hopeful?

Contemplative prayer has been very helpful in keeping me focused and grounded, my favorite  comes during early morning walks as I mediate on “And God breathed the breath of life upon his face”. 

This prayer reminds me that I am made in the image of God. 

In the rain…in the snow…in the heat…in every situation, God is breathing the breath of life upon my face. This helps me to see that God is also breathing the breath of life into each person that I encounter…those living in tents…those who are just released from jail…those who are struggling with mental health concerns…those who are uncomfortable seeing tents in the square. 

My connection to those who are struggling keeps me hopeful…seeing God’s image hidden…looking for ways to show that person whose image they are made in…knowing that Jesus was criticized for who he hung out with, all help me in my work. 

Why Worship?

As Advent worship prepares us for the grand celebration of the Nativity this Christmas, I was asking myself why we bother with gathering the community to worship at all? And here’s where I arrived this week - that it is the church’s duty to worship God. The scriptures command us to worship God. ‘Praise the Lord’ is an imperative, not a suggestion. It would be a mistake to frame it in terms of benefit to us, because that just keeps bringing everything around to the ego and the human-centric tendency to make everything about us. 
It’s not meant to be pragmatic, though it does have a benefit; 
it’s not meant to teach us something new, though we can be given fresh insight. It’s not meant to create community, even though it does connect us. 
It is, what Marva Dawn calls, ‘a royal waste of time’. It is a summons to behold the King. From the newborn in the manger to the Lamb upon the throne; there, and every place in between, we come to adore. We gather in community to be reminded that God is God and we’re not, and that to engage in the communal practice of recognizing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the centre and perimeter of everything is a fundamental reorientation. And it is good; it just is!


So, this season I’m inviting us to adopt a posture of humility and release. 

For those who are accustomed to power, control, respect, and privilege this will be harder. 

For those who feel like they are often invisible, there will be an advantage, because the scripture says that God humbles the proud and lifts up the weak; worship levels the playing field. 
We are invited, we are pleaded with, we are encouraged, we are told by the Spirit, and by the witnesses who have preceded us, to come and find our place together, celebrating the beautiful story of God in Christ interrupting history to put all things right. Let us worship God!

Glen S.

For Anyone

Some organization out there (I don't know which it is) uses this phrase: 'we may not be for everyone, but, we are for anyone.' Yes! I think that really captures the Two Rivers Church vibe. We are not a conventional church by any stretch of the imagination, but we are exactly what some people need and are looking for.

To name one's community as inclusive is tricky because it seems that so many words these days become tinder to ignite people's immediate categorization of you within their pre-conceived notions. You also set yourself up to be judged on whether you are actually walking the talk (probably not!).

So, let's just say that whether we are achieving the standard we desire or not, I'm happy to claim that our intention is to be 'for anyone'. The only way that you will find out if it's true, is to get to know us. No web-site statement or symbol is a guarantee of anything; it only hints at the beautiful possibility of Jesus in us engaging the whole world in his love and his name. GS

Minding Your Story

As much as I dislike giving too much attention to what is happening south of the border, I would be remiss in not commenting on the US Election. My reluctance, however, is connected to what I want to say: for many, politics has become their guiding story. People at Two Rivers have heard me opine many times that everyone is looking for a story to makes sense of their lives. There are many competing narratives from which to choose (consuming, sex, competition, etc), but currently politics has become the foundational story for many; a religion of dark fundamentalist behaviour that demonizes at the drop of a hat and finds no nuance or complexity. 

Being faithfully committed to your story is important; that's the way it should be if it is your inspiration and your guide. However, I have no interest in making politics the story that defines my life and behaviour. It is a dimension of life and public responsibility which all citizens should engage, but its capricious nature, temptation to abuse of power, and constant flirtation with false witness leaves me looking for a better story. 

The story that makes sense of my life is the Jesus story. The story of the God who in great love and mercy draws near and becomes our home and our peace, and who becomes the center from which all other things can be engaged. In the Jesus story, we are free to put politics, consumption, sex, competition, and any other contenders into proper perspective and usefulness.

What is your guiding story? What narrative gives your life a ground and grammar from which to live and speak? This very Jesus said that the choice is critical because it is a little bit like choosing what ground you want to build your home upon - one is sand, and the other is rock. When the storms come, you know which one will hold.  GS

Watch The Goodness Project Video — Stories of Our City: Dan Evans

Dan Evans explains the work of the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition and the disconnection he has discovered in the city through his work there. He also mentions the meaningful relationships formed on the streets that often go unnoticed and speaks about several individuals fostering connection in the community.

