Pastor John Van Sloten

Last night, after Prime Minister Stephen Harper won the Canadian election, as my wife and I were praying our evening prayers, I was kind of surprised by what I prayed, I said, “And God, I hope this is good for Canada… and good for your church.”  Not that I don’t regularly pray for our country, or for the church, but the juxtaposition of the two is what struck me. 

How exactly are the two tied together?  Does who is in government impact the efficacy of the church?  If God holds all of history, then surely what’s happening now is happening for some kind of providential reason.  What does that reason mean for God’s kingdom work here in Canada? 

A couple of years ago a friend invited me to her back yard BBQ.  Her friend Stephen Harper would be there.  It was a fun experience, RCMP everywhere, politicos and the press all hobnobbing, but the best part for me was the short conversation I had with the Prime Minister.  After telling him about about my job, and asking him a few questions, his handler let him know that he had to move on.  As we shook hands we both said the exact same words to each other, over top of each other, “God bless you in your work.”  It made me smile; both of us ministers in different fields.