Friday, July 1, 2011
Canada Day Cynicism
Am I the only one that finds the increase of Canadian nationalism disturbing? We have a proud history of an identity based on beer and being non American. Our lack of nationalism was important to us. We were not so much much Canadians as a multinational community living together in mutual freedom and for mutual benfit. However their has been growing national ferver and celebration, particularly since the Olympics and we are in danger of becoming that which we have defined our selves as not: crazy, flag waving, center of the universe Americans (no offense). Nationalism goes from parades to wars to war parades too quickly. Nationalism too often is or becomes an unthinking, violent, exclusive loyalty to a nation state with questionable policy at best and inevitably its own (primarily the government's) best interests at heart. And those interests may or may not be in you best interests, your community's interests or for the world's betterment although I'm sure we will be told it is. And it certainly is a loyalty incompatible with the explicitly boundry, culture and border crossing christian faith, which declares all people one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28). If there is no Jew or gentile, how can there be Canadians? Christianity demands exclusive loyalty to Jesus - explicitly exlusive loyalty from the state. I am always disturbed by nation state celebration in churches, whether they be flags or picnics. May God bless the whole world and may we be depressed when we count our north american blessing in comparison to so many others around the world whom God loves. If God did this, no explanation will justify, and if we did this may we be deeply ashamed, and if its all random and meaningless, can justice and shalom ever exist?
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Lighten up Duncan. You are taking yourself and our national celebration of Canada Day too seriously! I don't think we are being terribly nationalistic. We are just acting like a country should act! Having lived in the United States and having many family members there, believe me, there is no comparison to our celebration of Canada Day and the 4th of July! Most countries have a day of celebration but few can top the US. We are all different societies...not saying one is better than the other, either. To me, having spent most of my life in Canada, it is refreshing to see us celebrate our country. For too long we have been so low key in this country while other countries looked in and wondered why we weren't more excited about our blessings. Every government in this world looks out for its best interests, just as every individual person does. I want our government to look out for us. God loves the whole world for sure. He does not want us to think of ourselves as the best, even though that is human nature. He has raised up the nations, including Israel. Canada came to be, not by accident, but by design. He has blessed our nation beyond measure and in turn we have a responsibility to help other nations. We do that already, but can always do better. Jesus said that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. I take that to mean also that as we keep a healthy self image as a country, we will be able to reach out and share from our bounty and help poorer, less fortunate countries become all that God intended. Having a daily healthy view of how blessed we are in Canada can only help us. I do not ever want our country to return to the days of thinking less of ourselves than we should. We are also told in Scripture that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ( 2 Tim. 1:7) So, on this Canada Day, I choose to be in a celebratory mood, trusting that God is always in control, wanting us to fully enjoy the short time we have in this world; being watchful and looking forward to the day when there will be a perfect new earth! ~ Bev
ReplyDeleteBev,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! Unfortunately, explicitly sharing a challenging and negative but fair perspective is part my goal in writing on this blog. With that being said though, I welcome push back and in fact believe that it is in a dialogue of different perspectives that we catch glimpses of truth.
I posed two primary questions in my post: Is the Canadian move toward nationalism positive? And is nationalism and Christianity compatable? I argue no to both questions.
You suggest that Canada is not being "terribly" nationalistic. And in a comparative (to the US) or even an absolute sense I would probably agree, but there is a movement in a direction with which I am uncomfortable. There are beliefs and ideas that underly a lot of nationalism, including Canadian, that make me uncomfortable - and that as Christians in particular I think we should be uncomfortable with.
I think the question of blessing is one that is brought up here. What is a blessing and how is it measured? Are we blessed in North America? Monetarily? Absolutely! But what about spiritually? or emotionally? or relationally? I think there is an argument that might say we have been cursed. This is a topic I ponder frequently.
If North America were to love its neighbours as its self, that is to say we were to raise the global standard of living to a western one, we would require 6 earths' worth of resources. I don't have have any way of dealing with that other than lament and misery.
I don't know how one measures what is a "healthy" level of nationalism. I don't know how one determines that this country thinks less of itself than it "should" or more of itself. "The nations" as a Biblical concept stand in rebellion to God. Nations in the modern world divide, organize, protect, destroy, intimidate, exploit, help and other stuff. There is good and bad. And the bad is often really big and significant like death, murder, destruction, and exploitation. I don't think that there is a government that rules without the sword or without exploiting its people. And whether ordained or not I don't feel like celebrating Canada Day. Although a celebration in hope of restoration is something I am up for.
-Duncan
*Check out http://smokemirrorsandcigarettes.blogspot.com/2011/07/nationalism-as-individualism.html
by Silas