Readers write

The Chosen

Re: Filmmaker Dallas Jenkins on The Chosen (Jul/Aug 2021) your article on Dallas Jenkins inspired me. The humour they show is needed. Surely Jesus had humour.

When I watch The Chosen I can feel Jesus right beside me. It makes me breathless, and I am drawn to Him.

The most intriguing character is hard to pick. Mary Magdalene, Simon with his enthusiasm – the whole cast is great.

I just became a supporter of The Chosen. I want to see more. The show is so beautiful. We need to see more positivity and compassion.

Marilyn Roach, Markham, Ont.

Being Christian in a secular society

Re: The FT interview with Gorton T. Smith (Mar/Apr 2021) with the “gentleness and reverence” that Dr. Smith exhorted, I feel compelled to point out the phrase “a nation of immigrants” is easily misunderstood to exclude the Indigenous People of the land. I am an immigrant myself – arrived in Canada 32 years ago – but I think we must do better with our language on this issue. Rufino Ty, Brampton, Ont.

Mass burial

Re: Behind the scenes (Jul/ Aug 2021) the phrase “mass burial site” has the same inflammatory and sensationalized effect of claiming a “mass grave” associated with genocide from war.

As used in your editorial – “the deeply disturbing confirmation from Kamloops about the remains of the 215 children found in a mass burial site” – is not factually true. There is as yet no such confirmation.

There can be no doubt graves of children and adults exist on this and other sites. But our most reliable source is the Indigenous survivors and elders who have known of this odious truth for generations, but whose voices have been similarly buried and hidden.

Canada largely ignored those cries from the earth and the tortured broken hearts, and embraced our revered technology to reveal the truth – but our trust in technology often fails us, even blinds us.

Ground Penetrating Radar can only see disturbed earth indicating an excavation took place at some time. It cannot see into graves and identify the existence of remains, and it can certainly not reflect age and gender of anyone thus interred.

Terry L. Mahoney, Vancouver

editors’ note: Over the past year Faith Today has received several emails expressing disappointment that our book reviews missed warning readers about explicit sexuality and foul language in some fiction. We have retroactively added warnings to several online reviews and will add them where appropriate to future reviews. Thanks to those who took the time to share their concerns.