Voting Day
/October 21, 2019
Scripture
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 NRSV)
Voting Day
These are wild days for a political junkie. Today’s Canadian election uncertainties, Brexit’s machinations and the addictive turbulence of our neighbours to the south make for a fine junkie buffet.
I will vote today but may be as conflicted as you about the best choices for the good of our nation. I keep political discourse out of these missives because each of us has legitimately divergent political views as people of faith. Our centre is Jesus and he embraced all sorts of diverse people (Zealots, occupying Romans, entrepreneurs, the poor and the powerful) while pointing them to his Father.
However distasteful this election has been, we can vote and pray for the good of our nation - that the common good will be at the heart of whatever combinations end up leading Parliament. Let’s pray that the responsibility to govern will motivate parliamentarians to lose the rhetoric and regain some semblance of civility.
A Prayer for Today
Canada’s motto, “A Mari Usque ad Mare”, “From Sea to Sea” is drawn from Psalm 72. It’s a prayer that the leadership of a king be for the benefit of all. I’ve revised it a bit to be our prayer for Canada this election day.
Give Canada your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to our government.
May it judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, the fruit of righteousness.
May it defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
May Canada live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May we be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In our days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
May we have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
(Psalm 72:1-8 Norm’s revision of NRSV)
