A friend of mine once remarked, “There is a big difference between friends and allies.” We both worked at the same sawmill, were members of the same union and shared a number of personal values. My friend had a good sense of humour, obviously cared about people, was fun to talk with and had a lot of good ideas about improving the workplace. He did not share my faith in Christ, was not a supporter of the pro-life movement, and I have no idea whether he ever voted for me; if he did, it would have been based on personal trust, not on political philosophy. We were friends in a general sense and allies only in a few specific instances regarding workplace safety and productivity. He was a great person to have in the workforce and I was sorry—when he died several years ago—that I did not know him better.

He was a friend, but not a socially-conservative ally in the battle for the culture. We have many friends who are both. It is not surprising, in these days of the culture wars and the clash of world views, that we often develop close friendships with those of like mind in faith and politics, especially when the Lord brings allies across our path who also share our interests in literature, history, business, childcare, gardening, fishing, sports or any other area of activity or discipline. Friendships have value in themselves, regardless of any achievement or gain. The delight we feel when meeting with friends and to know that they also enjoy spending time with us is a soul-building and soul-satisfying element of our own personal growth. Good friends can be mentors at times and often provide material help in small or large ways.

But there is also a time to join hands with those who are simply allies, even when true friendship does not seem likely. In World War II, the U.S., Britain and Soviet Russia became officially known as “the Allies” as they took on the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan. It’s true that in the pressures and challenges of wartime, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin became “friendly” to each other, but they did not always trust—as friends—in the motives and intentions of those whose mutual cooperation they desperately needed to win the war. Stalin was never a friend in the true sense of the word. Indeed, as the Western armies and the Soviets fought their way to Berlin, there were times when even the Alliance was tested. Russia reached Berlin first and seized control; the Berlin Wall and the Cold War followed close on the heels of the Allied victory.

As wokeism and the cancel culture seek to isolate and demean people like us—people who share our views about life, family, freedom and faith—we in the Christian Heritage Party need our allies more than ever. We may not have the luxury of only working with those who share our exact theological or partisan viewpoints. Our nation, our culture, our freedom and our prosperity are all under attack. Currently, Muslim parents are standing up for their right to raise their children according to their beliefs, without the coercive imposition of leftist gender ideology in the public schools. We are grateful for their role in challenging the government’s gender narrative. We have always supported parental rights and we stand with them now in their demand that the federal and provincial governments leave our kids alone when it comes to gender propaganda. I encourage our members to participate in peaceful protest with others focused on this important issue.

In the long drawn-out aftermath of COVID mandates and the Freedom Convoy, we find ourselves shoulder-to-shoulder with many who do not share our world view regarding the salvation of Jesus Christ, His divine nature and His unique role as “the way, the truth and the life.” We must never compromise our beliefs but we must be ready work with them as allies. Many who do not attend a church are now standing with us for the freedom to assemble and worship and the freedom to raise our children in accordance with our values. They may not embrace all of our beliefs, but they support our right to have them and to express them. For that I am grateful.

The woke mob—the political-corporate-media mob that is seeking to drown us out, to censor our writings and cripple our finances—has its own friends and its own allies. In many ways, the political left has done a better job of building alliances and networks than we have. While Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau represent two different political parties, they have forged an alliance that functions on unprincipled pragmatism. In exchange for a dental plan, Jagmeet and his coterie of socialist MPs kept Justin Trudeau in power in spite of his outrageous actions against ordinary hardworking, freedom-loving Canadians (the “common people” the NDP claims to care about). That unholy alliance allowed Mr. Trudeau to pass censorship bills, gun confiscation, economy-destroying carbon taxes and tax-and-spend deficit budgets that have produced a national debt that drains $95 million every day in debt-servicing interest payments.

The collaboration between these political partners and their paid-for media cheerleaders has created a political and bureaucratic fortress that is entrenched, well-guarded and capable of punishing its detractors through a court system with little real connection to the constitutional principles established by the Charter, the Bill of Rights and the precedents of Common Law.

Of course, for all these reasons, I am deeply troubled by leftist alliances. But we should learn from them. Alliances form for a purpose and for a time. I am not here suggesting an amalgamation between parties or organizations. I am suggesting a serious and sincere working together, a willingness to make sacrificial commitments for the good of the country. CHP Canada has a unique set of principles and policies regarding the sanctity of human life and marriage. We’ll continue to proclaim those good policies and offer them to voters. Where we can work with other like-minded politicians or organizations—during or between elections—we should do so. We need both friends and allies. When we see others doing something good, we should commend them. We need each other.