As I watched the television screening of a new Canadian government being sworn in, I recalled to a fragment of Isaiah 11.16. The words were “and a little child shall lead them.” I saw a little child lead them. A 12-year-old Cree boy was beating a drum at the head of the procession. Behind him were two pretty little Inuit throat singers, who brought laughter with them to what has always been a solemn event. The three aboriginal children led the parade, ahead of the representative of the queen of Canada, an incoming prime minister, his cabinet appointees and every other dignitary.
The symbolism was inescapable. It heralded respect for the First Nations and their beliefs, redress for the arrogance and brutality of the residential schools, protection from the profit-hungry corporate bandits who would destroy their ancestral lands and ways of life. And it brought children into the halls of power. I think this symbolizes the understanding we in the adult world, wherever we live, have a moral obligation to heal the wounded environment which would otherwise be the lethal heritage of future generations.
But symbolism is not a promise and a promise is not action.
We are seeing now an outline of how the new prime minister wants to reshape federal politics. In the 31-member cabinet are 15 women. There are aboriginals and Sikhs. This is the most inclusive Liberal government Canada has ever seen. Also, it has been designed to be the most open and most civil, unlike the secretive and mean one-man show voters removed from office. This does not mean there can be any certainty that it will be a better guardian of Canada’s fortunes than the government it displaced. It could become a victim of its own errors. Its good intentions could be frustrated by ignorance and selfishness both at home and abroad. Certainly, the new model Trudeau government has more enemies than have yet revealed themselves.
The critics have not been loud. They have noted the promise to bring thousands of refugees to Canada before New Year’s Day was, to say the least, overly enthusiastic. They have questioned the impending removal of Canadian fighter jets from the battle against ISIS. In this regard, Trudeau and company understand there are only a few CF-18s left in our arsenal and they are no longer first line aircraft. Canada’s lack of military hardware is surely the fault of the confused procurement policies of the previous government. That the federal financial cupboard is emptier than it was first said to be is also the fault of the previous administration.
The Trudeau government might succeed in some measure or it might fail miserably or grandly. For the time being, however, when Canadians observe the political madness in the United States, they can take pride in the remaking of the government and parliament in Ottawa.
Religion in the American body politic is much more important than in Canada. There, the Republican Party is attempting to keep control of the country in the hands of gun-toting white Christians who don’t believe in evolution or global warming. In whatever country at whatever time, individuals should have the right to choose their own religious beliefs, but the religion of government should be common sense. We see the stirring of common sense in Ottawa and hope it grows stronger. We see no common sense in Washington. We, and multitudes in other nations, hope there so
