Next week I have to cancel a worship band practice so I can attend a local All-Candidates Debate leading up to the May 2 federal election in Canada. The response from one of my deacons upon hearing this news was: "You should run for political office."
Right! Me run for political office. I wouldn't last a week without sticking my foot in my mouth. Furthermore, I don't think I have skin thick enough to handle the unceasing public criticism and mud slinging that goes on as part of the political dance. As I've often said, while a politician is happy if she/he has 50% plus one support on any given issue, a pastor gets depressed if even one church member is at odds with her/him.
No! I doubt I'm cut out for politics, but I have a deep respect for those who do offer themselves up as candidates regardless of which party they represent. It takes courage and passion to risk one's good name, reputation and money in the hopes of landing a job which will most likely see you face a very public defeat at some point in the future.
And yet, while candidates risk much for the sake of good government, the rest of us spend our time complaining about the inconvenience of having to vote. Even those of us conscientious enough to vote often fail to realize that our democratic system demands more from us than just an informed "X" on a ballot. Yes! We need people to vote. But we also need voters willing to volunteer their time and donate their money to support the candidates they plan to vote for.
So this election, don't just vote. Get out there, and serve your community in Christ's name. Pray for your candidates and lend a helping hand as they campaign for office. Find a candidate who most closely mirrors what you believe and help her/him get the vote out. Show your community that, as a Christ follower, you too long to see good government prevail. And in the midst of all the political posturing: “Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” - Romans 12:17–18 (NLT)
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
French Canadian by Birth, Bilingual by Choice
Until I left Montreal, Quebec to attend seminary in Hamilton, Ontario I was known as "Mike" by my English friends, and "Michel" by "mes amis français". Born to French Canadian parents yet educated in English I found myself straddling two cultures and finding my comfort zone somewhere in the middle. That is probably why I married an anglophone (that's what we call English speaker in Quebec) who spoke French. It wasn't until I moved to Ontario that I began to discover that, even though I spoke fluent English without an accent, I was different from your average Ontarian of the day. This was especially true when it came to conversations.
Let's put it this way: If you want me to shut up, tie my hands behind my back. I remember being instructed by my British homiletics professor that one shouldn't use his/her hands when preaching. Trying to comply, I bolted my hands firmly to each side of the pulpit during my first in-class sermon. Then I tried to preach (I should say, I tried to speak). But I couldn't. I couldn't get my brain and my mouth to work together without the aid of my hands. It wasn't long before I was given an exemption from preaching without my hands.
Then there was my constant interruption of others. You see, a typical French conversation at a dinner table consists of multiple speakers holding several conversations at the same time, while using volume to interject their thoughts into the mix. None of this wait your turn and hope someone hasn't changed the subject on you. So you can imagine how my English speaking colleagues handled my constant interruptions. Eventually I began telling people; "Please interrupt me or else I'll just keep on going and going and ... (you get the idea).
I think it was this need to adapt in order to interact with the English culture that nurtured my passion for intercultural ministry. Yes I mean intercultural and not multicultural, for I have come to realize that there is more to be learned and gained by interacting with other cultures than isolating oneself in efforts to preserve one's own. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm proud of my French Canadian heritage. In fact, my wife and I intentionally sent our children to French school in efforts to pass that culture on to them. We wanted them to be bilingual, with a foot in each culture. Whether it be language, or race, or country of origin, we have so much more to gain from intercultural life than being cocooned in the safety of what we know.
The same is true of church culture. Gone are the days when we could justify homogeneous church communities, defined by race, culture, age, or even denominational identity. Church communities must be places where we worship and serve a God who transcends culture.
Agree? If not, excuse my French.
Let's put it this way: If you want me to shut up, tie my hands behind my back. I remember being instructed by my British homiletics professor that one shouldn't use his/her hands when preaching. Trying to comply, I bolted my hands firmly to each side of the pulpit during my first in-class sermon. Then I tried to preach (I should say, I tried to speak). But I couldn't. I couldn't get my brain and my mouth to work together without the aid of my hands. It wasn't long before I was given an exemption from preaching without my hands.
Then there was my constant interruption of others. You see, a typical French conversation at a dinner table consists of multiple speakers holding several conversations at the same time, while using volume to interject their thoughts into the mix. None of this wait your turn and hope someone hasn't changed the subject on you. So you can imagine how my English speaking colleagues handled my constant interruptions. Eventually I began telling people; "Please interrupt me or else I'll just keep on going and going and ... (you get the idea).
I think it was this need to adapt in order to interact with the English culture that nurtured my passion for intercultural ministry. Yes I mean intercultural and not multicultural, for I have come to realize that there is more to be learned and gained by interacting with other cultures than isolating oneself in efforts to preserve one's own. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm proud of my French Canadian heritage. In fact, my wife and I intentionally sent our children to French school in efforts to pass that culture on to them. We wanted them to be bilingual, with a foot in each culture. Whether it be language, or race, or country of origin, we have so much more to gain from intercultural life than being cocooned in the safety of what we know.
The same is true of church culture. Gone are the days when we could justify homogeneous church communities, defined by race, culture, age, or even denominational identity. Church communities must be places where we worship and serve a God who transcends culture.
Agree? If not, excuse my French.
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