This one – this little piece of my mind – may seem a bit of a departure for me, your humble savant, but I beg your indulgence for a few moments.
With Christmas and even Orthodox Christmas now safely out of the way, it might be safe to bring up the topic of Christmas again. Maybe even the generally accepted meaning of Christmas.
It might be the spirit of the season in me, but I want to agree with Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia-Lambton, ON). There. I said it. I agree with a Conservative MP – sort of.
It’s true that Hon Marilyn’s Bill C-369 did not make it past first reading – and may never resurface but for this brief exposure – but I think it is, or was, something worth considering. Sort of.
According to the CBC story, it is/was largely symbolic because its proponent knew it would never get past first reading, but Bill C-369, otherwise known as An Act respecting Christian Heritage Month, was a great idea. In fact, I think it should go even further. Maybe then it would make it to the order paper where it might even achieve unanimous support.
Let’s all write respectfully to our respective MPs and urge them to support the Bill so they can propose my amendment and see it through.
Amendment? Yes an amendment, because why stop at naming the month. Let’s all act it out. Let’s see to it that Canadians lead the way! Just imagine what the world could be like if everyone of the Christian persuasion actually acted like Christians – you know, like not killing people for the whole month of December. Like respecting all our neighbours as human beings. Like sharing our wealth.
I know, dear reader. I think I know what you’re thinking. But how about we lay out and act out a set of rules that everyone in the world can aspire to. We could name them the Ten Commandments but that one is taken. Besides it’s kind of exclusionary to others of different belief systems and cultures. We’d probably want to include everyone, wouldn’t we.
How about the Ten Commendments. That has a nice ring to it and everyone respects word play. It’s sort of like a bumper sticker I saw years ago that read “Brotherhood Month – Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.”
Let us all get to work on that, shall we? And let us start with our MPs setting an example of decorum instead of such thinly veiled and passive aggressive threats that only serve to further alienate so many of us.
=30=
Commend: to present as suitable for approval or acceptance; to recommend "I commend her to you without reservation"(Oxford); to entrust for care or preservation "To Thee I do commend my watchful soul / Ere I let fall the windows of mine eyes" (Shakespeare) (Merriam Webster); commandment, committal of the soul (funeral rites.)
