Culture

Build More Christian Institutions

March 31, 2022 by wagraham 1 Comment

Pastors should shepherd the flock the Great Shepherd has given them. Pastors must then die to themselves to focus on their vocation. Often, that means avoiding political aspirations or other worthwhile endeavours because of their calling.

In other words, I agree with Pastor James Seward who said, “I’m not just an ordinary citizen. I’m enlisted. I’m a pastor. I’m a Word-man, and under-shepherd of Christ.” But not everyone Christian is a pastor. And God calls Christians to farming and to politics because Christians should enjoy and name the grace of God present everywhere in the created order. [Read more…] about Build More Christian Institutions

One Reason Why Pettiness Is Regarded as Piety

March 9, 2022 by wagraham 1 Comment

Herman Bavinck once wrote, “There is so much narrow-mindedness, so much pettiness among us, and the worst thing is that this is regarded as piety.” Bavinck was referring to two Christian groups the separatist churches of the Grievers and Seceders. Both groups left the state church, but they could not get along.

Why? Not because of matters of orthodox doctrine. Both had it. But because of pettiness and narrow-mindedness. It is the old problem of Donatism, of a drive for purity that that cuts itself off from other people. We often feel holier than the body of Christ.

But Jesus accepts us just as we are by faith. And so the body of Christ should welcome one another just as Christ welcomed us (Rom 15:7). To do anything less is to miss the mark of Christ’s love and formation of his body, the church.

One reason why we often become petty and narrow-minded as Bavinck says is because we do not understand how God’s Spirit gifts the created world and people in it, even of unbelievers or believers whom we disagree with. We think we are at the centre of it all. We are not because any truth or goodness that we find in this world has its origin in God. [Read more…] about One Reason Why Pettiness Is Regarded as Piety

The “Demos” and The Truck Convoy

February 4, 2022 by wagraham Leave a Comment

As the truck convoy made its way to Ottawa, it planned a pit stop right next to where I live. I decided to check it out. I do not know what I was expecting. But here is what I saw: Canadians streaming down the streets with Canadian flags, in vehicles, and all protesting for their freedoms.

I also saw F Trudeau flags. Later, I found out that some nearby also had upside-down Canadian flag(s). Elsewhere, some protestors used other gross and unacceptable symbols. As Pierre Poillievre said, however, one must avoid guilt by association. That some used unacceptable images and behaviour does not invalidate an entire group.

Despite these negatives, the protest that I saw mostly comprised passionate Canadians. There was a sense of patriotism, excitement. After living in a Canada that has felt beaten and broken, the optimism felt right. [Read more…] about The “Demos” and The Truck Convoy

Suspicion Leads to Fear and Anger

October 11, 2021 by wagraham 1 Comment

We have become increasingly suspicious of others over the past decade, no doubt connected to the internet’s constant flow of information. Spend a few minutes on social media, then you will hear every opinion under the sun. The most sensational it is, the more we stare or leer. Soon, we find that government and friend alike must be up to some nefarious ends.

Such suspicion makes us fear others (and so isolate) and be angry at others who fail us.

Suspicion Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

In the latter case, our expectation of the government or group or person’s failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Since we do not think they will succeed and are nefarious at the core, we do not contribute or join them to make a positive change. Then time passes and tribes develop. A group falls or fails, and the accuser says, aha! I told you so.

But then what if we started without a baseline of suspicion? What if we committed to mutually support each other? Would we not see government or group as part of who we are, a community of people whom we can affect and work with?

Government Overreach in Canada and the USA

October 7, 2021 by wagraham Leave a Comment

The current pandemic has reignited a time honoured argument about government overreach. Given the commonality of this argument, I wanted to share a few thoughts about perceiving government overreach as a Canadian and from the perspective of Americans.

You should ignore this article if politics are not your thing or if you feel very passionate one way or the other the question. These thoughts are meant to be light, easy thoughts, not an article for argument.

I am more-or-less working out how Canadians and Americans perceive government overreach.

Being a Conservative in Canada

September 23, 2021 by wagraham 1 Comment

If liberalism (in its inception) emphasized individual liberty, private property, and minimal government intervention, then our friends to the south and even some parties in Canada will basically be liberal—in this first generation sense.

If conservatism (in its modern inception) countered the excessive individualism and memoricide of the past (think of the French Revolution), then we probably don’t have a traditionally conservative party in North America that stands a chance of winning office.