Politicians in Hawaii
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;
and from the one who has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked.—Luke 12:48
As I connected with people these last couple of weeks, the conversation eventually came around to, “How was your Christmas and New Year’s?” For most of us, the answer was similar – it was quiet but nice; not as hectic as other years; I missed not seeing my children, grandchildren, friends (just fill in the blank for your particular circumstance). The overriding sentiment was that, even though the holiday season was not quite what we hoped for, it was okay because it was a small sacrifice to make to try and slow down the COVID infection rate and subsequent deaths. On the day I’m writing this, Canada is at 16,500 deaths so we will be close to 20,0000 by the time I post it on the webpage.
Carol and I, like many of you, enjoyed sharing a meal together on Christmas and spent New Year’s Eve playing a board game. We took solace in a family Zoom meeting with our children and grandchildren on Christmas morning and another Zoom gathering with my mom in the afternoon. New Year’s Day was spent walking the canyon on the Campbell River, phoning friends to wish them a happy 2021 and commiserating with each other on how different this year was. All of us were fine and it was a small price to pay, to do our part in bringing down infection rates (I think a little part of us was even proud that we had sacrificed personal pleasure for the “good of all.”)
And then . . . . . during the first week of January, we learned that elected officials and government employees from coast-to-coast had been enjoying their usual winter vacations as if nothing was awry in the country. Skyrocketing infection rates, hospitals filled to capacity, record numbers of people dying, the largest deficit our country has seen, escalating drug overdoses and an impending economic crisis, and they thought they should go on holidays, same as always.
A friend asked me, “Don’t you find it odd that government officials from all levels of government and from all across the country are involved?” My answer was, “No, I don’t find it odd at all because the one thing they all have in common is their sense of privilege and entitlement!” But it was disappointing. We had children and grandchildren who lived half an hour away, that we didn’t visit this holiday season. I had to cancel my trip to Edmonton to see an aging parent who spent it alone. I think the icing on the cake for me is that Alberta Health Services banned Poinsettias from the rooms of all the people in care. Their reason was someone might touch it and spread the virus!
Our leaders should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us. We have become accustomed to politicians and civil servants who “grease the wheels,” and make financial gain from inside knowledge. This time they have gone too far and should be ashamed. This is why society has lost respect for the system of government that previous generations sacrificed so much to build and defend.
This lack of respect for the electoral process and the institution of government is why we witnessed a “gong show” south of the border as protestors stormed the Capital Building. Jesus shared with us, over 2000 years ago that if we are committed to building a just society, political and economic systems based on violence and domination must crumble.
Matthew 24:2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
Hopefully, come election day, Canadians will remember how, in the midst of crisis, some politicians set a bad example to the rest of us by going on vacation and they may not be surprised when they find themselves looking for a new career! Even before the birth of Jesus, Mary warned us that before a new humanity, grounded and rooted in justice and compassion, could be born, existing power structures must fall. I hope you enjoy the Canticle of the Turning attached to this blog.
Amen!