By the Way: Whatever your faith, vote if you can
By Rev. Dave Pollard on September 14, 2019.
So the deadline for this column is upon me and I am cognizant that it is Sept. 11. It does us all well today to pause to think about the thousands of lives that were changed on this day 18 years ago because sadly thousands of lives ended that day. A good portion of my ministry has been spent using every opportunity I have had to support healing and understanding between Christians and our Muslims cousins. Muslims bear the stigma of radical jihadists because of that awful day and the fact there are still radical jihadists. There are also radical Christian and Jewish groups as well so it is unfair to vilify one faith when all religion, unchecked and at times unaccountable can breed unfathomable action. This column could be about interfaith relations and mending the world but in the wake of a federal election call this morning it seems to me we should have a conversation mending our country first. There is going to be a lot of conversation on social media in coffee shops and around the community about the issues. Surely someone will be reading this and think to themselves the old joke that the United Church of Canada is the NDP at prayer and think here we go. I certainly have opinions and Medicine Hat News readers I am sure are aware of that. I do however recognize, and the church recognizes that people of faith occupy, are active, in and vote for a variety political parties. So I want to tell you at the beginning of this campaign what I share with my congregation when elections roll around. First, pray with gratitude that we live in country with a process of free and fair elections and pray with gratitude for the candidates of all parties because letting oneself stand for election is hard work. Second, people need to educate themselves about party platforms and local candidates. Sometimes there is someone you like, you know, or you trust who might be running for a party that you may not care for but you think they might be able to the job better than anyone else. The calculation then is “does my knowledge of or feeling for a particular candidate trump reservations about party.:” No one can do that for you, that is the work of citizenship. Finally we tell folks we don’t care who you vote for but go out and vote your faith compels you. It is a sin to not exercise your God-given, constitutionally-guaranteed, and hard-fought-for franchise. You may have all kinds of reason protest vote spoil your ballot, whatever, but to not cast one even though you are free to do so and because people have given their lives for your privilege is wrong. So whatever your faith, if you are eligible to vote do so and let your voice be heard. The Apostle Paul reminds us to “be in the world not of it” a big part of engaging with the world around is participating in civic debate and making sure out faith informs our intentions at the ballot box. Rev. Dave Pollard is Lead Minister at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church. 9-8
