Oh Canada

- Oh Canada –

During the recent Presidential elections many thoughtful people would say, half in just,

that they would be going to Canada to live if Trump were elected president because

of his strident election rhetoric. Now, only a few short weeks after his surprising

election victory there is a front-page story in the Sunday edition of The (Syracuse)

Post-Standard, “U.S. border crossings to Canada on the rise.” The story details how

an increasing number of people who have immigrated to the United States because

of persecution in other countries are now choosing to leave the U.S. and cross the

border illegally into Canada. The story indicates that they are doing this because they

now fear persecution here. It is not difficult to understand why they would feel this way

given the xenophobic presidential declarations and tweets emanating from the White

House. Compare the multiple tweets that The Donnie composes with the one that Prime

Minister Truedau recently sent. According to the Post-Standard article the Prime Minister

tweeted, “To those fleeing persecution, terror, and war, Canadians will welcome you,

regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada, …” This is a

sentiment one could have, in the past, expected from a head of state in the United States.

 Sadly, currently that is not true.

      Interestingly, in Sunday’s (2/26/17) meditation in “Forward Day by Day” the author,

 Minda Cox, writes about Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain. She says in the

meditation, “… in Jesus, God is made plainly visible…” She goes on to say, “His [Jesus’]

grace and love and boundary shattering welcome (emphasis mine) are God’s welcome

 too.” Many people in this country claim to be Christians. To “be a Christian” the originally

 meaning was to be a follower of Jesus. A number of people in the United States say that

this nation is a Christian nation. To the best of my knowledge, Canada makes no such

claim. Yet which of these two nations exhibits the attitude and indeed the morality that

 Jesus teaches? Which nation “welcomes the stranger”? Scripture tell us that as Christians

 we will be known by our fruits. What “fruits” is the United States producing and what“fruits”

 are grown by Canada. The contrast is stark! The lesson should be clear.