SECURITY, SYRIAN REFUGEES & CHRISTMAS

Jesus and his parents were Middle Eastern refugees. They fled to Egypt. It is excessively ironic to turn refugees away while setting up a manger scene and hanging Christmas decorations. The xenophobic response of 30 American governors who have issued statements refusing to allow Syrian refugees into their states, is insupportable.  Of course we deserve to be protected and we are obliged to properly vet refugees entering Canada and the United States. So let's do that but I am suggesting that people like me, with a worldview influenced by faith in Christ, must discern crises with empathetic eyes.  We can be cautious but we cannot be supportive of panicked protectionist bigoted positions. In a dramatic moral teaching moment Jesus declared that, "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" He followed that remark with this. "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." You can debate the definition of 'brothers and sisters' yet one of the least of these is mentioned as 'the stranger," for which the original Greek term was 'xenos,' meaning 'foreigner, immigrant, or stranger.' Jesus is the King about whom he himself speaks and he takes personally how we treat the stranger. (Matthew 25:31-46)

CHRISTIANS DON’T HAVE TO VOTE FOR CHRISTIAN CANDIDATES

 Last night, August 6th, 2015, I watched a portion of the first debate between declared Republican candidates for the Presidency of the United States of American. Republicans should be embarrassed by the performance and the opinions of some of the candidates, fortified by others. Republicans must have realized last night that the election will be an arduous challenge. Conservatism on all issues was unmistakable. So was the Christian orientation evident with more candidates than I had expected. But here is where the electorate must be judicious. Voters must be discerning. That a candidate is a professing Christian does not mean that he should receive your vote. It is a mistake to weight shared faith beliefs so heavily that your vote goes to the professing Christian almost by default. Some of the largest wingnuts are religious people. Neither conservatism nor Christian profession cannot routinely be associated with brilliance, perspicacity, or common sense. Consider Fox News, some of whose news journalists are the maddest group of people on television. Vote by listening to candidates speaking directly to the pressing issues of the day. Vote on the basis of openly declared party positions on all that matters to you and your country.

In Canada we face a Federal election this year after the longest campaign in our history. I have a sense that most Christians feel it obligatory to vote Conservative because after all, aren't Christians, people with conservative convictions? Listen prudently to what the Liberals, the New Democrats, the Green Party and the Conservatives are saying. Watch to learn which candidates are most believable, trustworthy, inspiring, unselfish, honourable. Be wise. Vote for the best candidate.

WEAR YOUR WHITE POPPY TOMORROW

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. The sentiment expressed by a white poppy is commendable but the employment of it on Remembrance Day in lieu of the red poppy is inappropriate. In a democratic society people should have a choice and not feel vilified if they wear a white poppy. I can concur with that because democracy and that freedom of statement and choice is the outcome of lives laid down by valiant Canadians fighting to preserve it. It is advisable and preferable that a white poppy be worn on any other day of the year than Remembrance Day. It is understandable that a sensitive uproar broke out in Canada when the Royal Canadian Legion accused peace activists of hijacking their red poppy symbol by selling white poppies. Red poppies are not a defense for or justification of war, but a commemoration of the human cost to insure our peace.