A Jeremiad for a New Year

 jer·​e·​mi·​ad ˌjer-ə-ˈmī-əd. -ˌad. : a prolonged lamentation or complaint. also : a cautionary or angry harangue.

I am starting this year in a place where I don’t often go - but where I am finding myself more often than I would like.  It is a place where I find myself hooked i.e. have an angry reaction to what is happening in the world generally but especially in Canada.  What seems to be generating more reaction and energy is that which divides rather than what unites. 

On Saturday I listened to the CBC program The House, as I usually do on Saturdays.  It is a thoughtful and intelligent exploration of current affairs which I would recommend to anyone who might want to be engaged on current topics in Canada.  This edition focussed in the Trucker Convoy protest early this year and the hearing on the implementation of the Emergency Act by the Trudeau Government to deal with the protests primarily in Ottawa but at border crossings such as Windsor.

The program played excerpts of the testimony of some of the witnesses at the hearing.  There was much to consider from the testimony including the action and inaction of the police and the relationship between law enforcement and the government, to the less than stellar cooperation between federal, provincial and municipal leaders.  However, what did hook me and caused a strong reaction in me was the testimony of some of the convoy self-appointed or presumed leaders.  There was, what seemed to me, to be an attempt at self-justification which came down to the belief that because they were being treated unfairly by the governments, they had the right and even an almost holy ordained duty to impose their will on anyone and everyone regardless of who they were and whether or not they were involved in the decisions that they were protesting.

Let me give you a couple of examples to illustrate this.  There was one witness who was asked about the impact of the continual round the clock blaring of truck horns for weeks on the residents in the protest area.  He had laughed at this and said to the effect that what’s a few weeks inconvenience when he had to deal with the impact of the COVID mandates for two years.   When asked if he thought this was a laughing matter, he paused and back-tracked and said to my mind disingenuously that, no he was just the kind of person who laughed at everything (this is not a direct quote but my impression of his attitude).  There was also the general feeling by some of those protesting that they had the “right” to protest at the Capital regardless of what laws they were breaking or the impact on others and had at no time been told to leave despite the court orders and direction of the police to leave.  There was no apparent awareness or concern for the impact of their actions on people who had no involvement in what they were protesting including small businesses that had to shut down or people threatened for wearing masks – apparently a mask wearer was a dupe of government conspiracies intended to create fear in the public and had to be confronted.

There was also the case of the freedom loving convoy protesters swarming an Ottawa soup kitchen and demanding food.  Things like that – especially hypocrisy – truly hook me.  The protesters against vaccine and mask mandates apparently want to go back to a time before public health measures and lead a natural life without vaccines and health measure to prevent things such as diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) as well as pasteurized milk which prevents such things as listeriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, Q fever, and brucellosis.  I guess we could go back to a time when there weren’t rules against drinking and driving and wearing seat belts, and smoking in public places and on and on.  After all they are all rules which imping on our freedom and we can live our lives regardless of how it affects others.

I do try to understand the anger and resentment of the protesters and believe that from their perspective they believe they have legitimate complaints.  Perhaps some of the rules went too far and were not well thought out and were overreactions.  Governments do sometimes use a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito.  However, my main concern is two-fold.  First how do I respond as a Christian who is called to love my neighbour as myself respond to things which hook me and arose my anger in ways that are not helpful?  Second, how can I work to support the institutions and attitudes which have made Canada the wonderful country I have lived in all my life?  It is certainly been an imperfect union and needs to be held to high standards if it is to remain that way.  There are troubling signs that the fabric of this country is becoming seriously frayed if not breaking down.  We all need to work to strengthen and improve those things which make Canada a place we all want to live in.

I hope each of you have a blessed 2023.

 

 

 

Love Can Save Us All

This morning I shared on Facebook a video by the Most Rev. Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States; https://www.facebook.com/WNCathedral/videos/1179124769119484/

It is a short video in which Bishop Curry is imploring people to wear a face mask and as a way to minimize the spread of the Corona Virus and as a demonstration of our love for others.  As he states, this is an act of love that makes room for others in our lives and others can make room for us in the lives of others.  He closes by saying that “love can save us all.” 

This is true in a universal sense beyond the small symbol of wearing a mask in dealing with the Corona Virus.  Although, this is front and centre as a demonstration of love for others in this particular time.  My Facebook comment on this video was that this theme, “love can save us all” sums up the message and meaning of Jesus Christ.  Jesus responds to the Pharisee when asked which is the greatest commandment, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:34-40)

We can say it musically if that would help.  All of us baby boomer could turn to those musical  saints (or sinners, depending on your perspective), The Beatles, All You Need Is Love; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xMfIp-irg.

This seems to be pretty clear and should, therefore, be the primary duty of all Christians.  Unfortunately, I must admit that this commandment is honoured more in the breech than the observance.  There is a reason for this – in my experience although it is a very clear message - it is, shall we say, less than easy to accomplish.  Consequently, I believe that many Christians decide that there are other things we are called to as Christians than loving others, or at least loving those who are not easy to love.  Jonathan Swift summed it up very nicely, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” 

So, if Bishop Curry is correct that love can save us, how are we Christians and I hope for the sake of the world, all humankind, actually love one another?  This does seem more than is possible for most people who are not saints.   I guess the answer is, one step at a time.  We can use something that seems a bit more self centered which may appeal to us, treat others the way you want to be treated.  If that sounds familiar it also goes by the name of the Golden Rule.  Specifically, as someone else said, “just do it”; wear a mask.

Blessings on your journey and don’t forget to wear your mask.

Who Is My Neighbour in the Time of COVID-19

What is the Christian response to what can be considered the next stage of the Corona Virus?  We are entering a stage in which the self isolation, thank God, is beginning to be relaxed and we are able to take small steps forward into what may be the new normal in our lives – at least until a vaccine is developed.  We will begin to interact more with others.  Some stores and other facilities are beginning to open to the public, albeit with social distancing rules in place. 

One aspect of this new stage is the wearing of masks.  The message on this has been somewhat less than straight forward since the beginning of what can be called the time of COVID.  Whether you wear a mask or not when you are in these - now new - situations whenever you encounter others.  Should I wear one or should I just maintain strict social distancing – keeping that Canadian perspective of a hockey stick distance from other people.  Is there a particular Christian perspective on this question?

Let’s look at the factors we might consider in addressing this question.  First, it is important to remember that you wear a mask to protect other people – it will do little if anything to protect the wearer from the Corona Virus.  If you are infected it will reduce and, hopefully stop, the spread of droplets to other people you may be in Contact with.  Second, it is important to remember that you can be infectious even if you are asymptomatic i.e. have no symptoms.  On the other hand, wearing a mask can be inconvenient.  It can be uncomfortable and if you wear glasses, as I do, the glasses tend to fog up when you wear them.  And some people might even think that they look silly if other people around them – hopefully at least a hockey stick away – are not wearing one.  I think many of us do not like to be the odd-person-out in a group – after all, what would they think about me?

The primary consideration here is, I believe, that as Christians we are called to love one another and particularly to love our neighbours as ourselves.  We can show our love for our neighbours by following all the guidelines in this new stage of dealing with the Corona Virus and specifically by wearing a mask when we are in situation where we come into contact with others.  Others may think we are being silly and overly cautious and it might be a bit inconvenient but it is one way in which we can love our neighbours as ourselves.

Take a mask and use it on your journey.