Janna Frith

The sky is blue and the warmth of the sun feels fantastic. The smell of cut grass fills the air while birds peck around the yard for fresh worms. Colour is taking over my little corner of the world, dressing the branches and garden beds again. And yet, so many corners of the world lie in rubble from violence and disease. (location unknown) My heart is heavy over the violence and injustice we witness in Gaza. Over the powerful choosing not to hold back their strength, choosing the opposite of de-escalation. Sure, from our North American point of view, it’s complicated and nuanced with biased media coverage. Like so many conflicts, it’s not clear to most onlookers what the way forward is. But what is abundantly clear is that children are dying. Innocent people are dying. Too many lives are being destroyed for us to remain silent. The innocent always pay the price. The Palestinian people are worthy of a safe and flourishing life. Fear and hate and power and differing ideologies twist fac...

What does progress look like? Progress looks like change and it never happens without effort. Advancing requires hours of practice, of study, of failing and falling, and then lifting our heads and trying again…stumbling forward. Often it feels like two steps back and one step forward.  I have experienced this at the piano, in the kitchen, in my attitude, moving in my sneakers, in my faith, and in my writing. It shows up in what I notice, what I feel, what I think, what I say, what I read, and what I learn. Progress requires change.   Sometimes, progress looks like becoming more grounded, letting the roots sink deep into conviction as I continue to learn and dig into foundations for clarity.   Other times, progress looks like letting go of what I understood in order to accept what I am learning.  Progress can be in what I resist and where I surrender.   Occasionally, progress looks like starting at the beginning again. But rarely can progress happen without achin...

Photo by Akshay Paatil on Unsplash Can we hear them? Cry after cry Soul weary Demanding justice As blood on our white hands drips again into the ground As air is cut off and pleas go ignored Last gasp until silence A life gone, deemed worthless Hearts break Anger rises Voices cry …They just want to live. Can we see them? Choosing clothes Choosing settings Choosing activities Choosing words carefully Choosing housing Choosing healthcare selectively …They just want to live. Can we hear them? Teaching their young black kids Words and posture of respect Doing all they can to help their children survive Bird watching Jogging Neighbours Shopping Sleeping Partying Coffee shops Traffic stops …They just want to live. Can we see them? Denied promotions Denied fair trials Denied equal access Denied a voice Denied justice Denied privilege Denied trust Denied worth Denied the freedom to live without fear …They just want to live. Can we listen? Can we hear? Can we learn? Can we acknowledge the re...

Every year, after a long winter, we watch in awe as spring arrives, and with it comes an inner sigh of relief and a breath of fresh hope. What can spring teach us about hope? Winter is not my favourite. I just want to hibernate warmly until warmer breezes blow, huddled in my hoodie with strong black coffee in hand. Some of us spend the winter waiting for spring. And this year, we have needed the hope of spring more than ever . We’re all a little weary hearing about the coronavirus pandemic, yet it is hard to ignore something that has invaded all our lives, turning them upside down. At the easiest end of things, we are missing our extended families and friends while adjusting to having our family home 24-7. We're anxious getting groceries, missing school and celebrations, and left wondering if we’re going to get the summer vacation we’ve been anticipating. On the other end of the spectrum, dear ones are devastated by financial and health crises as a direct result of this pandemic. J...

  What would a world be like without Jesus? 2020-04-11 Easter is different this year. The heaviness of our current circumstances fits the time to reflect on what Easter is commemorating. Our souls are already grieving the loss of life as we knew it…and there is anticipatory grief for what’s to come as lives are lost and financial security for many is stripped from beneath their feet as a result of this devastating virus. It has happened so suddenly. Yet we are rallying and supporting one another, and we will get through this together. But this slower pace of life has gifted me extra time to look back at the cross and contemplate that first “Good Friday”. Through the reading of scripture translated into my native tongue, I walked with Jesus from that last Passover meal with his closest friends to the Garden where he prayed in agonized anticipation of what was to come. Following him in his apprehension by authorities, I listened to his interactions with Jewish and Roman leaders. I he...

Finding Perspective At The Beach 2019-12-17   (and a whole lot of reminiscing) We never had a pool growing up. That excitement was reserved for hotel visits. We had so much more – beaches galore. Real beaches. Beautiful white soft sandy beaches that stretched for miles. There were sand dunes with the sharp green marram grass you avoided walking on. (It was the 80’s when we were still allowed to climb the dunes, not quite aware of the importance of preserving habitats and minimizing erosion.) Climbing those deep sandy mountains was such a workout. Our little skinny legs would tremble with exhaustion. Jumping down the dunes felt like flying. We must have slept well at night after those days at the beach. The energy used in exploring…climbing over and over again…walking and searching for beach treasures…and of course swimming. Our favourite beach was Basin Head. We parked up on the hill and walked a slight winding dirt trail down to a wooden pier with an arched metal bridge that hurt ...