Canadians are upset and angry. And they should be! We are experiencing much disrespect and putdowns from the present president of our neighbor to the South. We fear that tremendous suffering that could be unleashed upon our citizens and countless other peoples in the world with the threat of onerous tariffs. We are being treated \badly and we react!
One telling picture of this strong reaction was a brief interview that was done with a white-haired grandmother. This little woman looked into the TV camera, raised her clenched fists and proudly said: “And we are angry!”
Today, take the practice within our Christian faith and pray for our country. Pray that the blessing of being Canada are shared, protected and valued with all the people who comprised this country.
Be thankful to God (and all the other citizens) for all the Canadians who are concerned about the plight of the homeless in our cities. Sometimes these concerned Canadians are strong and loud about the actions our governments should undertake for the homeless. But these concerned citizens are not ignoring the plight of the homeless and treating them as people of no worth. In some of the angry words that you hear from these concerned citizens, hear the honest compassion and sense of justice they are seeking toward the people who live literally on the edges of our society.
Give gratitude to God and to all your fellow citizens for the harmonious ways that Canadians can live with people who are different from themselves. The people in the high Artic, in Tuktoyatok for example are different from the people in St. Anthony’s, Newfoundland (the northernmost community). And these people are different from the people who live on Vancouver Island. So many different ways of living and yet we all get along. We can live and function with so much diversity. Socially, we make many compromises. Is this not a great strength?
We jealously guard our national health care system. We pay high taxes but we want to have a country where no one is excluded from health care because they cannot pay for it. The health care system is far from perfect, but it is a strong indicator of the values we hold and want to put into practice for everyone,; especially for those without power and money.
Examine the ways that we have been able to accept and integrate refugees and newcomers into our society. We do not give sufficient recognition to the service our schools give to educating our children into the Canadian society. We must also recognize the strong education that our children are receiving to accept and live in harmony with people who are different: children who have limitations, speak a different first language and eat different foods. Express your gratitude at how Canadians who can integrate so many differences and live without friction.
Like any family, our country is not perfect. We all have our uncle Fred’s who are difficult to get along with, but when it comes down to the wire, Canada is worth fighting for!
We should be upset from the abuse from are taking from the South. Elbows up!
May your prayer life always embrace and protect our country and our national sovereignty.
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