There is a petition in the Lord’s Prayer (Gospel of Matthew chapter 6) that Jesus taught us to pray for our daily food & living needs. This petition is the fourth and sits between the third: that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven and the fifth: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us. Interesting that our Lord Jesus when he taught this prayer squeezed this petition between God’s will be done and us forgiving others so we can be forgiven by God for the sins we commit against God’s will on earth.
So why this thought today?
Well, we have some of our Food & Goods Suppliers transporters trucks occupying (blocking) the streets of our Capital Ottawa, other cities and important intersections of our highways through Canada. They are a small part (some say maybe 10% or less) of the larger Truck drivers industry but they are loud and noisy. They say, they are there for their (our) Freedom and the freedom of fellow Canadians. Many more are travelling to our Capital (Ottawa is bitterly cold) and other places with 1,000s cheering them on along the way. ‘No more mandates’ they shout and blare their truck horns to draw attention as they vow not to leave till the Government of Canada lifts all Covid restrictions. What are those restrictions?
Access to public places (locations determined by local authorities) is now restricted (as determined by medical community statistics and sickness intervention evidence) to those who have evidence of the following:
- Vaccination evidence against the Covid-19; preferably 3 jabs.
- Wearing masks in all public settings.
These 2 demands seem reasonable in light of the facts, as we now know (and that will continue to reveal to us as this Covid virus is still with us) that since the virus appeared in our country January 2020, 33,000 Canadians have died after catching this disease and that at this time Ontario alone is averaging 3 deaths per hour everyday for the last 3 weeks or more. And that there is proof that vaccinations has lessened the impact of this virus in many lives saved. However, at present our Emerg ICU services and medical care-givers are strained (drained) and almost half or more of these deaths are with unvaccinated people. The world (at least the Western world populations) have been reeling from the viciousness of this disease. We are now touching the 4th wave of variants of this virus and it has been devastating! judging by the death totals records; USA has 900,000 and almost 5,000,000 worldwide. Almost 400,000,000 people have been affected and many will be dealing with ‘long-term’ effects. There is sorrow and regret in many families.
When you add this up and then take note of the reason for all of these truckers to block roads in cities and towns, you say to yourself: This is not reasonable. The science by now has proven that vaccination lessens the severity of the virus and so protect you and your family. So come on, don’t be a chicken! get your shot! What! are you afraid of a little jab in the arm? But wait there is more…..
‘Nobody is going to tell me what to do’ …. ‘Mon corpse; mon ame’…’my body; my choice’. So this has to do with Freedom of choice and they do not want to be told.
The police and the authorities are pulling their hairs as they do not know what to do. The water is over dam. They are in the streets. Levy fines? against parking? Tow the huge tractors off the streets? The Freedom truckers and their supporters say they are not moving until the Mandates are lifted. Meantime the situation has become an ‘Occupation’ and neighbourhoods, businesses and neighbours are being held hostage by diesel fumes and loud honking of truck-horns and in some cases: destruction of property and just being a public nuisance by a fringe hooligans’ element which has joined in with the Freedom crowd. The 10 million dollars collected on ‘GoFundMe’ are in dispute, frozen. (see bottom note) The Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Covid quarantine and has refused so far to speak to the protesters. Will he need to do as his father did, in the 1970 FLQ crisis insurrection, a ‘Pierre Trudeau’ – “Just watch me” action? How ironic would that be!
So how will it all end?
I think that this Freedom action (Covid fed-ups) restlessness, already smoldering for the last 2 months or so, has now burst into full flame. And not only in Canada but also in the USA as their Covid restrictions now also concerns the cross-border traffic for US truck drivers. The rules are now the same in both countries: you want to cross the border with your goods? get vaccinated!
But now people have had enough and are done with Covid. For 2 years authorities, who have been trying to use, as they saw fit, strategic methods of public protection techniques (mandates) that have hurt many with economic and mental stress issues and concerns. Businesses have failed and individuals have lost jobs. Let’s face it, it has not been good! and all emergency funding (as good as it is) do not make the virus and the BLAHS go away!
Are we being told what to do, yes! but this has not been punishment but rather a benevolence! A maybe bumbling, mumbling, stumbling attempt to limit a very bad disease from killing our neighbours, fathers, mothers, children and grand-parents. But we (authorities) are hopefully gaining wisdom and learning. As my mother-in-law used to say about unknown life events: “You learn from every deal!”
Now to get back to what I said at the beginning. The Lord’s prayer petitions before we get to ask #4’s ‘Give us this day our daily bread’; God tells us to make our communities as Jesus said; like his heavenly Kingdom on earth #3; then you may (ask) work to supply your daily (food) meal and living comforts #4; after that again in perfect order God tells us to petition in #5; to be thankful and tell each other, as you enjoy your meal, that you forgive and love your neighbours. Hard to do when we are all charged up with our own interests & ideas? YOU BET! But give it a try…….In the words of John Lennon- ‘Give Peace a Chance!’
And for Canada my petition is: “Under the king’s hand: May this land (Canada) of mountains and hills know peace and experience justice for all the people”. Book of Psalms #72 verse 3.
JS Pax vobiscum February 5, 2022
Note: Funds are instead being raised through the U.S.-based GiveSendGo, which describes itself as a “Free Christian Crowdfunding” website. CTV report.
On the Road 