A Sacrament of the Ordinary

As we continue to draw your attention to the Goodness Project videos week by week in this blog, I’m reminded of the beauty of ordinary people and places. It is human nature to exalt and draw attention to celebrity, extraordinary human achievement, and exceptional places in nature and the built environment, but at Two Rivers we have always emphasized the sacrament of the ordinary.

In fact, we want to be set free from the addiction to hyperbole that we mainline day in and day out on our media machines. The irony is that we’re using media machines to tell these stories, but, maybe while there, we can learn the arts of temperance and modesty and humility, those unwelcome strangers in our lives.

The people in these videos are not slick or polished, particularly eloquent or brilliant, they are simply aware (and becoming aware even as they are asked great questions by the interviewers off camera) of the importance of having an ordinary story that is woven into the fabric of goodness that exists here in our neighbourhoods.

We also have discovered that this kind of practice leads us closer to encountering God in the ordinary, and the awareness that God inhabits the small and ordinary things of our lives with great love. GS

Watch The Goodness Project video — Stories of Our City: Lisa Downey

Lisa Downey describes the similarities she sees between her home of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Guelph, the connections she has formed with The Vienna customers, and how the restaurant has become a cornerstone for many generations of Guelph citizens.

O Lord, Deliver Us!

I'm not ashamed to own that I need deliverance. It may be considered a sign of weakness; well, it is weakness, because you're admitting you need help. I sat down to pray and said "Lord, deliver us from this pandemic!”. But, I reconsidered that prayer and changed one word, "Lord, deliver us in this pandemic!"

I still fear that if we get out of this too quickly, we will think about how brilliant we are as humans. We will congratulate ourselves on our ingenuity and ability to work our way out of our dilemmas, and stoke the fantasy that we are invincible! There is a humbling that needs to happen right now, something different from anxiety and fear based shrinking of the ego. Rather, a conscious repentance from our arrogance and ignorance and entitlement. This might be what it means to be delivered 'in' the pandemic. Truthfully, I want both, but, for now I'm asking for the latter. O, Lord deliver us in the pandemic. Teach us your way.  

GS

Watch The Goodness Project video — Thin Places: The Hanging Gardens

On Woolwich Street, behind the County of Wellington Courthouse is a beautiful garden characterized by the extensive ivy that crawls along its stone walls. The courthouse buildings were formerly the county jail and the garden was the location of public hangings between the 19th- and early-20th centuries. The song playing in the background is a cover of the song “A Falling Through” by Ray LaMontagne, performed by Sember Wood.

The Goodness Project

The Goodness Project video features a story on how a common interest in sporting competition creates opportunity for young people to learn effective skills for navigating life. That’s all good, but, what I found most inspiring was the notion of mentoring. In this ‘goodness’ story, here was a clear relationship identified where a wiser and experienced individual took an active interest in passing on what he had learned to younger people needing direction. 

Robert Bly’s book ‘The Sibling Society’ laments the loss of mentoring. The great flattening of our world, where the ‘freedom’ to be ourselves eschews structures and ancient ways, in order to be authentic. He argues that no one is being called into a life of growing up, becoming an adult. What we fail to see is that we are always being formed by forces and pressures that overtly, and perhaps more often subtly, have an agenda for us.

The question to be asked is, what will we allow, or choose, to form us? This requires a great deal of careful thought and attention. At Two Rivers Church, we believe that the life of following Jesus benefits greatly from thinking of ourselves as his apprentices, being trained and formed in his ways. That means finding wiser and more experienced mentors to help us in that task.

Are you looking to be formed in a meaningful way? Consider joining us on the journey of being mentored in the life of Jesus for the sake of a healed and beautiful world.

Glen Soderholm 

Watch The Goodness Project video — Shaker and Ayden Adeyanju-Jackson

Shaker talks about starting his basketball training program, creating more courts, and the inspiration he draws from the kids he's worked with that have overcome adversity. Ayden, a basketball player and student at Queen's University, speaks about the role basketball and Shaker have played in his life.

Closer to God

One of the practices we try to encourage at TRC is culture making. Every human is a culture maker, because each one is required to make something out of all the raw materials that life gives. Here is a great reflection on making by Jeff Tweedy the frontman for Wilco:

“I just like writing songs. It’s a natural state to me. I like to believe that most people’s natural state is to be creative. It definitely was when we were kids. When being spontaneously and joyfully creative was just our default setting. As we grow we learn to evaluate and judge. To navigate the world with some discretion. And then we turn on ourselves. Creating can’t just be for the sake of creating any more. It has to be good. Or it has to mean something. We get scared out of our wits by the possibility of someone rejecting our creation.

It bugs me that we get this way. It bugs me a lot. I think just making stuff is important. It doesn’t have to be art. Making something out of your imagination that wasn’t there before you thought it up, and plopped it out in your notebook or your tape recorder, puts you squarely on the side of creation. You’re closer to God. Or at the very least, the concept of the Creator.

