Matthew 7

I believe many of us have heard this or something similar: “It’s Canada. People do whatever they want to do.” I was very surprised at a political leader who said a very similar thing as a reaction to a citizen’s words. I guess the politician spoke this in a jokingly manner to deflect a demand and criticism from a citizen. However, I did not expect this kind of remark or reaction from a political leader.

One time, a person told me a story that he had been drinking beer outside on the beach enjoying the sun and breeze at the English Bay in Vancouver. And a policeman approached him and told him that he could not drink alcohol open outside on the beach. Then, he retorted, “It’s Canada. I can do whatever I want.” Of course, he could not do what he wanted to do that day on the beach. But the person was still mad when he spoke to me and was thinking he was right. I was surprised.

Do you think we should be able to do whatever we want to do? Under the names of tolerance and inclusiveness, our society has been encouraging many devious behaviours. Practically speaking, our society has been preaching, “Do whatever you want” and “Be whatever you want to be.”

Is this the same as the saying of Jesus, “Do to others as you would have them do to you”? What Jesus says is this? ‘Just do whatever you like to do. I will do whatever I like to do. Then, both of us will be happy’? Some might agree, but I think they diametrically oppose each other. Jesus teaches us to think about others, to be considerate to others before ourselves. But this ‘Do whatever you want; I will do whatever I want’ is pushing my interest only but not actually caring about others.

I live with a cat in the rectory. Since I adopted her, I realized I also had to adjust myself to her while she was adjusting to a new home and to me. It is impossible to do whatever you want if you want to co-exist with others. It is a simple truth of life.