Steve,

I seem to recall that the lesson about “throwing the first stone” was in regards to a woman who was about to be publicly stoned to death for adultery. So, what did it mean that he stopped the crowd? What power did his words have? From this I can see absolutely no reason to refuse to intervene when I witness the suffering or imperilment of others. The fact that said suffering is part of someone’s political agenda is the very, very last reason that I should not speak up in the name of Jesus. Who cares? It is completely irrelevant. Someone’s political reason for harming another person is absolutely none of my concern. The only thing that matters is the harm stops, in the name of Jesus Christ.

I was an atheist for a long time, for my whole youth and into young adulthood. One of the reasons I felt so distant from God was that I constantly encountered depictions of a Christ who served the powerful—a Jesus of beautiful snippets applied in hateful ways. I spent my entire childhood watching people get stoned by Jesus-shaped rocks. Am I doing the same by pointing out the failings of Donald Trump? Perhaps. I have many failings, too. But in this case, Trump’s failings are highly relevant to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and to an insurrection in Washington, among other crises. And I don’t cite them to attack the man, or to publicly shame him or his followers. I cite them to illustrate that many Americans are waiting for help that isn’t coming.

That aside, nowhere in my writing have I tried to validate riots, violence, angry speech against another, self-righteousness, “I am right-you are wrong” mentality, or division. I speak of divisions that already exist and are actively harming people. And I’ve asked Canadians to consider ways to see those people and, perhaps, help a few of them. I have made no arguments about what should happen in the Unites States or who should do what there. The single course of action I recommend is that Canadians consider, essentially, opening asylum avenues to Americans who find themselves unable to escape miserable circumstances, which is the same argument I’d make for any place in the world where suffering seems inescapable. I fear you take exception to this because I’m saying that America is home to people who can’t escape their suffering. Guess what? America is home to people who can’t escape their suffering. I know them. Is it un-Christian to speak of such people? Is it un-Christlike to suggest that their leaders care not for them? If so, here I am, failing to be a Christian. I’ll own that.

Best,
MT

MT,
As always, thank you for responding to my remarks. But, as usual, I must disagree with you. I assumed that Christians are supposed to use the Word of God as their foundation for their point of view. I have looked in the Bible and no where do I find that Christ was interested (or dis-interested) in politics in His life, He left that for the government though He did make more than a few comments about how, if one is a leader, he or she must rule humbly and lovingly.
Christ was more interested in the relationships people had with each other and with God. He attacked the hypocrisy of religious leaders who used religion for political power. Christ outlined how Christians should act in the face of adversity in Matthew 5, Luke 6:27-36, and other verses. God, through the prophets and throughout the New Testament letters, asked that the faithful put their trust in God and to use bad times as an opportunity to show Christ in our actions (Proverbs 3:5, Psalms 28:7, Mark 5:36, Colossians 3:36, Ephesian 4:32). Christ teaches to point out sins of others in private in Matthew 18:15 and not to ‘call out’ others in the public square. The Lord also teaches us that only those without sin should “throw the first stone”, knowing full well that no one on Earth is without sin. Christ did not teach political lessons. He teaches us to be in relationship with others through Him…”To love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. To love others as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37-38).
I cannot find anywhere in God’s Word the validation of riots, violence, angry speech against another, self-righteousness, “I am right-you are wrong” mentality, division, or the demand that religious leaders call for and support those things; no matter how justified they think they are. Christian leaders should lead by example not by politics.

I will close with a verse from 2 Corinthians; “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

With humble prayers, I will ask God to strengthen Christians around the world, but especially in the US, that He grant them the ability to show how people should not put their trust in politics but, rather, in the Prince of Peace.

Steve S.

Mr Townsend is right. This is an opportunity for Canada and Canadians to meet some desperate needs. And I know from experience that our churches have an opportunity to be enriched spiritually.

Louisa:

I also support COVID-related closures.

That aside, this is a great question and, clearly, a can of worms. As we’ve seen, Canada has struggled—is struggling—with the question of whether the United States is a “safe third country” for asylum seekers. I don’t believe it is, though the Canadian government still argues as such. I don’t believe the election has much bearing on this, as I don’t believe the U.S. is a fundamentally safe place for lots of people, regardless of political leadership.