If a work of art inspires another work of art, I think it’s accomplished its highest sense of duty. People look for inspiration and hope. And if you have it, you share it. Not for your own glory but because it’s the best thing you can do. It doesn’t belong to just you.

No one has ever laid on their deathbed thinking, ‘Thank God I didn’t make that song. Thank God I didn’t make that piece of art. Thank God I avoided the embarrassment of putting a bad poem into the world.’ Nobody reaches the end of their life and regrets even a single moment of creating something. No matter how shitty or unappreciated that something might have been.”

Jeff Tweedy

Watch The Goodness Project video — Thin Places: Heffernan St. Bridge

The Heffernan Street bridge has a long history dating back to 1914. Its elevated position provides not only an excellent point to look out over the river, but its high arches are beautiful to view from the shore as well, casting impressive reflections into the river below it. The song playing in the background is a cover of the song “Places We Won't Walk” by Bruno Major, performed by Sember Wood.

‘Our Days Have Always Been Running Out’ by Margaret Renkl

(From a New York Times article by Margaret Renkl)

Autumn light is the loveliest light there is. Soft, forgiving, it makes all the world an illuminated dream. Dust motes catch fire, and bright specks drift down from the trees and lift up from the stirred soil, floating over lawns and woodland paths and ordinary roofs and parking lots. It’s an unchoreographed aerial dance, a celebration of what happens when light marries earth and sky. Autumn light always makes me think of fiery motes of chalk dust drifting in the expectant hush of an elementary school classroom during story time, just before the bell rings and sets the children free.

In fall, the nights are cooler and clearer, too, with the harvest moon floating steadfast in the night sky, the most reliable promise in our lives. Along the roadsides, wildflowers are blooming: ironweed and white snakeroot and the glorious goldenrod, all as high as my head and all food for the monarch and painted lady butterflies, and the ruby-throated hummingbirds, on their long migrations. Every kind of New World warbler is on the wing now, heading south like the raptors and the water birds, but they linger a little while before moving on again, and for a time Tennessee is filled with exotic songs.

(If you want to read more, check it out here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/20/opinion/our-days-have-always-been-running-out.html?referringSource=articleShare )

Watch The Goodness Project video — Stories of Our City: Susana Miranda

Susana talks about being in a touring theatre group in Cuba, the help she received from her friends during her move to Guelph, and her involvement with ballroom dancing.

Cultivating a Community of Resilience

The image of church as garden appeals to me. There’s a lot you can do with that, which is why I like the word cultivate for the kind of thing we are trying to do here. Cultivation is about preparing space and tending to plants in a patient, hopeful, and non-manipulative way. We also know that plants can be bred to be hardier stock when tough conditions threaten. 

We’re all agreed that we are in tough conditions right now. Our intention is to learn from one another, as a community, about what it means to be resilient. Most of us have experience that we can draw from to encourage and teach each other. This will be the theme upon which we will hang talks and discussions in our Living Rooms, Liturgies, and Learning Rooms this Fall. 

Resilience is not synonymous with victory, overcoming, or success as the world defines it, it is about persevering, remaining, and abiding while everything else is falling apart. We do this with courage that God is with us, and that it will form the kind of church we dream of being, and that it will create a haven for all those looking for a way to make sense of their place in the world in turbulent and uncertain days.

Watch The Goodness Project video — Thin Places: Speed River Kayak:

Sharing Goodness

I think it is often confusing to know what is good, and what isn’t. Have you ever heard someone say they loved some Netflix series, and inside you are thinking – I thought that was rubbish!

But in the end, what is good is not just personal taste, it is adjudicated by some standard or value we trust. Those standards and values are up for grabs in our culture; we are deeply divided about what is good and bad, wrong or right, oppressive or anti-oppressive, because there are many distortions of what is good that compete to shape our judgement.

The sponsorship of The Goodness Project this summer was a way in which we as a faith community sought to discern where goodness was evident in the ordinary lives of our Guelph neighbours and citizens. Identifying, recording, and publishing those stories is a way of helping shape a robust and healthy vision of what it means to be a good human in our community!

I’ve always been intrigued by the story where Jesus is called good teacher by the rich ruler and Jesus says to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” (Luke 18: 18-19) For followers of Jesus, that’s our starting place – the good God seen in Jesus. He was deflecting attention from himself in this encounter, but in the end, he became the standard by which we judge what is good and what is not. Our ‘project’ so to speak, is to attend to his life, learn and share his goodness, then celebrate and honour where it is played out every day in our world.

Watch the Goodness Project video featuring our very own John Martin-Holmes:

(Many thanks to Ben Wallace, Sember Wood, and Dan Veldhuis for their great energy and gifts in putting the whole project together.)