On Parliament Hill

As we enter 2022, I’d like to start the New Year with this message of hope.

Despite the difficulties, pain, and frustrations of the past two years, despite the obvious imperfections in our systems and culture, we still live in a great country.

We are still blessed to be Canadians.

Even the poorest Canadian is wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of most of the world. We have homes, cars, abundant food, even disposable income to spend on amusements and luxuries. And, as anyone who has travelled to the developing world country can attest, upon return, there are few luxuries that compare with modern indoor plumbing.

We are a resource rich country. We have 20% of the world’s fresh water. Think about that for a minute. In a world approaching eight billion people, our little country of 38 million people has one fifth of the world’s water. We have an abundance of productive farmland and can feed ourselves – and much of the world. We are rich in natural resources. The list goes on.

We have healthcare. Is it perfect? Of course not, but it’s some of the best in the world.

Our kids can go to school for free, and if you don’t like your school, you have the freedom to homeschool. The government will even lend you the money to go to university – an opportunity for advancement that many can only dream of.

We still live in a democracy. Sure, it may not always feel that way, and yes, the options and outcomes may often disappoint, but Canadians get to have a say in who leads us. And every few years, we get the chance to start fresh. So, to those who are unhappy with our current government – and I’m with you – this too shall pass. And to those who don’t like the options out there, in Canada, there is nothing keeping you from getting involved.

We still live in freedom. Yes, those freedoms have been impinged upon in recent years, but compared to other parts of the world, we have little to complain about. Restrictions on gathering sizes and wearing a mask in church are a pain, but that’s a small sacrifice when we consider that for millions around the globe, simply by attending public worship, they are risking their very lives – reflecting on that, one can really appreciate how blessed we still are in Canada and be thankful for that.

It’s so easy to get focused on the negative things happening in our country that we forget how good we’ve really got it, and how richly God has blessed our land.

So, as we enter the New Year, I encourage everyone to take some time to reflect, not on the year that was, but on the country that is. Not on its flaws, but on its possibilities.

When we do so, I think we’ll all have an easier time saying, Happy New Year!