Celebration and Longing

On account of my family's scandinavian heritage, we're in the habit of celebrating our Christmas on Christmas eve. So tomorrow the whole family is getting together: grandparents, an aunt, an uncle, two cousins, my best friend, his wife and their 5 month old baby. Some of my favourite people in the world. But someone will be missing. She'll be about a thousand kilometres away with her own family and I know how much I'll be wishing she was here.

So as I'm thinking about Christmas, I'm thinking about what happens when celebration and anticipation sit side by side. Tomorrow, while I'll be enjoying a day with family and celebrating people I love, I'll also be looking forward to and thinking about Thursday. I'll be thinking about how in a couple of days, I get to see my girlfriend again and I can't wait. So for me this year, Christmas is just the opening act of my holiday. This gets me thinking about that first Christmas.

I think that as christians we forget that Christmas is about this same mixing of celebration and anticipation. We celebrate the coming of Christ, the birth of Israel's messiah. But we know that the point of Jesus' coming was not his arrival. The real reason we celebrate Christmas is that we look ahead to the Passion.

We celebrate because we see in Jesus' birth the work of God and the fulfillment of his promises, but this celebration points us ahead to Easter, which we eagerly anticipate. Christmas is the opening act of something much larger, a story still being told. Christmas is the beginning of the last act in the story of Israel and the opening scene of a new story about a new Israel: the church. How much richer is our celebration of Christmas when we see it set between the exodus and the Cross, when we consider how it makes possible Pentecost and the church?

If we take Christmas seriously, it is worth celebrating only because it reminds us of our anticipation. That first Christmas anticipated the wonderful works and mighty words of Israel's great prophet, her messiah. It anticipated the healings, the teachings, the miraculous moments as well as the simple ones.

Each new Christmas reminds of the promises we anticipate. We look forward to and particpate in the renewal of creation and God's the reconciliation of each of us: to our creator, one another and ourselves. We anticipate the return of Jesus, the defeat of evil, the vindication of justice and peace through love.

Just a thought. Christmas is about a lot more than we usually remember.

My Class Project: Stolen by Bill Gates

My favourite course this past semester was "New Enterprise Development" The majority of the course revolved around building a business plan and pitching it to fellow classmates as an entrepreneurial venture. My group spent most of the semester figuring out how to make a company successful using the internet to distribute television content to people's televisions using the internet. We figured there was a very narrow window of time before big players like Shaw, Rogers, Microsoft and Apple dove into this particular market. We knew that television as it currently exists has been dead for some time.

Our company was called Demos and while we were going to focus on niche content in order to avoid head-to-head competition when the big players dove in, our business model seems to have been duplicated by microsoft last month using their X-Box Live service as a platform.

It's nice to know our idea wasn't entirely out to lunch and the underlying assumptions of our model are holding out.

If you was to read our business plan, send me an e-mail.

Some Links:

• An article on inequality, neo-conservatism and labour laws. Compare and Contrast with the latest study from the CCPA.
• In honour of the mission team from my church returning tomorrow: this article "'It's almost like being on another planet,' said the 43-year-old Canadian, who heads the biggest aid program in Pyongyang." A Canadian aid worker is struggling to keep North Korean children from starvation.
• tech trends that didn't pan out this year.
• The last night of the old guard. The final hours of the republican congress were filled with a flurry of legislative activity.

Politics in Wonderful Prose

Everyone interested in Canadian politics, everyone who isn't interested but still watched the Liberal leadership convention and everyone who has bet money on the timing of the next federal election should get last Thursday's Convention issue of Maclean's. Paul Wells is immenently readable and I think I'm convinced I need to read his new book.

The Christian New Year

Advent, or adventus, is the season of arrival. In the Christian calendar, the first sunday of advent begins a new year. It begins a season of preparing for the promise of Jesus' birth to Mary. Of all the seasons observed by the church, advent touches me most. In advent, I look ahead to the coming of Christmas and all that it represents but I also consider how God has been at work in my life since I first responded to him in faith.

