WRITING, PREACHING AND ORGANIZING FROM THE LEFT
Hanns F Skoutajan
It was a relatively uneventful crossing from North Sydney to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland. On one occasion I saw what resembled a piece of flotsam a short distance from our ship. And then it blew a blast of spray and I knew that I had sighted my first whale. There were many more to come.
What amused Marlene and I most was the entertainment in the lounge, a small band accompanied a singer who often repeated the chorus line: “ Ah knows it, ah knows it!” It was our introduction to Newfoundland culture and lingo. Later we enjoyed Emil Benoit and the Figgy Duff in a pub in St Johns.
After we docked we made our way to a nearby campground. It was the first of July and water was rushing down the gutters. Some workers came by to clear the flow. Pointing to one of the hills where there was a remnant of white stuff I asked one of the men whether that was snow. He replied, “ Yup, she be thar till she come again.” For me it was quintessential Newfoundland.
Over the next two weeks we travelled the length and breadth of the province and fell heavily in love with this “ come by lately” province and its people. At St. Anthony Marlene bought a beautiful parka trimmed with fur. We toured L’Anse aux Meadows, an early Norse settlement. We climbed Gros Morne with almost disastrous results. Visited Twillingate and enjoyed their partrige berry pie and other home made goodies. Of course we had to drop in at Harbour Grace and Carbonear ( Oh Take I dar, Oh take I dar!) where we had to have our muffler fixed, a victim of St. Anthony’s roads. Finally we ran out of land, well rock to be honest , and stood at Signal Hill.
Of course, I had met lots of Newfoundlanders before One of them was Herb Pottle who had worked with Joey Smallwood and then split with him over Smallwood’s decertification of the woodworkers union. He became the director of communication for the United Church of Canada while I was director of the refugee resettlement program during World Refugee Year, 1960. Herb was very well educated and enjoyed speaking German with me. He could have done the same in Latin - well he, not I.
I recall all this after having attended the book launch by Ed Finn of his recently published book called Ed Finn: A Journalist from the Left. It was a rich evening where I met lots of other writers and activists “ from the left” such as Murray Dobbin and Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians.
In his book, this leftist journalist who had his beginning on the west coast of Newfoundland , tells the story of the struggle of the working people, the loggers, the railway workers, the fisher folks on the outports and the labourers in the paper industry. Their battle was against great odds, particularly the stranglehold that corporate power or individual oligarchs had on information. Ed’s writing, his editorials in the Cornerbrook’s Western Star challenged this onesidedness and of course in time left him unemployed. He became deeply involved with labour unions across the country. He also worked with Tommy Douglas to bring Medicare to Saskatchewan and even served as “the cat among the pigeons”, or as he put it “ the pigeon among the cats” at the Bank of Canada for a term. His final crown was, of course, editor of the Monitor, the organ of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Concerned and activist Canadians ought to subscribe and read the CCPA Monitor. I can’t see how I could do without.
Throughout my ministry it has been hinted from time to time that I should to stick to the gospel. Well, what’s that? I have been made aware of this by some of my congregations. One Sunday while I was well into my sermon I noticed a well dressed parishioner making his way out of the pew. He did not look happy as he left the sanctuary. I don’t think I ever saw him back nor was he open to discuss the subject.
I can’t remember what it was that I had preached about. It could have been a number of issues, Canadian corporate support of Apartheid in South Africa, the war in Vietnam, the farm workers in Mexico and California or the plight of First Nation Fishermen on Georgian Bay.
I was always careful to couch my political views in biblical/theological terms. My sermons were not meant to be political speeches. I stuck to the gospel and its implication for life in the world.
Jesus was a man of the people. He noted that these people were exploited not only by Romans but by the Jewish elite. Long before his time there had been prophets such as Amos and Hosea who denounced greed and violence. They advocated turning swords into ploughshares. Can the church in our day ignore those spiritual initiatives?
Of course, the churches have had their prophets, such as Dorothy Day and the editors of Catholic Worker, evangelicals such as Jim Wallis. In my own denomination , the United Church of Canada, I supported church leaders such as Clarke MacDonald who grew up with the coal miners in Cape Breton. I could go on. But my advocacy was never left unchallenged from the right both in the church and from without.
As I look back on my ministry I regret that I was at times a bit too cautious in my call for peace and social justice. However,I do have some evidence that my sermons and prayers did not go unheard and I rejoice.
My ministry as such is over and I am pleased to be able to express my thoughts and convictions through the Internet. Many of you have responded most positively. Thank you!
I believe strongly that there is a spirit that calls for peace, love and justice. It has frequently found a voice from the left. “ Ah knows it, ah knows it!”
SQ 4/12/2013
Other writing may be found at MYQUEST
