Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Morning After...

I watched the election results until I couldn't stay awake any longer. My hope was to see our own riding decided by the time I went to bed, but with a 76 vote difference it sounds like we are headed for a recount. Both candidates here are good people and will serve us well.

Most people today are consumed with who won last night. That's certainly understandable, but I want to take note of those who didn't win. Being willing to put your name on the ballot takes courage and the odds of winning are about 1 in 4 or 5. There are more second, third or 4th place finishers than there are winners on the political landscape in our country today. I want to applaud and honor every candidate that was willing to put their name forward. You stood up for what you believed in and were willing to let the rest of us decide if we thought you were the right fit. I honour your courage and commitement to your values and principles. Thanks for being a part of making the political process work in our country.

At this point the campaign is over and the real work begins. Today, Prime Minister Harper will start the work of building a cabinet to lead our great nation forward. He (and those who work with him) will need wisdom, discernment, insight and tremendous courage.

We also need a fresh spirit of cooperation in Ottawa. As much as the fireworks of Question Period are entertaining, we are at a point in our history where we need the best and brightest leaders in our nation to work together in a cooperative effort to lead our country effectively. This is a time for a commitment to doing what is best for Canada. My hope is that every MP will make that focus their top priority.

Generally speaking, our ministry focus is provincial in nature, but today I want to urge you to give yourself to praying for Prime Minister Harper, every MP who was elected last night and for their families and those who serve them.

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