2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This is a bit of a different blog this week, and this will probably be the last political blog I write, but I felt led to write this today as it is Canada Day, July 1, 2019. Unlike Independence Day in the US, this is not a day we as Canadians celebrate our independence. It is the day we celebrate the enactment of the British North America Act, 1867, which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. The Canada Act of 1982 changed our national holiday’ name from Dominion Day to Canada Day. We are a sovereign, separate nation, but we are still part of the Commonwealth. Canadians value ‘family’ and consider the UK to be part of our family, although we are entirely self-sufficient as far as our laws and freedom go.
I am proud to call myself Canadian, and I am incredibly grateful to live here. I am proud of our heritage as a nation for the most part. There are points in our history that I feel much grief over, especially those injustices done toward our First Nations. However, I live in a safe apartment; I have access to excellent health care; I can afford healthy food. There is plenty of green space, even in the centre of urban sprawl. I still have the power to vote for who I feel will best reflect my principles. I love the multi-ethnic community where I live. The thriving multitude of ethnic shops and restaurants speak of that diversity.
I pray Canada’s destiny will fulfil God’s loving purposes for this nation.
However, I have to admit that I have grave concerns for my beloved Canada. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech continue to be undermined by our present government. National government leaders openly mock Christianity. Christian organisations are targetted regularly by legislation while other faith groups appear to slip past such legislation. Our government’s misguided approach to ensuring diversity is kept intact by writing more laws. You can’t change people’s hearts through legislation. You might gag a person’s voice by doing so, but you won’t transform their hearts and minds. We can only achieve such transformation through frank and open dialogue, a dialogue that is becoming harder and harder to navigate.
Backdoor dealings are thwarting probes into our federal government’s financial mismanagement. We Canadians pride ourselves in our politeness and niceness but are we ‘niceing’ ourselves to a dictatorship out of our collective fear of rocking the boat?
But am I willing to pray sacrificially for my nation?
I feel called to pray for Canada, especially as a national election approaches. May we as Christians be willing to lay down some supposed free perks that are dangled in front of our noses by our present government to entice us to vote with our pocketbooks. May God’s will be done in our nation even if it costs us momentary suffering. As someone has said, “Suspect anything offered to you for free when it should come at a personal cost.” Are we willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel? Are we ready to step out of the ‘this is free, but it will cost you your moral integrity’ bread line? These are questions we can all ask ourselves, no matter what nation we call home.
The only offer we should take at carte blanch is the offer of salvation. Jesus paid that price at Calvary.
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All Bible verses attributed to the ESV version unless otherwise indicated.
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Until Next Week,
©2019 Katherine Walden
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