O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Our national anthem is relatively young. It was not officially proclaimed as our anthem until 1980 even though the lyrics were written back in 1908. Maybe that indicates how slow we are to take pride in our homeland. But that is changing. Thanks to President Trump, there is a nationalism that is stirring from coast to coast. Let’s hope and pray that this nationalism is more than a knee jerk reaction to the ruling powers of our neighbors. We need “glowing hearts” that see our nation as “the true north strong and free.”
When contemplating the lyrics of our anthem, I’ve often asked myself a few questions: “What inspires true patriot love (hearts)?” “What are we guarding?” “What does it mean to live in a land that is strong and free?”
The first question: What inspires true patriot love? One of the highlights of my youth was experiencing community harvest. There was one threshing machine shared by five farms. The threshing crews moved from farm to farm until every crop was harvested. We shared the noon and evening meals together. This community activity has made a lasting impact on my life. For nationalism to endure and reach its fullest potential it must be infused with “I will seek your good at my expense.” “I will invest in you without making you beholden to me.” A mindset that can creep into our thinking (although innocently) can be an over emphasis on our personal self- fulfillment. Although we need be fulfilled in the work that we do, an imbalance on individual rights over corporate responsibility can lead to a narcissistic self-destructive society.
What are we guarding? Although a few months ago there was a feeling we may have to guard our physical border from the south, one area that we can consider guarding are the laws set into place that enable us to have a relatively free society. For these laws to work, there must be a timeless law that is universally applicable. It cannot be rooted in subjectivism and cultural tradition. It is law that places boundaries on behavior that underlines the value of every individual regardless of race or creed. It places value on the capability and productivity of every person. It is law that places high value on integrity, loyalty, and faithfulness. When these laws are violated or challenged, eventually the very laws intended to keep our society free and prosperous are replaced with rules and regulations that become repressive.
How can we be a nation strong and free? Or I might ask, “What is freedom?” Unfortunately, to many it is the right to self-indulgence. True freedom begins when we are liberated from our narcissistic self-indulgence. John Wesley gave us these liberating words: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can!”
“God keep our land glorious and free” and I’ll see you at the top.
Duane Harder
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