Menno Simons College Blog

Parliament Hill, advocacy, and loving your neighbour

Posted by CMU Staff  |  Thursday, May 7, 2015 @ 12:00 AM

Advocacy. The Government. Discipleship. Where do I fit? This year’s Ottawa Student Seminar put on by the Mennonite Central Committee Ottawa Office tackled the question of faith, politics, and the world that is created when these two intertwine. Fifteen or so students gathered from across Canada to hear from members of Parliament, MCC partners, and each other about what it means to be an advocate for change in our world, as well as followers of Christ.

We had a chance to meet with Members of Parliament and I think the most important part of the conference was the common thread that was laced throughout all of the conversations with them. This was that conflict within political parties and others will always be present, and it is how we accept it and work with it that is important.  

Loving your neighbour. Loving your fellow MP sitting across from you in the House of Commons. Loving those who make decisions you don’t agree with.

I found this interesting for several reasons. In the messy world of politics, who has time to love your neighbour? Sure, love those who vote for you and have the same political stance, but everyone else? Forget it. It’s much easier to consider the reasons you don’t agree with the other side. These politicians however were choosing the harder route, the one that demands listening, faithfulness, and love. They all spoke to the absolute necessity that their faith plays in their political role and that this is what drives their work and passions as politicians. One said, “First and foremost, I am a child of God. Before being a politician, I am a child of God”. If this is our belief, do we have a choice to NOT love first and foremost?

This might have been the part of the conference that proved to be the most challenging for me, as I was encouraged to think about the ways in which I erect barriers between myself and those who are different from me. Instead of looking for common connecting points I focus on what we clash on, all the reasons they are wrong and I am right.

It is easy to find the flaws. It is much harder to be open to a new perspective that may provide you with a different perspective on life.

I was challenged and encouraged to start questioning the way I view those that I easily write off as being “different”, thus adopting a spirit of listening and engaging with others.

I believe that we advocate for the world and its people through our lifestyle and everyday decisions. When I think of advocacy, I picture protests, marches, and loud voices shouting for change and awareness, and this can seem like a daunting thing to be a part of. But what about the quiet types of advocacy work? The work that involves listening, building relationships, and working alongside people for change? This is the type of advocacy I witnessed on both a political level and international level from MCC partners and Members of Parliament. The love we carry for others should be one that transcends political, racial, economic and religious boundaries and inspire us to use our voices of advocacy for those in need. What is stopping us from raising our voices for change?

Being a conflict resolution student, there are many ways I see this new knowledge being of use to me, both in my studies as well as in my future experiences and jobs. My studies here at MSC have taught me so much already but my time in Ottawa put theory into practice, as I saw the ways we are taught to approach conflict be put into action. I was introduced to a world where conflict is not what I read on paper, but where the stories of the politicians and activists were in front of me. I have found that what I learned in Ottawa has followed me back into my classes as I see the importance of looking at conflict as stories with names, faces, and convictions.

Through relationships that were formed and new ideas that were both challenging and encouraging, my time in Ottawa was one of personal growth and exploration. By engaging in advocacy and love for those I deem as “different”, I have come to realize the importance of finding commonalities and working for acceptance and understanding.

Julie Letkeman is studying Conflict Resolution Studies at Menno Simons College