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My neighour and the federal election
October 2019 Issue No. 84
Quotation of the month
“When you give in to helplessness, you collude with despair and add to it. When you take back your power and choose to see possibilities for healing and transformation, your creativity awakens and flows to become an active force of renewal and encouragement in the world. In this way, even in our own hidden life, you can become a powerful agent of transformation in a broken, darkened world. There is a huge force that opens when intention focuses and directs itself toward transformation.” - John O’Donohue
My neighbour and the federal election
“Who is my neighbour?” a lawyer famously asks Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. The general principle of love for neighbour, the Golden Rule, is endorsed in countless traditions, including international human rights principles. Yet, in a world that we are taught is fraught with division, where the default is to huddle in our own groups, put up walls, and think of the “other” as enemy, Jesus’s response, the Good Samaritan, is just as vital today.
What does all of this have to do with the upcoming Canadian federal election?
So much of our Canadian election campaigns, including in 2019, are marketed for a hyper-individualized audience, in a “what’s in it for me” tone. Sometimes it seems like both the voting public and the political candidates/parties are consumed by quick-fix solutions and short-term gain, often neglecting implications for society as a whole and vital guiding principles, including the care for others.
As the Canadian public, we have both the responsibility and capacity to help shift this tone, to demand more from those who seek to govern, that the concerns for the other – the neighbour, our society at large – are present in this election season, and the months that will follow.
Canadian government policies and practices, both at home and abroad, have real impacts on people in Canada and around the world. We daily demonstrate practices of compassion, in caring for our families and our communities. Let’s ask that this compassion be applied to our public policies. At MCC Ottawa, we’ve created a guide to help with this process, inviting Canadians to address some of the key policy issues of this election through the call to love our neighbours and seek the public good. In these last days before the federal election, we encourage you and all Canadians to reflect on and bring these concerns to public spaces, our communities, the church pews, the kitchen table, the coffee shop and the ballot box.
See MCC Ottawa’s full 2019 Election Resource here.
See the full blog post, My Neighbour and the Federal Election here.
Climate Change: The Discussion as a Detour
Environmental sustainability, climate change, and the many debates that surround them are at the forefront of most contemporary news outlets. On the Ottawa Office Notebook Blog, Myriam Ullah from MCC Saskatchewan writes about learning to move beyond the media debates and eco-anxiety into exploring critical questions and conversations: “If we listen openly and allow ourselves to discover congruence in our underlying values, we can overcome crucial barriers and move forward in finding ways to adopt environmentally responsible practices. We need to hear each other and acknowledge that across the spectrum, from climate change deniers to #FridaysForFuture strikers, people all desire sustainable livelihoods and a sense of security for future generations.
The dynamics at play within the discussions about climate change can create a total aversion to engaging with the topic at all. Struggling to understand the issues of climate change and how to move forward, can also cause us to root ourselves more vehemently in our stance and create additional barriers to open collaboration and seeking a balanced understanding.
In tough conversations about challenging topics, like climate change, we need more people in the dialogue who are open to hearing opposing views. In dialogue and with creativity, unlikely alliances, and a desire for change, we can challenge the status quo and make a difference.”
Read Myriam’s complete reflection here, and a prayer shared at the climate strike in Winnipeg here.
Peace Sunday 2019This year, around Remembrance Day, we invite congregations to reflect on the connections between food and peacebuilding. How do our food choices contribute to peace and justice for our sisters and brothers, and for the earth itself? Download this year’s Peace Sunday packet here. 
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Election ResourceMCC has prepared an election primer including key issues and corresponding questions to ask candidates running for election. Browse the website, download the full primer, and/or check out the church bulletin insert. We also invite you to use these resources to guide Sunday school class or small group discussions, and to share it with family members, friends, and colleagues. 
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MCC Ottawa Update
In September, Ottawa Office staff were able to participate in a variety of events and meetings. Most notable were the participation in the annual gathering of the United Network for Justice & Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI), September 13-14, the MCC Advocacy Network meetings about strategic planning in Akron, Pennsylvania, September 15-19, and an MCC Canada staff day and MCC National Program Meetings in Winnipeg, September 25-26. We are encouraged and will carry new connections, ideas, and energy into our fall activities.
