Monday, January 02, 2006

Canada's Christian Heritage - From Sea to Sea

Canada's Charter of Rights, like the Canadian Bill of Rights before it, recognizes "the supremacy of God". Canada's national anthem includes the prayer, "God keep our land, glorious and free."

Above the Peace Tower of Canada's Parliament Buildings, Canada's founding fathers inscribed in stone, for posterity, the founding vision of Canada. It consists of three verses from the Bible. The first is a proposition, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" from Proverbs 29:18. The second is a prayer, "Give the King thy judgments O God, and thy righteousness unto the King's son" (Psalm 72:1). The third is a prophecy, "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea" (Psalm 72:8).

This last verse was understood by its Christian inscribers to refer to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Its inscription was both a prayer and a prophecy that the Lord Jesus would reign over Canada. Indeed, when Canada was founded, it was named a Dominion because one of Canada's founders, Leonard Tilley, was inspired by this vision of the Christ's victorious reign. "From Sea to Sea" remains the motto of Canada to this day.

It was this Christian vision that inspired the building of our nation -- our schools, hospitals, health-care, the thousands of beautiful churches that sprinkle the countrysides, and yes, our tolerance and decency.

Canada's forefathers would be astonished by Canada's failure to keep faith with this founding vision. Today, in spite of (or more accurately because of) the Charter, Christians have been imprisoned for opposing abortion, their nursing careers cut short because they refused to participate in abortions, and they have been hauled before tribunals and fined or fired for opposing the ideology of militant homosexualism. Those who love the Charter in other contexts have been utterly silent in the face of these shameful events.

Those who continue to offer the Christian hope to the nation of Canada have nothing to be ashamed of. In spite of sustained efforts to extinguish it, the vision remains - "He shall have Dominion - from Sea to Sea".

1 comment:

A.P.T.'s Songs said...

Love your posts - keep up the good writing!

-Mr. Non-Juan

"... nothing intellectually compelling or challenging.. bald assertions coupled to superstition... woefully pathetic"