By Ron Baker
I’ve just finished reading an article on Candace Cameron Bure found in Christianity Today website. For those of you who have followed Hallmark Christmas movies, you will remember her face if not her name. Apparently she has found a new home for her holiday movies – moving from Hallmark to the Great American Family channel.
While the leader of the Great American Family channel, a former executive with the parent company of Hallmark, denies that this has to do with programming a same-sex couple in the upcoming season . . . you have to wonder. One of the tag lines for the new channel is a focus on the traditional family. Candace Bure is known for he evangelical Christian stance. She strongly affirms that she loves those in same-sex relationships while not necessarily condoning their behaviour.
Now I’ve stepped into deep waters with this train of thinking – some of you may think I am going to derail very soon.
In my academic side-hustle I talk with those of First Nations ancestry. One spoke eloquently of wanting to understand her heritage and legacy. While she has a strong Christian lineage, she is curious about the upsurge in Native spirituality and what that actually means. To be honest, she affirms that local traditions and rites may vary across the country. At the same time, there seems to be an openness to spiritual influence that can be harmful to her culture. All of these thoughts make for a time of transition as she seeks to be open to deliberation.
In another of my side-hustles I do podcasts for small churches across Canada: https://cscmc.ca/series/this-is-us-canadian-small-churches-in-action/
Recently I have had the opportunity to speak to two medical doctors. Both are known in their fields – particularly end of life care. One was in on the push to make palliative care a viable option 50 or 60 years ago. The other works diligently in promoting hospice care. Their take on MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) is fairly straightforward. I would characterize their thoughts as: dignity conserving care means medical termination is unnecessary and unadvised. In another take on this, relinquishing life through palliative care is an alternative to MAiD.
If by now I haven’t crossed the political no-man’s-land (and perhaps that needs to be more inclusive to say no-person’s-land), I want to talk about religion in a secular society like Canada.
Bruce Clemenger (who has roots in this area) was recently the head of the Evangelical Fellowship in Canada. He has recently published (in November 2022) a book that decries the loss of freedom in religion over these past few decades. The great experiment of the 1960’s “liberations” has led to greater restrictions. Christian sub-culture is being subjugated to ridicule and to not being able to speak for itself (much as other oppressed groups have stated in the past).
Where does that leave us?
I am more a prophet than a politician. I speak to others to remind them that standing for a cause means making sure their life exhibits the characteristics for which they advocate. I love words and have learned that dignity can be expressed through my words. I sometimes need to take a posture shift to use the less offensive words while sticking to my principles.
And perhaps the most important – although not always recognized – action plan. I’m not about power, wealth or even being the wisest/smartest person on the planet. I am about knowing the wisest, most powerful and greatest resourced person – God. Which seems to me to be the best place to start.
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