Children of a Common Mother
This afternoon I enjoyed a “first” in my relationship with the United States of America. As most of our readers know, I am a Canadian by birth, and except for when I went to the USA to get an education (and a wife), I’ve spent my entire life living in Canada. Through all this time I’ve crossed the border many times, by car or plane, but today for the first time, I walked across at the second most westerly crossing between USA and Canada, through the Peace Arch park. I ended up in a line (not too long) in the US Border Crossing office, served by very professional border guards, and was allowed across to meet my waiting wife in a local Starbucks (she had crossed earlier in the day).
As I mentioned, I met my wife in the USA. She is American, born and bred, but came to Canada with me to plant the church where I now pastor. She loves Canada but is a proud American. This does lead to good-natured kidding between us (and especially with her brothers). All my children are dual citizens, fully Canadian and fully American. Our family is blessed by our national ties from our connections with both nations.
The monument at the Peace Arch Park (see picture above) was dedicated in 1921. As I walked across the border this afternoon, I was impressed by the statement that appears across the top on the northern side: “Children of a Common Mother.” Of course, both nations have citizens from almost every nation on earth, but the slogan points to the shared history of both nations. While that shared history had a dividing point, where some of those children decided to walk their own walk, the heritage, the values, the legal system, the basic theory of government and the freedoms of its citizens come from the same source. There are differences, to be sure, but a great commonality.
Through our lengthy shared history (and the world’s longest undefended border), our two nations have worked together as partners, both economically and militarily. There have been issues, inevitably, as in any relationship, but never any direct attacks by one nation against the other.1
Yet today gave us another first, the imposition of high tariffs on America’s largest (and oldest) trading partner by America’s president. I am a free trader; I’ve never favored tariffs of any kind. I know that both nations already have trade disputes at various points with accompanying tariffs back and forth over those disputes. I’d like to see these issues resolved and let the trade flow freely both ways. But today’s announcement goes far beyond specific trade issues. They are couched in vague accusations about “unfairness” from the Canadian side. I have yet been able to substantiate any significance to these vague charges – the fentanyl crisis, the border crisis, the trade imbalance – as you examine what is reported about these issues, there seems to be no substantive backing to the claims. In the end, I don’t know why the president seems bent on imposing these tariffs on trade. I do know that the people who end up paying the tariffs are you and me, in the form of higher prices for the goods we buy.
You might well have some political answers to give me about these issues. You can find all kinds of politics about this all over the internet. This article isn’t meant to be about the politics, though. What I’ve done above is to try to briefly outline the situation.
What I want to talk about is how Christians should think about politics. I think today’s dispute gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own hearts when political turmoil swirls. One thing we know is that our first loyalty is to Jesus Christ. We aren’t citizens first, and Christians second. It’s the other way around. In Jn 18. 36, Jesus said:
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Our first mission is to serve our Lord, and it seems to me that political fighting and disputing are not the first priorities of our lives. We all have political ideas and feelings. In another first, after I walked across the border, my wife and I were leaving the Starbucks where we met up, a local TV reporter stopped us to get our comments on the politics of the day. You can catch me briefly in the video at this link: Locals, Canadians voice frustrations, concerns over tariffs as cross-border traffic slows. So I have political opinions – but as I reflect more on the sentiment on the Peace Arch monument and our Lord’s priorities, my political views are secondary.
“Children of a Common Mother,” the monument says on the northern side. The southern side says, “Brethren dwelling together in unity” (a reference to Psalm 133.1). In the eastern inner side of the arch, the slogan is “May these gates never be closed.”
It seems to me that the actions of these last few days are an attack on these ideals. It also seems to me that Christians should not think this is a good thing. Whatever substantive issues there are between the nations, surely they can be resolved without deliberate and unprovoked attacks. As it stands, it looks like Canada will respond with equally provocative attacks (tariffs) in its defense. The president claims he will increase the American tariffs correspondingly if they take place. (That is, he has imposed a 25% tariff on Canada, Canada is threatening 25% in retaliation. I suppose a corresponding response will be to raise the American tariffs to 50%. No doubt the Canadians will match that, and it will be 50% across the board. What next? 100% tariffs? Is this any way to resolve a dispute?)
What should Christians do and think? I would suggest that first of all we should get our marching orders from the Lord. The Lord gives these instructions to us through the apostle Paul:
2 Tim 2.24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
That is our mission. That’s where our minds should be focused.
Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Photo by Leo Chen. License information
- The War of 1812 doesn’t really count, as Canada didn’t become a nation until 1867. [↩]