10/12/2026
Politics and Elections
Dear friends,
We are in the midst of a municipal election campaign. Being able to elect our public officials is one of the treasures of living in a democratic and free society. However, over the past decade or so our trust in the democratic process and our civic institutions have rapidly eroded. People don't trust the system or those who represent us in the system. This distrust invites the replacement of democracy with a destructive form of populism, a tone-deaf culture of polarization, all wrapped in the garment of post-truth. These three 'P's, as they have been called by the political scientist, Moises Naim, have replaced reasoned civil discourse and threaten our democratic institutions.
Most people who put their names forward for election to public office do so with a desire to do good, to serve the community, and build up our common life. To be sure, there are those who will have different motives, and others who are corrupted along the way, but it is a tragedy that we have come to presume ill will and nefarious motives on the part of most of our politicians and public servants. What if we were to start with a presumption of good will on the part of those who seek to serve in elected office, rather than a hermeneutic of suspicion?
I am deeply concerned with the state of the public discourse here in the Town of Aurora with respect to our upcoming election. Full disclosure -- I don't vote here, I am a resident of Newmarket, but my comments are intended to speak to our election culture here in Aurora, specifically, and across the province more generally.
It is easy to forget that every single person whose name is on the ballot, and those who work with them, for them, as well as their families, are children of God. As Christians, our baptismal vows call us to 'seek and serve Christ in all persons', to 'love our neighbours as ourselves' , and to 'respect the dignity of every living creature'. Politics can get scrappy. That's okay. That's even healthy. But when we move from wrestling over issues, policies, and political commitments to attacking, name-calling, and threatening, a grave moral line has been crossed. If we have participated in such things, we are called to repentance, and reconciliation. The only way we can make our political discourse more civilized is if we lead by example. High mindedness, magnanimity, patience, tolerance... these are all virtues that each one of us should be guided by in public discourse. Where we have fallen short and been drawn in, well, repentance and forgiveness are virtues, too. Likewise, justice is a virtue. Where we see injustice and specifically bullying, that too is to be called out, not with reciprocal bullying, but firm truth-telling calling ourselves and others to a higher standard of behaviour.
And here's a bright idea... Let's stop blasting each other on social media. If you disagree with someone's politics or how they are doing their job as a public servant, why not offer to meet with them for coffee or tea? Be curious why they hold the positions they hold. Ask if you might share your view with them? Basically, let's grow up and have adult conversations, face-to-face. Let's give each other the dignity of seeing each other as human beings, in the image and likeness of God, each with our own longings and hopes for the world, and agree to respect each other enough to be curious about what makes the other tick. Before you hit 'send' or 'post' on social media, or badmouth a candidate, ask yourself that tried-and-true question...'what would Jesus do?'
Warmly,
Canon Dan
