Thank-you to Everyone who Stepped Up!
In the wake of Monday’s civic election, it’s reasonable that we take a look at the relationship between church and politics, and the relationship between Christian love and civic responsibility. And in a minute, I’m going to do just that. But first, we should congratulate Harrison Clark, our new Councillor; and Jeromy Farkas, our new Mayor. Double thanks to SusanVukadinovic, our Public School Board Trustee; and Shannon Cook, our Separate School Board Trustee; they have already given their service in those roles, and now continue to serve.
Equally important, we must thank Tony Dinh, Shirley Brun Parungao Do, Gar Gar, Alison Karim-McSwiney, Ariana Kippers, and Marina Ortman, who showed the courage and put in the effort — tremendous effort! — to stand up as candidates for Councillor; Olga Knight and Jon Kent Nishimura who stepped up as candidates for Public School Board Trustee; and Jeff Davison, Sarah Elder, Jaeger Gustafson, Larry R. Heather, Grant Prior, Sonya Sharp, and Brian Thiessen, who courageously allowed their names to stand as Mayoral candidates. Just this act — making sure that an opposition exists so that issues and policies can be expanded, challenged, and discussed — is essential to strong democratic elections. And, frankly, campaigning is in some ways the most difficult stage of a political calling: this is where candidates make the big effort of meeting ordinary people, take the big risk of representing and facing dissent, and incur the emotional pain of being defeated. All candidates who shouldered those burdens should be applauded for their service to the city!
And thanks also, to everyone who went out to vote, especially to those who stood in multi-hour lineups and still cast their ballot. This is not only your civic duty, but also your obedience to God who calls you to serve your neighbours in the world, in every way — including helping to assure good government for all of us.
Finally, our thanks go out to Gian-Carlo Carra whose shoes Harrison now has to fill. And tremendous thanks to Jyoti Gondek, who carried this city through the difficult recovery from the COVID19 shutdown, the up-and-down commitments to the LRT Green-Line, a housing crisis and response that affects all Calgarians one way or another, ongoing response to the 2013 flood, and a disastrous rupture of a primary water main. No-one could address such difficulties without facing conflict, but Jyoti has faced those conflicts with grace and perseverence, and still found the courage to stand a second time as a Mayoral candidate. We wish her every good blessing.