Leave It At The Door

I attended a special breakfast this morning hosted by a particular faith group.  There were seven Liberals there by my count, a couple of NDP, and a number of Conservatives.  The subject of the session regarded voting trends in Canada and how this particular faith group’s members voted across the country.For Liberals, it was an uncomfortable breakfast. Polling revealed that Liberal support had slipped in certain parts of the country.  I wrestled in my own mind as to why our hosts had to offer a kind of objective analysis that nevertheless provided a drubbing to one particular party, especially in the presence of others. But there it was and MPs attempted to take it in good spirit.  The Conservatives filled out their chests; the Liberals merely looked down in silence.There is a key issue at play here and it should be discussed.  Those present this morning largely came from a particular faith tradition.  They shared a similar belief structure, acknowledgement of a supreme Being, and the need to live as the founder of the faith lived.  As such, they were a kind of family meant to share compassion and understanding of one another.Yet it was a political meeting as well, and from the very get-go I watched to see which would prevail – God or politics.  I didn’t have to wait long.A short while later I overheard some who had been at the breakfast boasting at their good fortune at doing well in the polls.  Fair enough.  But my anger was aroused in hearing them take a special delight at the plight of Liberals in Ontario.  “Now’s our time to trounce them, and destroy Michael Ignatieff,” one stated.  As I came down the stairs I just couldn’t bring myself to speak to them, I was that upset.For people of faith, the imperative is there to combine our efforts to live honorable lives, especially among one another.  We either set a new and noble example or we fail.  Politics in Ottawa is hard, mean and downright oppressive right now. Faith, on the other hand, is meant to bring us together for a greater good, to transcend any particular political branding for the sake of making this world better.  When the two come together, as they did this morning, there wasn’t one person there who wouldn’t have admitted that love for God and our fellow human being, as expressed in our faith, is meant to trump politics at each and every turn.  We are meant to put that belief on the line by casting aside the meanness of partisanship to embrace, in humility, a common bond. We can disagree, but in respect.  It's not a love-in, but it's not a rugby match either.For this group of individuals at the bottom of the stairs, the breakfast became an exercise in pride and partisan advantage.  Worse, it provided opportunity to delight in bludgeoning their natural political opponents.  Understanding that I was upset, one of them asked me a short time later what was disturbing me.  “You’re a man of faith,” I said softly.  “How can you possibly condone the public humiliation of Michael Ignatieff, as you did with Stephane Dion, every day in the House and possibly think the founder of your faith would approve?  I don’t do it to your leader; don’t do it to mine!”  It was his turn to look down as he muttered, “I know.”  Knowing isn’t good enough any more.  If faith is going to matter, it has to matter in the House of Commons and be lived out in lives of humility and service. Some at the breakfast practice that kind of faith; others of us don't.But I couldn’t gloat because I was saddened – we’ve all failed.  The House of Commons has been profaned at times by religion.  If our faith can’t overcome cruel partisanship, then let’s leave it at the door and just be politicians.  The public doesn’t seem to expect higher of us anymore anyway.