Review by Laura Locke
Dr. Gerry Turcotte
Gerry Turcotte has done it again.
His 2016 book, Small Things: Reflections on Faith and Hope (reviewed in our Spring issue of that year) was a compact collection of short essays that splendidly confirmed the old adage that “good things come in small packages”.
I was excited to hear that Turcotte, who is the President of St. Mary’s University in Calgary and an award-winning author, has gifted us this spring with a new compilation of essays – this time entitled Big Things: Ordinary Thoughts in Extraordinary Times.
Turcotte’s latest collection again showcases his perceptive insights and personal warmth. He doesn’t shy away from poking fun at his own mistakes and foibles, drawing upon his everyday experiences as a father, son, teacher, community leader, writer, and the head of a fast-growing university. Weaved throughout the 52 essays, one for each week of the year, is also a searching and honest exploration of his Christian faith, along with many glimpses of his heartfelt dedication to social justice issues, such as the rights of Indigenous peoples. As he points out, “all social justice initiatives begin with a small voice that is amplified by conviction and belief” – and so it is with these captivating essays that Turcotte has penned, which might be likened to seeds that, once planted in our imaginations, can take root and grow.
I appreciate very much how each essay begins with a verse from the Bible,
setting an interesting context for the discussion to follow. However, Turcotte tells us that he is “at pains to point out that I am not a theologian but a writer and commentator, and one who has brought his own eclectic way of looking at the world to the idea of faith in our times.”
Eclectic, indeed! The essays are about an engaging assortment of broad-ranging, multifaceted topics, filled with memories, stories and thoughtful ruminations. Here are a few examples:
- A delightful essay entitled A Higher Craft, about growing up in a rather ramshackle hardware store owned and operated by his Dad. Turcotte recalls the store as a magical place with crawl spaces, trap doors and false walls that were “the envy of any medieval castle”. His Dad knew the name and purpose of each and every tool in the store, which seemed to his young son as nothing less than the naming of the magic of the universe, as it lived in everyday objects.
- A fascinating discussion on the ancient notion of “scapegoats” – how the term was initially an incorrect translation of another word, and how it came to be used throughout the centuries. Turcotte then turns to the “driving thread” of Pope Francis’ encouragement to resist the search for scapegoats, and instead to “take responsibility for our actions, our words, our thoughts; whether this has to do with climate change, acceptance of refugees or responsibility to the poor.”
- A perceptive exploration of the “intoxicating and immediate bedazzlement” of today’s technology in an essay called Note to Selfie. I enjoyed how Turcotte compares selfies to the “long and respectable history” of self-portraits in art. He then leads us into a reflection on how a resonant faith can give us a way to look “deep within”, instead of only at the surface.
In his essays, Turcotte has a lovely way of meandering through his own history of epiphanies, lessons learned, and wake-up calls, accompanied by a healthy dose of humility and lots of room for laughter. He also brings into the light a number of issues that he finds troubling, puzzling, or simply intriguing – and invites us to join him on his journey of wonder and self-discovery. Which, speaking on a personal note, is indeed a great privilege and pleasure.
