A Pilgrim's Journal

And for that, I say a sincere thank-you to him.

The text of the full decision can be found here.

Basically, he gave all parties two weeks to work out a solution, yet upheld the power of the House over the power of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister answers to Parliament, not the other way around.

Here are some quotes from the ruling, which you may have seen elsewhere, but that I thought were especially important:

	It is the view of the Chair that accepting an unconditional
	authority of the executive to censor the information provided to
	Parliament would in fact jeopardize the very separation of powers
	that is purported to lie at the heart of our parliamentary system
	and the independence of its constituent parts.	Furthermore,
	it risks diminishing the inherent privileges of the House and
	its Members, which have been earned and must be safeguarded.

Regarding the Conservative plan to let an "independent" Mr. Iacobucci to decide what documents are secret or not:

	However, several Members have pointed out that Mr. Iacobucci's
	appointment establishes a separate, parallel process outside of
	parliamentary oversight, and without parliamentary involvement.
	Furthermore, and in my view perhaps most significantly,
	Mr. Iacobucci reports to the Minister of Justice; his client is
	the Government.

It's not that Mr. Iacobucci can't be impartial. It's that it sidesteps the entire issue of the Prime Minister answering to the House.

And part of the conclusion:

	Finding common ground will be difficult.  There have been
	assertions that colleagues in the House are not sufficiently
	trustworthy to be given confidential information, even with
	appropriate security safeguards in place.  I find such comments
	troubling.  The insinuation that Members of Parliament cannot be
	trusted with the very information that they may well require to
	act on behalf of Canadians runs contrary to the inherent trust
	that Canadians have placed in their elected officials and which
	Members require to act in their various parliamentary capacities.
 
	The issue of trust goes in the other direction as well.  Some
	suggestions have been made that the Government has self-serving
	and ulterior motives for the redactions in the documents tabled.
	Here too, such remarks are singularly unhelpful to the aim of
	finding a workable accommodation and ultimately identifying
	mechanisms that will satisfy all actors in this matter.
 
	But the fact remains that the House and the Government have,
	essentially, an unbroken record of some 140 years of collaboration
	and accommodation in cases of this kind.  It seems to me that it
	would be a signal failure for us to see that record shattered in
	the Third Session of the Fortieth Parliament because we lacked
	the will or the wit to find a solution to this impasse.

I'm glad that there is now such a precedent-setting ruling that puts limits on the government's claims of "national security" to keep things secret. Whatever party forms government in Canada, now or in the future, would be wise to keep this in mind, for the sake of Canada itself.

	for those people who may not be aware: 2012 is the time which
	all the prophecies in all the religions point as being a "key
	pivotal moment" in human spiritual development. there are _no_
	predictions beyond that point, because the decision of where we
	go, and what we do next, is to be made *globally*, as an entire
	planet and a species.

With respect, I believe you may have overlooked at least one religion. :-)

There is no starting date that I am aware of in the book of Revelations. But there is a time period predicted, commonly thought to be 7 years, in which things happen that have not happened yet. So even if those 7 years started right now, the predictions would take us beyond 2012.

If so, then how can your claim be true for "all the religions"?

Here are the four levels as I see them:

1. Disbelief

The first, lowest level is disbelief. We do not hold the information we see or hear to be true, and we certainly do not trust it with our lives, or act on it in any way. If the information is a lie, then this is the right course of action. But if the information is the truth, we are harming ourselves.

2. Uncertainty

This is the level where we just don't know. Perhaps there's not enough data to convince us. Or perhaps part of our heart is not ready to accept the evidence. Perhaps what we thought was true was called into question by new evidence. As long as we continue seeking the truth, this is a positive level, but if we are happy with our uncertainty, this becomes a dead end.

3. Certainty

This is the level where we know, intellectually. Perhaps very little evidence is required, or perhaps we have experienced something that confirms what we know. Or, perhaps more strongly, we have searched for the evidence we need, and we have many logical reasons and much evidence to back up our conclusion. Or perhaps we are told information from someone who is beyond reproach, who has no reason to lie, and who we trust.

This level is primarily a mental one. You can look outside, confirm the sky is blue, be certain that the sky is blue, but not do anything else with that certainty.

