Putting down roots in the city
- smegburke
- Oct 20, 2019
- 2 min read
The past few weeks have raced by as I’ve tried to stay afloat in a sea of assignments, readings, and studying. A highlight of the semester has been visiting some initiatives in Toronto, for my Community Development course. The first visit was to Epiphany and St. Mark, a church in Parkdale, which is a neighbourhood with a significant low-income and Tibetan refugee population. The church partnered with Greenest City to help create a garden on an unused lot behind the church, for a local ESL class to grow produce. Some of the students from Tibet were used to living from the land, and this has been a way for them to reconnect with their former lives, to sustain themselves and build community.
The church is deliberate about hospitality within their community. They rent underused space in their building for Greenest City’s office, and share their kitchen and dining space. They also provide space for an artist studio, and community arts co-operative. We were hosted at the church for a delicious feast of Tibetan momos, salad and freshly-baked bread. Over our meal, we heard from Angela, Greenest City’s director, and Jason, a priest at Epiphany and St. Mark. They shared some of the ups and downs of working and living intentionally among their community in Parkdale, as they seek to demonstrate the hope of the gospel.
If you’ve ever looked across the Dundas West bus platform and wondered what’s behind the mural of roots and outstretched arms, its Romero House’s “Centre” - this was the site of our second visit. Romero House provides housing and support for newcomers to Canada, as they navigate the refugee claimant process. In addition to the “Centre”, which includes a food and clothing bank, and community space, they have two local houses for refugees and interns. They have a vision for being neighbourly, from the biblical mandate to love God and our neighbour as ourselves. “Living with each other at Romero House, brings the gospel alive," they reflect, "and the words of the gospel give depth and meaning to our ordinary experience of living as neighbours with refugees.”
In my Old Testament class, working through Genesis, I lingered on the story of Hagar. Fleeing from Sarah’s cruelty, Hagar was a stranger far from home, with no place to go. Here God saw her, called her, and promised her life. These visits have challenged me to extend a welcome to people who have made Toronto their home, as I continue to make it my home. To think about how to connect with the various communities I daily live among. And how to build common ground, in streets, gardens, churches, and homes, faithfully declaring the goodness of my God who sees each of us. This Thanksgiving I was grateful to enjoy time with my family, thankful for the welcome I always find there. And I’m also grateful to see models of welcome and hospitality extended here in my city. I still have plenty of growing to do here.
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