I find myself in a philosophical pondering mood. This is, I suspect, as a result of being driven for the past three weeks to pull the Tao of James together. The Tao being a book of stories, quotes, wisdoms, koans etc for meditating and cogitating upon on a journey for illumination and enlightenment.

The important point is that this pursuit left me in a philosophical frame of mind for viewing the world around me. It is interesting how being in this philosophical point of reference mindset changed some of the questions vis-à-vis the actions of the City and Abbotsford Police Department in their drive to render the homeless more homeless by closing their camps.

Abbotsford and Abbotsford City Council boast of being a Christian city.

However the City attitudes, behaviours and actions towards the homeless and their camps make it clear that while the City may like to claim to be a Christian city it demonstrably is not.

One cannot repeatedly treat the homeless in un-Christian ways and be a Christian city. A community that is a Christian community cannot act in a Christian manner only when it is easy or convenient; it must act in a Christian manner all the time, even when inconvenient or painful.

When a community chooses to repeatedly act in un-Christian ways it not only does not have the right to claim to be a Christian community, it is NOT a Christian community.

The broader question is about the citizens of Abbotsford and the employees of the city that carry out the un-Christian actions of the city.

Citizens and employees do not get to put on their “Christianity” one day a week (Sunday) and take it off and set it aside the other six days a week.

Tearing down and carting off the homes of the homeless is at its core barbaric and un-Christian behaviour. Anyone who engages in, aids or abets this behaviour is by their actions declaring and demonstrating themselves to be not a Christian.

Any city employee who is a Christian, in more than name only, must refuse to engage in the city’s un-Christian behaviour towards the homeless.

“I am just doing as I am told” or “I could lose my job” do not matter.

The question is “Are you or are you not a Christian, or are you one of the Christians-in-name-only?”

If you are a Christian act like it.
The same question applies to all citizens: “Are you or are you not a Christian, or are you one of the Christians-in-name only?”

If you are a Christian in more than name-only why are you allowing the city to act in this un-Christian way – as your representative? As a Christian one must act to put a stop to this unacceptable behaviour.

These behavioural constraints/requirements also apply to our large Sikh community and the other faith communities that have as part of their tenants the Golden Rule.

Being a Christian or a person of any faith is not about your words but about your actions, about living your faith every moment of your life – no matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable

Being spiritual often makes my head ache because of the philosophical, spiritual and behaviour questions it raises to be considered. A very uncomfortable and unsettling state of being. But an interesting and challenging state of being nonetheless.

In beginning to contemplate and meditate on the implications of what effect being a person of faith should have on one’s actions I find myself in agreement with G K Chesterton when he said “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”