I think as soon as we acknowledge that the United States isn’t safe for a certain group of people, i.e. asylum seekers, we let loose those worms. I think at that point, it is logical to wonder whether certain groups of Americans would qualify for asylum status in Canada based upon their circumstances. To assess that, Canadians will need to look beyond their impressions of American circumstances—often based on positive university and travel experiences in the U.S. (and negative Twitter experiences)—and consider the broader picture of American life. I’d say Puerto Rico is an interesting case study, as a place that (1) has struggled terribly, economically, (2) is linguistically isolated, (3) was the victim of great incompetence (and animosity) in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, killing thousands, and (4) it lacks appropriate representation in federal government. The difficulties faced by Black people in the United States are increasingly understood, I think—but Canadians might view those difficulties as repairable by addressing certain issues—”we need police reform”—instead of symptoms of a system that has evolved to oppress people because of their ancestry, their looks, their language or their culture. And, of course, their economic class.

One hurdle in all of this, and thus perhaps a place to start, is that it is very difficult for Canadians to easily connect with poor Americans. In my experience, most Canadians encounter two kinds of Americans: (1) university-educated travelers and urbanites who seem more or less Canadian but might say, “Y’all”, and (2) loud, self-important people who find significant public platforms on which to espouse American exceptionalism and dominance. Obviously, there are millions of Americans who do no fit into those categories. There are many millions of Americans who love their country and who, regardless of their political persuasion, are decent, quiet people who go about their business, though may sometimes vote for policies that harm their neighbours or themselves. So, as a Canadian, I think I would be wondering: how are those people who find themselves consistently voted against? Where do they find hope? Would they be interested in coming to Canada and starting a new life? And what might Canadians learn from them and what they’ve endured, should they come?

My wife and I are economic immigrants; we spent our life savings to come to Canada (life savings that would likely have been spent on health costs, eventually, but instead bought us an education and opportunities here), but we had it to spend. So, I don’t look like those poor people, but I’ve known them. I was the first in my family to go to university, and I grew up in a place with significant rural-poverty problems. I have known many Americans who work tirelessly but for whom quality education, basic healthcare, reasonable workplace protections, access to reliable transportation, and so on seem permanently out of reach—and neither political party in the States seems very interested in addressing that, with a few exceptions.

I know Canada is not immune to such issues. I believe Canadians—and I include myself in this—have much to do in how we view and live with Indigenous people here. Our failures abound. But I also see far more thirst here for change and for justice, even if it isn’t universally shared. This is, after all, the country I’ve chosen to live in.

Finally, I’ll add this as an important clarification: I am not asking Canada to uproot millions of downtrodden Americans and settle them here. I’m asking for Canada to present the opportunity to those who might both desire and need it, within the limits our system can handle. If tired, poor Americans want to make the journey to Canada and seek resettlement—and if Canadians (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) agree that Canada has space to take some in, then I think there are humanitarian reasons to create such an opportunity. Fundamentally, I believe there are Americans who are in hopeless situations who would, if given that opportunity, come and contribute positively to life in Canada. I recognize that this is a very hard claim to make—it is not one we hear every day, though it is one I have believed for years. Given last week’s events, and the massive COVID-19 death toll in the States, I hope it seems something less than outlandish.

MT

Steve:

Lovely prayers. I must disagree, though, that Christ is disinterested in political matters. From my vantage point, it is Christ-like to call for action in the face of injustice.

Best,
MT

Pray for those who have lost hope
Pray for those who have put their faith in things other than God
Pray for those who have forgotten Christ’s Words
Pray for those who don’t have forgiveness
Pray for the humble
Pray for the empty churches
Pray for those who are tempted by fame
Pray for those who hate
Pray for the hypocrites
Pray for the judgmental
Pray for the arrogant
Pray for the leaders of the world
Pray for the faithful
Pray for all the everyday person
Pray for the Lord’s Peace, Love, and Forgiveness.
And, yes, pray for America and Americans everywhere.