Oh, Canada. You know how when Canadian celebrities make it big in the United States, those of us in Canada feel a little bit of a sense of pride? Lately Canada has been in the news all over the world, but the circles I run in have not been gleeful at all about the headlines. Evangelically Departed has not spoken on the matter of “trucker convoys” as of yet, but maybe now is the time.
I’ll get there, but first I want to mention one of my favourite newspaper articles of the past month or so. It is a real estate article. Also, a kind of urban living article. It was published in the New York Times in a section called “Domestic Living”. I like a lot about the article, starting with the title, “Do I Really Need a Toilet”. Of course, at frequent times the answer to this question for all of us is, “Yes!” The article turns out to be a reflection on the author’s search for rental accommodation in New York. The question in the headline refers to the fact that one of the places considered, indeed, the place that seemed most suitable had one significant shortcoming - it did not have a toilet.
The author really liked the place a lot and had considered it a find, a two bedroom for $2000 per month. At the author’s obvious excitement the agent asked, “Did you notice anything about the bathroom?”. The potential renter had not noticed that there was no toilet. The agent pointed out the deficiency.
I recommend reading the article. There are quite a few potential reactions. You could go with the “the rent is too damn high!” response or with something about what is wrong with New York City. You could also allow the article to move you to a consideration of the kinds of challenges that many people in the world face on a daily basis of which you might have no idea.
There is humour in the article, a kind of sympathetic, “I can’t believe what some people deal with.”. One of the places that the renter was shown was 150 square feet. The agent recommended hanging any coats on a hook in the hall saying, “They will probably be safe there.”
Onto the Truckers:
There are various versions of a quote that have made the rounds through social media and other places. The quote calls for an approach of compassion towards other people. The version that I am familiar with is:
Be compassionate. Everyone you meet is engaged in a great struggle.
I have, in my memory, that this was spoken by Catholic mystic philosopher, Meister Eckhart, who lived in the 11th/12th Century. You may have heard it slightly differently and attributed to someone else. I’ve seen a form of the quote attached to social media posts citing Robin Williams.
I’ve been thinking about the quote as I watch news of the trucker convoy that has become an occupation in our nation’s capital. Take out any opinion on the actual issues (mandates, vaccines, lockdowns, COVID, etc.). Consider instead the idea of how change is brought about in a democracy. Protest is one thing and should, of course, remain part of political discourse and dissent. Occupation is something different and breaking of laws is something different. If you had a bunch of big rig trucks blocking the street in front of your house, diesel engines running and horns honking, you might rightly say after a couple of hours or after a day, or after two and a half weeks,
“Why aren’t the police doing anything about this?”
I read today an article from CBC news on how Christian evangelical faith is a key part of the trucker convoy.
The news organization is seen, by many in the convoy, to be part of the “lamestream media” with a liberal bias. You can read the article yourself to see if you think it is unfair, but from my reading, it speaks of the faith of some of the occupiers (protestors) without demeaning that faith and without taking any shots at Christianity in general. One man who is mentioned in the article is presented as being motivated by a real desire to do good in the world and a real desire to follow the teachings of his evangelical faith. The author of the article mentions the testimony of the man and how coming to faith in Jesus turned his life around. The trucker is quoted as saying that each morning he prays to God, asking God if he should leave the protest. Each morning thus far, according to the man, God has said “Stay where you are. Don’t go anywhere. You are doing the right thing.”
As this newsletter aims to point to ways that some theology has divided people, I have no intent to attack the man. To me, his faith seems real and I can’t question that he feels positively motivated. I simply ask then, for the consideration of readers, how have we arrived at the point at which, to so many of us, faith like this can seem so misguided? I count myself a Christian as well and yet I disagree with virtually everything about the convoy and its methods. Is there hope of conversation or hope of understanding? Would that man assume that I can’t possibly be a Christian as my views are very different than his?
The second article is from the Atlantic and it speaks to how we might properly define a “jerk”. The article is written with COVID in mind.
Here is a quote:
I have a theory: Jerks are people who culpably fail to appreciate the intellectual and emotional perspectives of others around them. Let me unpack this a bit.
Jerks fail to appreciate others’ intellectual perspectives. Those who disagree, they see as idiots. They don’t recognize that their preferred opinions might be mistaken. They have no interest in exploring alternative views. Conversation aims at winning, or embarrassing another, or simply announcing the truth they know. Listening with an open mind is for other people.
In my own reaction I survey of much of the cultural and political landscape in the United States, and now in Canada, I do ask myself how Christian faith has become so given to the rhetoric of jerks. Is Christian (and particularly evangelical) faith seen by those who don’t count themselves to be Christians as mostly propagated by a kind of disdain for the views of just about everyone else? This is not to say, “All of THOSE people are jerks! Everyone who disagrees with me is a jerk.” I am well aware that I can be as much of a jerk as anyone else. When I read an article like that in the Atlantic, I do seek to consider how my way of discussion, argument and perspective sometimes fails to consider the full humanity of those who see things differently than I do.
I think of the man who hears from God every morning a message to stay right where he is in the Ottawa occupation. Could I talk with him without being a jerk? Would he be willing to talk with me without being a jerk?
I still think that such conversation is possible. I think that there is probably much, maybe most, about that man that is good and positive and even faithful.
If he was parked on my street, running his rig and blocking the road, though, I would be asking why the police haven’t done something yet.
You make some excellent points. I ask myself, "How did we come to this point where civil discourse seems abandoned and replaced by trying to be the one who shouts the loudest without concern for others." I am beginning to think all of this has very little to do with religion or people's spiritual beliefs and more to do with the ego and selfishness. It seems the concept of the common good has been erased.