In terms of religion, many of us slide into this pothole. We claim to believe various things about God, but we don't let it change us.

Perhaps surprisingly, demons also fall into this category:

	You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons
	believe that -- and shudder.
   
	   James 2:19 (NIV)

4. Belief: Certainty that Motivates Action

This is the highest form of belief. Not only are we certain that what we know is right, but we are willing to let that knowledge shape our lives, even if we know that we only know part of the picture. We are willing to do things that seem risky to those who don't know what we know. If what we believe is right, we are rewarded. If what we believe is wrong, we suffer loss.

This is similar to the folks in Canada who took advantage of the home renovation tax credit. They believed the government enough to take a risk and spend money on their homes, even though the government didn't actually pass the legislation until late in 2009, as I recall. Whether that trust was warranted might be up for debate, but those that acted benefited from their belief.

In terms of religion, if you are certain that God is all-powerful, loving, just, and merciful, then this level of belief is the only one that makes sense.

Where is Doubt?

I was almost going to say that I thought that step 4 was the last step in putting doubt to death. But then I remembered the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. Peter saw Jesus, and asked:

	"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on
	the water."
     
	"Come," he said.
  
	Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and
	came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,
	beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
   
	Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.
	"You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 
   
	   Matthew 14:28-31 (NIV)

So action is not the last step in putting doubt to death. Even in the middle of acting, doubt can pop up. And it's not the amount of faith we should be concerned about, it is the doubt:

	The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
   
	He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
	you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted
	in the sea,' and it will obey you. 
  
	   Luke 17:5-6 (NIV)

Even the smallest amount of faith, in its pure form, uncorrupted by doubt, is enough to move trees around by command.

Put another way, Jesus called Peter (who actually walked on water -- more than most of us have done!) "of little faith." If our faith is so small, how can we afford doubt?

In the end, I have to ask myself: What am I certain about? And even if that encompasses a surprisingly tiny area of knowledge compared to the vastness that exists, if I am honest with myself there are things I am certain about. I think each of us has these areas of certainty. And if so, then my responsibility is to act on that certainty and to continue to search for more.

See also the parable of the sower in Mark 4, for a better way to look at these levels of belief.

The first 7 chapters of 1 Samuel, and a bit of chapter 8, tell the story of how God raised up a new leader for Israel once their old leader was falling away.

Eli was a man who respected God. He was a priest, and held the things of God in high esteem. But there was something missing. Even though Eli knew the voice of God, and even though God did speak to him through prophets, the Bible says that it didn't happen very often:

	And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And
	the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no
	open vision.
	   1 Samuel 3:1

Some translations use the word "rare" instead of "precious."

Eli had set his sons in authority over the people, and they were so corrupt that they would claim improper portions of the sacrifices, and they would have sex with the women who served in the tent of meeting.

When Eli heard of these things, he pleaded with his sons, but they would not listen to him (2:23). And that's all that Eli did. He could have corrected them, rebuked them more harshly, and removed them from office, but he didn't.

I wonder why he didn't. Verse 2:29 says that Eli honoured his sons above God. As far as I know, these two sons were the only sons that Eli had. It could be that he felt helpless in the face of his sons' disobedience and then did not trust God to provide another priest to follow, if he removed his sons from office.

Eli does seem very grateful for Samuel. Perhaps he saw in Samuel the eager and obedient son that he always wanted.

	And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give
	thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD.
	And they went unto their own home.
	   1 Samuel 2:20

In the midst of all this corruption was a woman who was barren: Hannah. She was married to a man (Elkanah) who faithfully paid his vows to the Lord each year. This man had two wives, and the success that the other wife had in bearing children was a source of friction between her and Hannah.

In great anguish of heart, Hannah asked for a son from the Lord, and promised that that son would be given back to God, and would serve him all his life. God answered her prayer, and Samuel was born.

I find this an amazing act of faith on Hannah's part. It was a bit desperate as well. But out of this desperation and faithfulness, all of Israel was blessed. To ask for a son, only to then give him up, and not see him except for the annual visit for sacrifices, would be a hard thing to do. But this is what Hannah promised, and this is what Hannah did.

God rewarded Hannah for her sacrifice and faithfulness: she afterward had 3 sons and 2 daughters.