I recently heard N.T. Wright, the Bishop of Durham asked "why are you a Jesus follower?" and his initial response was "that is like asking me why I breathe." Advent is the time of year that I feel that way, it is the season when I my faith in Christ seems most natural and any doubt recedes most fully. Anticipation of Christ's coming allows me to embrace the full hope of his ministry and to see the world through the eyes of the gospel. So for me, Advent is a season of reflection and thanksgiving, of prayer and celebration.

In each of the remaining weeks of advent I plan to post some personal reflections on the week's readings as I anticipate Christmas' coming. As the real Christmas story began, I thought I'd begin with the magnificat (Luke:1:46-55):

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Crook Supports Dion, Ignatieff on National Exchange Program

Last January, I served as Prime Minister of the 72^rd session of the Universities’ Model Parliament here in BC. The centerpiece of my throne speech was a policy I’ve been advocating within the party since the summer of 2004: a national exchange program for young Canadians. For canadians to have a strong national identity, we must foster shared experience. The country would be strengthened if Quebeckers had some experience of life in Alberta, if British Columbians knew something of Northern Ontario, if Maritimers had experienced life in Toronto. As I wrote in the throne speech regarding the policy:

“…you will be asked to consider legislation creating a National Civic Experience Program for Canadian students. Through this program my government hopes to strengthen the bonds of Confederation, to reinvigorate the national dream in the hearts of a generation and to broaden the experience of young Canadians - helping them to realize how many doors are open to them and how many opportunities lay before them…

…By implementing the National Civic Experience program my government proposes, Canada will do much to bring what have become fractured and isolated regional experiences into a shared experience of our immense cultural and geographic diversity. This initiative has the potential to do more good for the unity of our confederation than any program since the National Railway.”

When I first met Mr. Ignatieff at a small lunch last November, we discussed national unity and agreed that it could only be achieved if citizens had some experience in the diversity of regions and cultures that make up the country. Since I was already working on early drafts of my throne speech and wanted some feedback, I mentioned my program. After hearing my idea, he said he would fight to get such a program funded by any government he became a part of.

Well, it turns out that another Liberal MP already had this idea; he even fought to have it funded. That MP is now leader of the Party. Antoine Robitaille, in Monday’s Le Devoir, includes the following quote (h/t) from Mr. Dion regarding the Millenium Scholarship Program:

«J'étais contre cette initiative. Je ne voulais pas identifier le changement de siècle à une chicane fédérale-provinciale. J'avais proposé plutôt un grand programme d'échanges pour les jeunes [...]. On ne m'a pas écouté»

(My rough translation)
“I was against this initiative. I didn’t want to identify the changing of the century with federal-provincial sophistry. I proposed a grand youth exchange program…they didn’t listen to me.

I look forward to the day that Mr. Dion, with Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. Trudeau standing behind him announces that a Liberal government will include such a program in it's first session.

An Honest Conversation

A number of my friends have come back from the convention conflicted (Antonio isn't the only one). They enjoyed the convention and are proud of the party but are dissappointed that Ignatieff lost. Cerberus was sharing his own dissappointment with his 5 year old and I think it would be good for all of us to read it and think. I'll copy my favourite bit below but I'd encourage you to read the whole thing here.

G (the 5 year old): I'm sorry our guy lost.
Me: Me too bud.
G: Are you sad?
Me: A little.
G: Stephen Dan beat our guy didn't he.
Me: Yup. But it's sort of like hockey practice. Michael Ignatieff and Stephane Dion are on the same team and were just getting ready for the real game.

G: Against Stephen Harper?
Me: Yup.
G: I don't like Stephen Harper.
Me: Well, you've never met him so how would you know? Some people think he's a nice man. Your nana really likes him.
G: OK. I like Stephen Harper too. I don't mind.

[Pause]

G: Dad?
Me: Yes?
G: I wanted Michael Ignatateff to win.
Me: Me too.

