Letter to The Ottawa Citizen

What some fear, I feel drawn to. It has always been that way for me. A few years back there was a petition to ban Marilyn Manson from coming to our city. Instead of signing it, I found myself at the concert, hanging out, talking about God. That night I met some truly remarkable people who were kind, respectful, & insightful. Even though we didn't see heart to heart on Jesus, we had much more in common than we did that would divide us.

I feel the same whisper of the Spirit as I did then with the recent commotion with the proposed atheist bus. I was in contact with the Ottawa Citizen yesterday and wrote a letter for them. I don't know if or when they are going to publish it, but here is the essence of my thoughts.

There is a new bus campaign ready to roll into Ottawa. Its message is of particular interest to me as  both a follower of Christ, and a Pastor in our city. The ad says, “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The new campaign is being brought to us by the Freethought Association, a registered charity promoting education of secular worldviews.

My reaction to this campaign may be different than you would expect. In a world full of division, petitions, and tired over-reactions, I welcome discussion and think it is healthy for people to discuss their belief systems, even if its opposite to mine.

I also believe the same critique that is often used against the church, for good reason, needs to be applied to every organization, including the FAC.

Practice what you preach. If we want people to stop worrying and enjoying their lives, can we not do more than run a bus ad? If we really want to try a new route, let’s do something together.

Here are a few ideas I had…

Together, can we work something out where we talk about, not just our differences, but our shared passion for people?  If so, can we allocated some of that $40,000 for bus ads and make a difference in people’s lives who are hurting due to our recent bus strike or sagging economy? Surely, there is a cause that we could come together to support in this tough time? Say, we each take $10,000 and do something together?

How about an original campaign? Instead of recycling one from London, what about one that highlights our differences yet focuses on where we are coming together instead?

People need a new story, a sense that things can change if we work together? Could this be an opportunity for us to do just that?

I heard it once expressed that we don’t have to see eye to eye to work hand in hand. From my perspective, I would rather reach out my hand, then simply cast another stone.

What about you?