A Note About Canada.

I have a lot to write about, but it’s difficult to write about anything without writing about Canada.

Then again, it’s difficult to write about Canada too.

Part of the reason is because there is so much to talk about. I’m concerned that it’s easy (and common) to over-simplify what’s going on in Canada. That’s not to say that there aren’t clear answers, but it does take time to break through all the confusion.

Even media outlets don’t seem clear about the basic issues of the current protests. Generally, what we’re hearing from protesters all across Canada, and their leaders, is an appeal to the government to drop vaccine mandates. (Just to clarify – the unifying principle is not that only mandates for truckers be dropped, nor is it that we should not have vaccines. It’s the manner in which vaccines have been mandated that is a concern.)

Even the question of vaccine restrictions is complex, and seems to be constantly over-simplified.

As we have faced many changes since early 2020, I have felt that it is important, as a church leader, to have some understanding of statistics and medical information, and law. Not everyone has time to read through clinical trials and calculate numbers, but since I’m used to that kind of thing anyway, it has been a way I can contribute. I have also felt it is important to understand how Christians in the past have dealt with crisis and pandemics and plagues.

But the most important is to continue learning from the Scripture, applying it to our current world.

And speaking of over-simplifying, if we as believers are mainly arguing about masks and vaccines, we’re missing the big picture. Not only the big picture of Scripture, but the big picture of what is going on in the world today. And that is one of my biggest concerns as I have read how some Christians – even Christian leaders – are responding.

It was a blessing to go through the “Biblical Anthropology” topics that we went through as a church last year, and there’s a reason why I’m trying to share some thoughts here as well. Christians cannot possibly know how to deal with what’s going on in the world without having a firm foundation in the faith.

I’m not saying that we should stop fooling around with politics and laws and health issues, and focus on more “spiritual” things. I’m saying that the Bible gives us light in all things – in all reality – whether we consider it “spiritual” or “physical”. Christ lived in the physical world, He became a Man, and so this physical world in time and space matters.

So what does that mean for us? It means that while we recognize the spiritual reality, we live it out in the physical world. It means that as we acknowledge the sovereignty of God, we recognize also that He wishes to use us in this world, to stand up for truth.

The world is intent on dividing us, as believers. But in Christ we are united. Oh yes, I’m sure we disagree on many things. But believe it or not, we can discuss and even debate from a place of unity and love in the Lord. Let’s break down the division, while still discussing the issues. Avoiding the controversy is the Canadian way, but not necessarily the Christian way.

Now that I’ve made clear, I hope, that questions of laws and politics and health are indeed very important, let me skip to the bottom line for now.

I’ve been studying the book of Ezekiel lately, and one passage has really stuck in my mind as I think about Canada.

God is giving principles for a land that “sins against me by acting faithlessly” (Ezekiel 14:13). When a nation sins against God’s Word, God will send judgement. In the case of Ezekiel 14, it’s three things – first, famine/hunger/lack of food. Second, wild beasts, leading to destruction and the loss of free travel. Third, pestilence/death.

Sadly, judgement will come, God says. It can’t be avoided. And He illustrates it this way:

…even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.

Ezekiel 14:20

When a nation shakes its fist at God – and, make no mistake, Canada has done so – God will judge. What is our place in such a situation?

Of course I pray that God would be merciful. Maybe He will be gracious, and we will have temporary relief, and for just a little while longer be able to serve Him freely (Exodus 8:1). But what should we do with any freedom we have?

We should bring as many people as possible to know the righteousness of God, and to receive it through faith in Christ (Romans 1:17). Because in the end, they are the only ones who will be delivered.

Many people say that they “just want to go back to normal life”. Brothers and sisters, it’s too late for that. I most certainly do not want to go back to normal life (whatever that is). There is no going back. But we can go forward, until the day when Christ returns (Titus 2:13). And even now, He is with us (Matthew 28:20).