Thanks to Eastertide, my fast from political commentary is now over, much to the relief of several readers, I'm sure. As a last mea culpa, I ask all contributors to Clergy Comment to forgive me for treading into their turf uninvited.
It won't happen again too soon.
It is now time for me to re-engage the secular world on its own terms. And I must admit that I'm a bit behind the times, for I gave up social media over Lent as well, meaning I've had no news feed for almost 50 days. Here then are my thoughts on a smattering of political issues at home and abroad.
On North Korea, Syria and Trump: I do not fear North Korea for quite the same reason that I do not fear aliens - I doubt their competency to enact any of the apocalypses envisioned by Hollywood and others.
North Korea is presumably using unreliable ballistics technology as well as warheads. I highly suspect a determined nerd with a drone would be more destructive.
As for the God-Emperor, President Trump, and his "complete reversal" on Syria, I have only this to say: stop assuming he or any of his administration are a) stupid, b) incompetent, or c) evil (unless you're actually referring to the bureaucrats waging war on their own chief executive).
He knows what his own country and the global community will tolerate - that dictates his policy.
On budgets, gun laws and Trudeau: I understand the Liberal budget isn't going so well,] and the co-operation it is hoping to foster in confederation is almost dead on arrival.
I can't convey to you my eye rolling through print, so let me just say that "I told you so," and leave it at that.
The Liberals have seen fit to ban the 10 round magazine that comes with the Ruger 10/22 rifle.
This might be the best incarnation of the banality of evil we've yet seen in Canada; the public has not been notified, and hitherto "reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society" have been absent from this fiat decision by the RCMP.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remains our cheerleader in chief for the foreseeable future.
I still don't know of a single tangible, net positive, commonsensical achievement from his time in office which is now almost 18 months long in the tooth.
Clearly, 2019 cannot come fast enough.
On flags, city hall and city budgets: I remain a staunch believer that we need to scrap property taxes and simply install sales, fuel and even income taxes to support our community.
I will continue to sound this note until kingdom come, which is likely to happen before I am heard.
I nearly blasphemed in surprise not too long ago when I saw our proper flag, the Canadian Red Ensign, flying over at city hall last week.
This brief sign of patriotism truly made me overjoyed; of course the Ensign has since disappeared, which grieves me deeply, as it should us all.
And as for the elected folks at city hall, the time to decide whether or not they shall seek another term at that ugly building on Patricia fast approaches.
While it may stun many of my regular readers, I cannot really find fault with the current council and mayor on the bare minimums of decent administration and even-handed rhetoric.
However, I would prefer less empty tokenism.
On B.C. election politics: we are coming to the four-year anniversary of my attempt to gain a seat in the legislature - a story I will save for next month.
In the meantime, I recall that at the end of my supreme effort I made a statement that had "zero chill" as the kids say today: namely, I didn't expect things to really change or improve under the newly re-elected government.
Four years later, I believe I was essentially correct in this assessment.
Feel free to prove me wrong.
So despite the fasting and meditation, my salty tone remains.
But then again the gospel orders us to remain the salt of the earth, lest we become useless.
Obedience never felt so good.