The Lord spoke to Eli twice, warning him that what his sons were doing could not be ignored. And this punishment would come on Eli as well, for his line would be removed from the priestly service for this unfaithfulness.

What I see in Eli is something I also see in myself. He heard God's warnings, he knew what was right and wrong, he knew that something was amiss. But either he didn't know how to fix it, or he didn't have the strength to do it. Instead, he fatalistically threw up his hands, and waited for the inevitable.

When the second message came to Eli, through Samuel, Samuel didn't know who was talking to him, but Eli did:

	And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.  Therefore
	Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be,
	if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy
	servant heareth.
	   1 Samuel 3:8b-9a

Even then, Samuel was cautious, for when the Lord came to him again, Samuel replied:

	And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,
	Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant
	heareth.
	   1 Samuel 3:10

Samuel didn't call just anyone Lord, but he was willing to obey and listen. The next morning, Eli commanded Samuel to tell him what the Lord had said. Samuel was afraid to say it, but did anyway. It was a second message to Eli, that because of the vile acts of his sons and Eli's failure to restrain them, Eli's priestly service would end.

Eli knew Who was talking:

	And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.
	And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
	   1 Samuel 3:18

Eli still threw up his hands. Yes, when the Lord speaks, we cannot change it. But even Ninevah's destruction was delayed when they repented at the preaching of Jonah. Wasn't it Eli's responsibility to repent, to change his ways, to obey, and to rebuke his sons? Surely God would have found a way to be merciful if he had.

Instead, Eli waited, with a trembling and a dread of what was coming, like a deer caught in the headlights. And the end came soon.

Israel and the Philistines then went to battle. There were a series of fights. The first time, Israel lost. They thought they were missing something, so they brought the Ark of the Covenant along to the next battle, trusting in the Ark instead of God:

	And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel
	said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the
	Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD
	out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us,
	it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
	   1 Samuel 4:3

Note they were trusting in the Ark to save them. Of course, this didn't work, and they were defeated again, and this time the Ark was captured and taken by the Philistines!

Imagine Eli at this point. He is staying at Shiloh, and knows Israel is heading out to battle #1. He is a priest, but has no word from the Lord, and does not know what to do or say to ensure victory. Instead, he has had two messages from God that destruction is coming to him personally.

Battle #1 is lost, and the elders come marching up and ask for the Ark of the Covenant. Three of Eli's most precious things then leave to go to the battle: the Ark of the Covenant, and his two sons.

Here's a striking picture of what dreading the future looks like:

	And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came
	to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth
	upon his head.  And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat
	by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God.
	And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city
	cried out. 
	   1 Samuel 4:12,13

Battle #2 was also lost. Eli's two sons, and Eli himself, all died that day.

Let us learn from Eli. What are we dreading? Is there something we know we can change, but haven't yet? Is there something messed up in our lives that gives us trouble in our souls when we think about it? Is there some hard decision or task that we have been avoiding? Has God sent us warnings about anything in our lives? from authority? from His Word? from friends or family?

Let us repent and turn to God and obey what we know to be right.

It can happen to anyone. Check out 1 Samuel 8:1-3. Guess who's sons also turned out bad?

The hungers of your heart are met
By willing hands that you can let
Heap pleasures fair upon your plate
Before you read the menu

The happy smiles and laughter hide
The pain and anguish kept inside
You do not see the hurt you cause
To those upon the altar

The fun you take at great expense
Amounts to theft and violence
The bill is never paid up front
But on unwilling credit

See that selfish act just done?
The hurts involved touch more than one
For as you gather more and more
It leaves your neighbour wanting

But do not think I speak alone
Upon a mountain top of stone
Condemning you as sinner, when,
I've trod the path you've taken

Turn back! I cry, with shaken look
Both confidence and joy forsook
I've seen a glimpse of what this way
Repays to those who take it

It's pain, and death, and grief, and fear
And loss of all you hold so dear
E'en deeds you thought were generous
Are only disappointment

So turn around. The road, it will
Turn upward: hard, headwind, uphill!
How else do you expect to find
The path to God most holy?

And though you may be bounced about
By trav'lers on a downward route
Whatever they may take from you
Will be replaced in Heaven

Remember that these folks you pass
Consumed with trinkets made of glass
Are just like us, who often trade,
The golden for the glitter