Testimony
- Blake Lines
Good morning, my name is Blake Lines.
I have been a member of Emmanuel and the United Church of Canada since 1978 although I have not always attended because I have not always lived in Ottawa. My father was in the Air Force and when I was growing up we moved quite often. By the time I had graduated from High School I had attended 8 different schools. I was born in Ottawa and my father was posted here 4 different times. As an aside, when I mentioned to my mother that Emmanuel was worshiping at Rideau Park during our renovations, she told me that Rideau Park was the first church where I attended Sunday School. I have very faint memories of coming in the front door of this church almost 50 years ago.
Emmanuel has been a significant part of my life. I joined church membership here, I met my wife Valerie here, our children Katie, Brendan and Alison have been baptized here and they have attended here except for a break a few years ago since they were born. For our family Emmanuel is an important part of our lives and it is our faith community.
For a long time I had not given much though to what being part of a faith community meant. I knew that I was a member of the United Church of Canada and through the turmoil of the 80s and 90s the Church had come to more clearly define what it stood for on some significant issues. I don’t agree with everything that comes out of the United Church, but I find it closer to what I think about many subjects than any other I have looked at. If you want a church that shares all your views then you will probably have to start one of your own.
I really started to reflect seriously on the subject of what it meant to be a member of the United Church since I went to Afghanistan in 2004. I work for the Department of National Defence and at that time I used to look after the equipment used to construct camps when Canadian Forces deployed overseas. When I arrived at the Camp in Kabul there were some administrative procedures and several forms to fill out. One of those forms had all the “tombstone” information as we call it; name, date of birth, etc. But this one had something different, it also asked what religion you were.
I asked the person who had given them out why this was there as I had not been asked this before. They replied “it’s in case you get killed, so we know what kind of funeral service you have before you leave”.
I then began to think seriously about what it meant to be a member of the United Church and specifically Emmanuel. We attend church, we participate in activities, but what does it meant to live our faith.
A few people have stood here and described the many activities that Emmanuel offers. The one that I particularly like is Habitat for Humanity. The reason I like it is because it is a concrete (no pun intended) way to put your faith into action in a way that others really benefit from your actions.
I have participated in two Habitat builds in New Orleans and I enjoyed both of them immensely. Others in the congregation have described how genuinely thankful the people in New Orleans are for the work done, but the thing that struck me most about the success of the builds we participate in in Slidell was a conversation I had with Rock the construction supervisor we worked with. Over lunch one day he told me about the economics of building houses in that area. Essentially the house price is fixed as they build the same type the same way and the materials and labour are known quantities. The real variable is the price of the land. He explained that the price of land in the area we have worked in has started to appreciate rapidly because of the stability that Habitat has brought. Families who have a real stake in the property they live in and care about the community have made a difference. This in turn has started to threaten the ability of Habitat to continue to build after the lots they have accumulated are used up. They are a victim of their own success. However, they have made a difference.
Emmanuel offers many ways to make a difference in our community and beyond. I plan to participate in more Habitat builds. I know there is something that Emmanuel does that you can participate in too.