21 March 2023

Underneath the roar and hiss of traffic on a busy street at rush hour an almost heavenly chorus of flutey tones emerges intermittently from the hollow pipes of construction hoarding around a condo project as the wind rushes over them on a bitterly cold and windy day.

As the structure of the condo project rises, so does hope for nice homes and for nice new neighbours.

Across the street is a little Anglican church named for St. Nicholas. The congregation provides a twice monthly free community meal as part of an interfaith group of churches in The Beach and a synagogue who put on a homey spread five days a week for local folks who like to dine together. A few of them know what it means to be without homes and some have come close to that experience.

A few doors down from the construction site is a defunct antique store. Once there were a few more antique stores along that stretch offering elegance from another age, proffering a divine experience with something beautiful for people’s homes.

In the window there is an old and weathered sign announcing the weekly meetings of the Chatham Revival Centre in Chatham, Ontario pastored by Rev. Kenneth Wells. He was “called home”, as is the expression, in February 2021.

What is home? What is heaven? What is hope to those without homes? These questions can take us to the edge of political and moral discussions.