Monday is election day in Canada and that prompts me to write this pastoral note…
First, a reminder that we are duel citizens, first to God’s Kingdom and then to a geographical reality. Our heavenly citizenship calls for us to approach all of life with love, justice and compassion. Philippians 1:20 “but our citizenship is in heaven” and in all we say and do this is paramount. But we also live in a land of “authorities, principalities and dominions” and in which we must engage for the sake of the Gospel.
Therefore, we respect authority and seek the common good of our nation. “God establishes earthly authorities, we honour them as part of honouring God” Romans 13:1. What does that mean? I think each of us must work that out. I believe it’s a call to obey the laws of the land (unless they work against the Gospel of Jesus Christ or call into question who is Lord of our lives). We pay taxes. We pray for those in leadership (municipal, provincial, and federal). We honour leaders, even when they show us that they are imperfect. At CLA we come together on the last Sunday of June to pray over community leaders. Remember, we are the “salt of the earth”, a preserving agent. We work for things that are righteous and Godly. Jeremiah exhorts Jewish exiles to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you” (Jeremiah 29:7). This comes with a promise of hope and a future. We need to engage in public life to promote justice, peace and human dignity. The Old Testament Micah exhorts “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). I strongly encourage community involvement. Volunteer. Love your neighbours. Make the Fraser Valley a better place for all to live in. Practice honesty, love and good deeds. Find places to be “the light of the world” and to help the marginalized and broken of our society.
This leads me to a final and very important thought – vote! Christians should make their voice heard in a free and democratic society. Be informed of the issues, those who are running, and practice your right to help elect the next government. In Canada, we do not elect a Prime Minister (technically). We elect a Member of Parliament for our riding (the geographic area that we live in), there are 343 federal ridings. The party with the most seats is asked by the Governor General (on behalf of the King) to form government and their leader becomes Prime Minister. Who is running in your riding? What are their thoughts and ideas? Ben Neff, who has been working to elect a Christian brother in Langley, exhorted me to encourage you to volunteer. He said he did not necessarily care what party you volunteered for but simply felt that it was important to be involved. I agree with him. Part of that is making sure that you vote on Monday, April 28 AND pray for Canada at this strategic hour. Parliament will need our guidance. Proverbs 11:14 says “where there is no guidance, a people fall”. Help give our country guidance.
