Faithfully yours - When Parliament went to church

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Published on Sunday, October 18, 2015

By Neil Strohschein

The Neepawa Banner

On May 8, 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stood at his podium in the House of Commons and confirmed a rumour that had been circulating for the past 24 hours.

“Yesterday morning at 2:41 a.m.,” he said, “Admiral Doenitz, the designated head of the German state, signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German land, sea and air forces in Europe to the Allied and Soviet authorities. The German war is therefore at an end.”

Then, this man who, with his trademark cigar and walking stick had been such a tower of strength to his people during the war, turned to the speaker of House and, referring to what the House had done at the end of World War 1, said: “I beg, therefore, Sir, with your permission, to move: ‘That this House do now attend at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster, to give humble and reverent thanks to Almighty God for our deliverance from the threat of German domination.’” The motion passed, and Parliament went to Church.

By now, most of us will have had our fill of the political rhetoric that has dominated the current election campaign. We’re sick of the attack ads, tired of hearing promises that probably won’t be kept and still not sure who can effectively address the social, economic and political challenges this country is facing. The issue for most Canadians is simple—whom can we trust to lead us?

The answer is—none of them—not Stephen Harper, not Thomas Mulcair, not Justin Trudeau, not Elizabeth May. These leaders may be well educated and able to move the masses with their rhetoric. But their promises are based on guesswork. They can’t predict what challenges this country will face in the next five years; so they can’t present a program to deal with something they can’t accurately foresee. Only one person can do that; but today’s politicians seem to want nothing to do with Him or with His followers.

And yet, His help is needed as much today as it was when the world was at war. King Solomon was arguably the smartest politician who ever lived. Under his leadership, ancient Israel became the dominant military and economic power of the ancient world. But he was the first to recognize that he could not govern his people by human wisdom alone.

That’s why, at the beginning of his reign, he asked God to give him an understanding mind to govern the people and to be able to discern between good and evil. (1 Kings 3:9) Several years later, he wrote: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The opening words of Canada’s Charter of Rights and freedoms state that this country “is founded on principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.” The English version of our national anthem contains the words: “God keep our land, glorious and free.”

It is high time, in my view, that our political leaders take these words seriously and admit that, without God’s help, they will be powerless to deal with the serious issues facing this country. I urge all politicians in all levels of government to spend some time each day calling on God for wisdom and guidance. God will come to their aid. The gifts they seek will be granted and we will be able to build a nation that does justly, loves mercy and walks humbly with God.