Cosmopolitanism in Action

Here's a play-by play of my return to Vancouver. It was a bit of an adventure:

5:20pm - arrive at hotel intercontinental to catch the 5:30 airport shuttle
5:35pm - airport shuttle arrives
5:40pm - the shuttle doesn't go to the airport. arrives at bus station
5:45pm - purchase a bus ticket to the airport. bus scheduled to leave in five minutes

5:50pm - bus doesn't arrive
6:10pm - bus still hasn't arrived...
6:25pm - still no bus. other people in line start muttering about a riot

6:32pm - bus arrives. bags stowed and passengers loaded
6:35pm - bus driver takes a coffee break. passengers try to reschedule flights
6:47pm - we're on our way to the airport

7:12pm - arrive at the airport
7:15pm - informed at check-in: the plane was oversold and I may not get a seat
7:25pm - receive the full treatment at security. the man doing the body search was unfortunately thorough
7:31pm - arrive at gate. no seat
7:40pm - most passengers boarded. still no seat
7:46pm - still no seat...getting worried
7:49pm - assigned a seat. sigh of relief. board the plane

the in-flight movie was "The Illusionist" suprisingly predictable but entertaining. Paid for an in-flight meal for the first time. The pizza was terrible. I want my five bucks back.

1:32am - wheels down in Vancouver. good to be home
1:39am - waiting at the baggage carousel
1:46am - paged to baggage services (this doesn't bode well)
1:55am - informed that my bag was left in Montreal. They don't know when they can get it here

Almost seven hours and not one thing went right. I haven't had a smooth trip in a while but I still love travelling. I got home tired, luggageless, and content. The trip was deeply memorable and I expect to be telling these stories decades from now. The bag eventually showed up this afternoon and I have a final exam to study for this week.

Wish me luck!

Leaving Montreal

Having been a delegate to the 2003 and 2005 conventions, I knew the kind of the shape I’d be in Sunday morning when I was planning my trip. Rather than rush home, I decided to take advantage of my end-of-semester lack of responsibilities and stay a couple more days in Montreal. Today was my last day in this wonderful city. A couple thoughts:

• I slept in. I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s going to be a few days before I get a regular sleep cycle back.
• It’s nice not to have to wait in line for 90 minutes to get a coffee. I haven’t enjoyed a latte that much in a long time.
• My Barista weighed in on the Dion win this morning: “I’m a Liberal too but my first choice is the Bloc…because I am a Quebecker you know? but I think with Dion he might get me to change my mind…The one thing is, Dion is too cold, you know? He seems… I don’t know, distant? Far Away?”
• Notre-Dame Cathedral is the most magnificent church I’ve ever seen. It took them 100 years to finish decorating the place. I’ve never had to pay admission to pray before.
• It’s a shame I’m not staying longer. I’ve finally figured out how to navigate the underground in this city. I didn’t get lost once.

Also a Couple Quick Links:

• CalgaryGrit is entertaining
• Jason Cherniak is long-winded
• Friends (and the girlfriend) are dissapointed
• I'm exhausted. Goodnight.

A Blog in Beta

As I mentioned, I'm in the midst of moving this blog from the blogger software to the wordpress software. I now have a working wordpress blog up here. Tell me what you think of the look. I'll be doing some tweaking over the next week before I make the switch completely.

I'm in Montreal for one more day. Home tomorrow and back to responsibilities.

Vive le Montreal!

Also, Stephane Dion is the new leader of the Liberal Party. Turns out he was everyone's second choice.

Liberal Leadership

I'm avoiding the temptation to turn this blog back to politics full time so I won't be posting anything else until the leadership convention is over. I might post some thoughts once I get home. In the meantime, for those of you interested in who will be the new mayor of Gritsburgh I thought I might link to a couple of blogs covering the proceedings in depth:

From Liberal.ca: Real Time Ballot Results

Liberal Bloggers:

• Fuddle Duddle
• BCer in Toronto
• Cerberus

Media Types:

• Paul Wells
• Warren Kinsella
• Kelly Nestruck
• Tyee.ca Election Central
• Macleans.ca Leadership Blog

I promise. That's all you'll get from me until this circus is over. Only 3 more ballots to go (I hope)

Housekeeping

You may have noticed that this blog disappeared for a couple of days. I'm in the middle of transferring from blogger to wordpress and this required a webhosting upgrade that the folks at Brinkster were happy to supply for free.

In other news: I finished class for the semester this week (WOOT!) and have been in Montreal since Wednesday for the Liberal Party of Canada Leadership Convention. Tomorrow, the next leader of the Official Opposition gets hired. So far my guy is in the lead with 29.3 per cent. (another WOOT!)

BTW, I love Montreal