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UC Chimes: One for many

Canada is no longer a Christian country. The Christian population is not a majority any more in Canada. There are more Muslim people in Toronto than the entire membership of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Canada is no longer a Christian country. The Christian population is not a majority any more in Canada. There are more Muslim people in Toronto than the entire membership of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Canada has become a more pluralistic and multicultural society. In the name of political correctness and individual liberty our country is becoming more and more secularized and individualized. There is no place to learn Christian education and practice Christian ritual activities in public areas. Many people believe that there is no absolute truth and moral standard in human behaviour. We are living in a feel good culture that seems to say "as long as it makes you happy do it", and "as long as you don't bother others, it is okay".

A couple of weeks ago, five young fishermen in a Maritime Province were missing in the ocean while they had been fishing under extreme weather conditions. Personally, I am very sorry about the tragic thing that happened to them and I send my condolences and prayers to their families. Of course there was some responsibility shared by the rescue teams and the government assistants who did not respond to an urgent situation promptly and consistently to search for the missing boat. I also understand that the family and the people of the town are angry with the rescue teams of Canada. But nobody has mentioned why the fishermen dared to go fishing in dangerous weather conditions. I still wonder about what was the motivation and intention of the five young fishermen that they had to take such a risk to their lives in a dangerous situation. So it brings up a question about who is responsible for that tragedy: fishermen, bad weather, or rescue teams?

I think that nobody is able to know what was the real cause of that tragedy and who has to be responsible for it. Indeed our society is becoming more and more complicated and delicate, and it is hard to draw a line between what is right and what is wrong. Although one has one's own right motivation and intention to do something for their own benefits, but when the thing ends up going wrong, then it always becomes a social issue and communal matter. For an example, in a car accident; which may be caused by an individual's mistake, but the result may involve many parties such as RCMP, insurance company, ambulance, firefighters, medical practitioners, other drivers, cell phone services, family, work place, lawyer, even a minister and so on. So sometimes we wonder how one incident relates to so many things.

God is one God and He is always one. But there are many creations including many different human beings in age, gender, race, character and faith. Regardless of what is the law, command, regulation, precept and thing or matter of God, God is always good and righteous. God always wants the people of the world to enjoy their life with what they do and be. But the responses to God are different depending on each one's own preference, understanding, trust and faith in God. Logically the many things such as each one's diverse thoughts, minds and actions, in all these many things, it is hard to say which is good and right. And one and many are directly and indirectly related with one another in our society. However unlike our social systems, although the one God is related with many things in our life, but many things are not always related with God. Rather many depend on one, the one God who is the Creator of everything. Therefore in God's world one is not dependent on many, but many are dependent on one. So it is one for many, not many for one.