When I was growing up in school, from time to time, the teacher would pick out one or more students and say, “Come to the front”. Sometimes this was to answer a question. Sometimes this was to receive discipline or a reward. Sometimes this was to participate in a demonstration or to help the teacher Illustrate a point. I don’t know how others felt, but I was never looking for an opportunity to go to the front. “Let it be somebody else, not me.” Most of us prefer quiet obscurity to public service. I’m glad however, that those teachers kept calling us to the front, forcing us to get out of our comfort zones and participate in public activity. The front of the class was a training ground for adult responsibilities.

A weather “front” is an exciting place where hot air, cold air, high pressure, and low pressure meet and their interaction creates change…change for the better or change for the worse. In war—as in weather—there is also something called “the front.” That is where the action is. That is where men die for their causes and decisions are made, both in individual hearts and in the destiny of nations.

The CHP and our like-minded allies are engaged in a war today—a culture war, which will determine what kind of nation and what kind of world our children will inherit—and many of us are being called to the front. “There’s room at the front,” might take on new meaning. This is not a time for “shirking”—staying as far from the action as possible, hoping to not get picked. This is a time for volunteering.

CHP needs candidates and officers. Candidates—as anyone closely involved in a campaign knows—take the brunt of the conflict. They may be criticized in the papers, challenged by their opponents, misunderstood, ignored or ostracized by their “friends.” They will have to answer tough questions under pressure. They may sacrifice their paycheque, go with little sleep, put many kilometres on their vehicles, and knock on doors where they are rejected. Why do they do it? Because they see the need and want to be part of the solution.

Some know that if they do not step forward there will be no candidate in their area. That may mean that there will be no resistance to evil, that instead of a pitched battle there will be only abject surrender. Candidates also know that without energetic and able officers encouraging the troops and arranging for support and supplies, their position will be weak. More candidates would be prepared to step forward if there were more active officers and campaign teams prepared to support them.

CHP desperately needs officers today on local EDA boards and provincial councils. We need men and women who are willing to sacrifice their time to meet together and plan, to make phone calls and arrange public events. “Somebody else will do it” is a sorry statement and often means that nobody does it. In the army, soldiers can be commanded by their officers: “I need three volunteers: you, you, and you!” In the CHP army, we can’t demand service; we can only appeal for willing hearts to step forward to accept the challenges and risks of leadership, whether as candidates or officers.

We make that appeal today. Around the world, we see men and women, boys and girls, trapped in horrific conflicts. Some have their houses destroyed. Some are forced to flee their hometowns with only the clothing on their backs. Many have lost family members to savage and brutal attacks. They are hungry and thirsty. They do not have the luxury of choices that we enjoy here in Canada today. Our situation, however, is also desperate. Our battles are largely being fought in the courts, the legislatures, and the media but the results are also deadly for the unborn, destructive to families, and damaging to the economy. We need you at the front. We need candidates and committed campaign teams. We need officers and membership recruiters. We need delegates to our national convention and of course we need your constant prayer support and financial support.

There’s room at the front. Come on up.

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