Let’s reclaim our heritage
I have noticed a small upsurge in interest in Canadian prime ministers recently. At the moment, it seems limited to Sir John A. Macdonald with a new biography, a novel, some newspaper articles and a splashy section on the Library and Archives Canada website. But that is pretty impressive considering the relative apathy expressed toward prime ministers in recent years.
There are little treasures across the land that, for those of us who take the time to go to them, are a source of pride and encouragement in what Canada can be. Last summer I went to the Diefenbaker museum housed at the University of Saskatchewan. John Diefenbaker donated all his memorabilia to the university so this is a real political treasure trove.
This summer, I went to Province House and Founders' Hall in Charlottetown. It is moving to see the room where the Fathers of Confederation decided to unite Canada. Charlottetown has done a great job with Founders' Hall, setting up displays that review the history of Confederation along with the personalities involved.
While it is interesting to see the sites of our history, it is only when you dig a bit deeper that you find Canada was founded on the bedrock of Christianity. We all know that the motto of Canada, "From sea to sea" is taken from Psalm 72. And even that the term "dominion" comes from that same psalm. What an exciting project in 1864 to envision a country stretching from coast to coast under God's dominion!
I regularly take students on tours of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa and always point out the scriptures at the base of the Peace Tower. The text from Psalm 72:8 is on one side. But two other sides have equally inspiring scriptures: "Where there is no vision the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18) and, "Give the king thy judgments O God and thy righteousness unto the king's son" (Psalm 72:1).
Of course, carving scriptures into the Parliament buildings does not make it so. But Christians have long found these inscriptions inspiring for continuing to bring a Christian presence into the halls of power in Ottawa.
It is also gratifying to know that many of our prime ministers have had strong personal faith. While Sir John A. Macdonald himself is not known for having a strong faith, our second prime minister, Alexander Mackenzie was a very committed Baptist. He was very public about his faith and its impact on his policies.
Even William Lyon Mackenzie King, who is probably best known for his odd occult practices, was a committed Christian who prayed every night that God would make him a better leader.
And how supremely ironic that the inscription on the Order of Canada, "they desire a better country," is taken from Hebrews 11:16. After reading the list of saints in Hebrews 11, it sticks in one's throat to add Henry Morgentaler to that list.
I do not believe it is possible to make Canada Christian through public policy. And that was not the purpose of the motto or the scriptures on the Peace Tower. Rather, the Christian heritage we can see reflected in our country's history reflects the faith of its citizens, and particularly its leaders.
I believe a focus on Canada's history and heritage is to be encouraged. Our young people are woefully ignorant about our history. But Christians, at least, can also focus on our Christian heritage and how much that has added to our history. Our kinder, gentler society is no accident; it is a natural outcome of faithful Christians living out the gospel.
But with all that discourages and dissuades, we have a heritage to build on and a faith that we trust. Let us be reminded by our own history and keep our "national scriptures"—as it were—before us as an encouragement.
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