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Christ-centred. Creative. Canadian.
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About a month ago, I sent an email to our print subscribers in Alberta asking them to help me write a short article about the October 17 referendum. I was relieved that all 21 readers who responded said they are opposed to Alberta separating from Canada and they plan to vote "no" to the other nine questions. Most said they wish the referendum wasn't happening at all.
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“I feel this is a colossal and unnecessary expense to the taxpayer,” wrote Al Brander from High River, Alberta. “I will not provide an ounce of credibility to this activity and apparently many other Albertans feel the same way.” Brander says he has worked every municipal, provincial and federal election in the past 26 years, yet this time he won’t be. Elections Alberta has reported that they still need to hire about 30,000 poll workers, especially in rural communities.
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I also asked each reader to tell me something they wish other Canadians understood about Alberta. “We have our grievances, but this is not Quebec where separation is always a live option,” wrote one reader from Lethbridge. He says far too much is being made of this referendum.
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“Most of us are very proud to be Canadian and we have much to offer our country to make it a strong nation,” wrote a reader from Calgary.
CC is all about cross-Canada dialogue. This publication was founded by the merger of an Albertan and Ontarian publication almost 80 years ago. So we asked one of our news corespondents, a Redeemer University alum living in Ontario, to interview John Hiemstra, a professor emeritus of Political Science from the King's University in Edmonton. If you're not in Alberta, you might learn a thing or two from John. If you are . . . well we're sorry to keep talking about this referendum that most of you don't want anyway. Thanks for bearing with us!
CC is a conversation. Thanks for being a part of it!
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Did someone forward this newsletter to you?
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'SENDING A MESSAGE TO OTTAWA'
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What all Canadians should know before Alberta’s October referendum.
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Moriah Windsor
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“All this narrative is being spun about how the Canadian system is failing us,” says John Hiemstra, an emeritus professor of Political Science at The King’s University in Edmonton, Alberta. Recently, he spoke to Christian Courier about the Alberta separatist movement, which he calls “deeply ideological” and “complex.” October’s vote, regardless of the outcome, won’t immediately trigger separation, but Hiemstra believes that our neighbours to the south will be watching the results.
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LOVE HAS ITS REASONS
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Peter Schuurman
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Christopher Beha writes of growing up Roman Catholic, turning to atheism and finally being drawn to faith again.
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Reformed Christians will recognize: the priority of faith over reason, the pure gift of grace and the response of gratitude, and the vital importance of love and family. I’m glad for a book about deconstructing atheism rather than deconstructing Christianity, and to see someone’s existential despair turn to love, life and joy.
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WICKED: FOR GOOD CONFRONTS OUR OWN MORAL AMBIGUITY
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Abby Ciona
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Wicked movies are morally complex and delve into how those with power and influence shape our perceptions. They remind us that being “good” is more than just doing what makes us happy – it means standing up for what is right even when that is difficult.
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AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB
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Darren Roorda
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Churches should annually clarify not only what their pastor is responsible for, but what they are not responsible for – and evaluate them accordingly. A healthy church doesn’t simply give its pastor permission not to do everything; it equips other people to carry the ministry with them. The calling to shepherd God’s people remains beautiful. Maybe it’s the job we’ve constructed around that calling that needs to change.
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THE LABOUR OF LOVE
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Heidi VanderSlikke
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My parents raised me to respect a solid work ethic and to appreciate the fruits of honest labour. As an adult, I realized the downside of all that is a tendency to confuse who we are with what we do. A visit to Boldt Castle years ago drove the point home for me. George Boldt arrived in the United States in 1864, a penniless adolescent from Prussia. In 1900, Boldt purchased Hart Island, part of Alexandria, N.Y.
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Today's email has the stories of things other people built – or took apart – but we want to hear your stories. Management systems, a musical, a cow barn or a pizza oven – if you built it, we want to hear about it.
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What are you most proud of building? Did making something bring your community together in a new way? Email your story to: [email protected]
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We will include a few builder stories in an upcoming print issue. To say thank you, we will randomly draw three names who will receive a $100 gift card to a local store of your choice.
Christian Courier was built by a generation of Dutch immigrants, and 81 years later, it's still standing. What are we building today?
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