HAPPY CANADA DAY – A LITTLE HISTORY

In the final stages of Canada first becoming an independent country a number of leading politicians debated if it should be called the Kingdom of Canada, or something else.

One of the politicians was Samuel Leonard Tilley, who was the premier of New Brunswick at the time. Like many of the others involved in the decision making he was a follower of Jesus, who, the story goes, began every day with God. One morning during his time alone with God he read:

Psalm 72, and he was impacted by verse 8, which reads “He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.”

Later that day, as they were debating what words should be used to describe Canada, he suggested “Dominion” referring to this text in Psalm 72. Canada was to be under God. Because it would stretch literally from sea to sea, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, it would therefore be appropriate for it to be called “the Dominion of Canada.” The other politicians agreed, and so “Dominion” became the official designation of Canada. That is also why our July 1 national holiday, what we now call Canada Day, was called Dominion Day until 1982.

When Canada developed its own coat of arms in 1921 it was decided to pick up on this reference – “dominion from sea to sea” from Psalm 72. In the official Canadian coat of arms we have the Latin words ‘a mari usque ad mare’, which means “from sea to sea,” and is a direct quote from Psalm 72. So wherever you see the Canadian coat of arms, you have a reminder of the Christian origins of our country.

While Canada has greatly shifted from it’s origins, as followers of Jesus we continue stand in the gap for our nation as we pray for and love each other. We are the fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15), the salt of the earth and the light of the world bringing hope through faith in Jesus to our nation both now and forever. Jesus loves every person from every nation and in every nation. He’s the Lord of heaven and earth. He has placed all of us in this country for this moment in history to bring His love to our nation. May we hear His voice, love extravagantly and see our friends and neighbours come to know Him as their Lord and Saviour.

Canada may not be your nation of origin, but together we can sing, “God keep our land, glorious and free” and celebrate that we can live together beautifully. Our Christian heritage still has lasting impact on our freedom to worship, our work ethic, how we value people and how we treat others. So Happy Canada Day!

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”