“We must respond with a challenge for our society to be more engaged with justice.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

The recent slew of graffiti hate crimes came as a total shock to Ottawa residents. It stands as a stark reminder of dark undercurrents in our society, but it also revealed something much more powerful.

“It’s not a surprise to us that there are people like that in society, who have that hate,” says Rabbi Michael Goldstein, the executive director of congregation Machzikei Hadas. “But we’ve seen that hatred is not the norm. We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of love and support from people throughout the city of Ottawa and the country; Jewish and non-Jewish.”

Machzikei Hadas was one of three Jewish sites targeted with swastikas and racial slurs on the night of Wednesday, November 16. The following night, Parkdale United Church and the Ottawa Mosque were also targeted. On Saturday morning, more than 600 people squeezed into the Machzikei Hadas building for a multi-faith solidarity and thanksgiving event, where Rabbi Reuven Bulka declared, “This is the real Ottawa.”

Denise Allen-Macartney was one of many who stopped by the synagogue with flowers the day after the attack. Allen-Macartney pastors Gloucester Presbyterian Church, located only a few kilometres from Machzikei Hadas.

“We have to be vigilant over our own hearts. We can never allow hatred to become normal.”

“Hatred is an ancient force, but it’s not the oldest force,” she says. “The oldest force in the cosmos is love—God’s love that spoke creation into being. So, we have to be vigilant over our own hearts. We can never allow hatred to become normal, in us or around us.

“I think the way to defeat hateful actions is to reach out to strangers and love them. That’s what we tried to do and that’s what the people of Machzikei Hadas have done beautifully.”

Spur Ottawa was unable to reach Imam Samy Metwally, of the Ottawa Mosque, but he joined Bulka and Reverend Anthony Bailey, of Parkdale United, in sharing messages of love and reconciliation at the solidarity event.

Taking love deeper

Speaking with Spur Ottawa, Bailey stressed the importance of the body of Christ taking further steps to combat hatred. Last week was the second time Bailey’s church was targeted this year. Ironically, Bailey was already scheduled to speak at a local conference on hate crimes, this week.

“In January we had the same thing, the racist graffiti and threat of violence on our church walls, when we were about to do a Martin Luther King service where we celebrate racial reconciliation, love, and justice. It’s always been here.”

Bailey stresses love as the central response, but challenge believers to express that love through more than prayers.

“I’m asking people to make opportunities to connect.”

“We must respond with reconciliation, forgiveness, and prayer. But we must also respond with outrage and a challenge for our society to be more engaged with justice and to be more attentive to the experience of racialized people.”

A key response, Bailey says, is to reach out to marginalized communities in tangible ways. He says that through genuine, intentional relationships with marginalized people and communities, Christians can be a beacon of love and reconciliation.

“I’m asking people to make opportunities to connect,” he says. “Really take time to listen to the harsh reality that racialized people experience. When there are festivals or times to come together, go and listen to people share their experience.”