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Commentary

Christian Heritage Month

Tue, December 10, 2024   |   Author: Vicki Gunn   |   Volume 31    Issue 50 | Share: Gab | Facebook | Twitter   

Vicki GunnWhat a beautiful Christmas gift we’ve been given by 35 municipalities across Canada. December’s joyous Christian celebration of God’s incarnation has been recognized as “Christian Heritage Month.”

Canada’s rejection of our own heritage has been a blight on our national psyche for decades. Much like the prodigal son rejected his father’s lifestyle but was happy to claim his inheritance, Canadians have thought that they could reject the God of our Christian faith but retain the benefits of our Christian heritage.

We have travelled so far from our roots that most of us have forgotten why the strong foundation was important. Remember, “the foolish man built his house upon the sand,” and when adversity struck the house came tumbling down.

As we face a Canada that has rejected God, what do we see that is causing our national ‘house’ to fall down? Do you remember the foundation of our equal rights? The foundation was in the first book of the Bible. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” There you have it, equality. God didn’t make them the same, but they were both in His image. The creation of God’s image bearers was not just called “good” by God; it was called “very good.”

Our Charter acknowledges the source of our rights and freedoms in Section 1: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:

Our heritage is that we receive our rights and freedoms from God’s hand. This isn’t just lip service, the laws that we adhere to are the laws that He declared just.

With that foundation laid, why is it so difficult for our various levels of government to acknowledge the source of our freedoms and give the God of our freedoms some of the glory for what He gave us?

One Toronto Councillor fought hard against Toronto, declaring December “Christian Heritage Month.” The name was too close to the name of the Christian Heritage Party, which is, “anti-abortion, anti-same-sex-marriage, says that Islam is a threat to democracy, denies that climate change is caused by CO2, etc.

I wish that Christians would make a stand during this celebration of Jesus’s birth. I wish that Christians would look at Genesis and remember that those aborted babies are image bearers of God. The decision to take a baby’s life is not made by God and is not approved by God. As when Cain slew Abel, why can’t Canadians and particularly Christian Canadians hear God saying, “Your brother’s/sister’s blood cries out to me from the ground.”

Christians need to acknowledge that their faith must have a bearing on how they live, what they do and what they say; thus they must stand on the truths of their faith. Abortion does not kill just any pre-born creature, although it does that; it kills an image-bearer of God! Euthanasia does not just kill an old or sick person, it kills an image-bearer of God. If we can’t stand on these truths then where is our faith? Of what good is our faith?

Yes, Christian Heritage Month should be celebrated, but even more than celebrating Christian Heritage Month, we should be celebrating the God who came down as a baby, lived a sinless life, died for the sins we committed—as the law and the prophets said must happen—and then rose victorious over sin and death.

Our laws have their foundation in the Laws given by God. If we can’t see that then there is no reason to celebrate Christian Heritage Month. Rather, we should sorrow because our laws are built on sand and—as happened with the house without a foundation—our wonderful Canada will come tumbling down. That’s what we see today—the benefits of our heritage tumbling down. We have to know why the laws are there to appreciate their value.

We are called to: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37) All sins that we commit are hatred toward our neighbour—whether it’s the sin of adultery, or coveting, or killing, or lying, or dishonouring parents or stealing. A society built on love will do no harm to a neighbour. But, we aren’t loving our neighbour when we make them victims of our lawlessness.

Our Christian heritage has taken laws that were good for the people and tried to implement those laws in increasing measure to make a society that cherishes freedom and equality.

That’s what Christian Heritage Month celebrates and every Canadian, Christian or not, should be celebrating the great heritage that made us a country in which people from around the world seek inclusion.

So, let’s celebrate our great heritage this Christmas and pay homage to our Creator who knew the great gift He gave us when he made us His image-bearers.

We at the Christian Heritage Party wish you a blessed Christmas season celebrating His wonderful gift.

You can learn more about our great heritage at chp.ca.



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