[Posted at Bene Diction Blogs On, April 2, 2011]
Although she is deep in newly wedded bliss, Faytene Grasseschi (nee Faytene Kryskow) is paying attention to the Canadian election.
On her main Facebook page on March 25, she posted this about the dropping of the writ:
Faytene Grasseschi
It's official, we are in an election. Please join me in prayer for our leaders & nation at this pivotal time.
A very appropriate suggestion, but in the comments below her post was what I thought was an appropriate question:
Jesse Gibson
in otherwords the Conservative Fundamental Extremists? God can work through any party.
Which led Faytene to reply to him:
Hey Jesse! Great question. It represents a huge misunderstanding many people have. When we say “Let’s pray” that has NOTHING to do with praying for one party in particular. It simply is what it is: let's pray for our nation (big differe...nce between that and praying for a party....HUGE difference). There are lots of great people in every party. We are simply praying for our nation and that God would raise up leaders – ideally in EVERY PARTY that have His heart and wisdom on the issues of our day. Hope that helps ;). God love everyone....that is why He came and died for them ;). Bless you!
Quite right. In order to maintain her charitable status, she should profess a willingness to work with every party for the common good.
But, as Jesse notes, "God can work through any party." If you are progressive, this would mean that God can work through a Social Gospel type emphasis amongst the NDP and, to a certain extent the Liberals.
Even if you think, as Faytene does, that God prefers to work in a conservative way, there are lots of options. There may be some "socially conservative" liberals that she can work with. She can tap into the Christian Heritage Party's ideas and resources (as they are explicitly social conservative). And then she could try her luck with the Tories.
That said, although people associated with the Christian Heritage Party have historically liked Faytene, she has chosen not to respond in kind. I haven't seen any CHP figures being prominent at Faytene's events.
Morally conservative Liberals? There not much, if any, evidence of them helping her on an issue to issue basis anyway.
Is there no MP from another party willing to publicly side with her on an issue. Surely she would want to bring them forward, if so?
I'd like to be corrected, but these other parties seem to be very behind the scenes with Faytene, at best.
Enquete, for what it is worth, seemed to pick up on the same trend as I did. Interviews of MPs working with Faytene? They spoke to Tories Rod Bruinooge and Joy Smith.
What is truthful, however, is Kryskow’s admiration for Stephen Harper, which she pointed out in a comment on Bene Diction's post anticipating The CRY Vancouver in July 2009. Thanks to BD for drawing her out.
I’ll quote the relevant section for you. She posted this long comment on August 20 2009, after The CRY Vncouver, and what I quote below is close to the beginning.
She writes (emphasis mine):
“….A little story¦.
I remember I used to be a little skeptical of Prime Minister Harper (a couple years ago). The media and bloggers were painting him as being a high control freak and cold hearted and I did not know what to think. Around the same time I had the opportunity to meet him. When I shook his hand and looked into his eyes I was shocked by his love and gentleness it was totally different than how the media was painting him. I walked away from that and said to someone, Wow, if everyone in the nation could just shake that man’s hand and look in his eyes there would be a very different public opinion of him!
I am not saying Harper is perfect. I am just saying that the media and bloggers were painting him with a brush that was harsh and not accurate, when I saw him face to face it was clear.
Some times, that is what we need to do ”take the time to look in someone’s eyes and hear their heart….”
[Let's pause for a second, as Harper's online and media critics laugh, and I myself wonder, given Faytene's obvious non-partisanness, if she were to shake Gilles Duceppe's hand, would she hear Frank Sinatra's Strangers In The Night playing in her mind? ;) ]
Seriously, though, is Harper’s “love and gentleness” reflected in government policy? Does he put on a good front, or is his faith reflected in what he says and does? An open question perhaps. The Biblical admonition to “Put not thy trust in princes…” comes to mind too.
How non-partisan is she, in the face of Harper’s seemingly wondrous love?
Well, we remember that after The CRY Vancouver that she told a church audience, on video, that she had been holding back on some of the footage from the event, as she feared that it might be used against "the government". The Tories being in power of course. Which led me to write that if the footage were to shame the Tories into doing the right thing, "speaking truth to power" should ceratainly override any concern about "the government".
Not to forget the time that Faytene told an audience that she wished she could take a gob of spit for Stockwell Day.
No wonder Jesse wonders if Faytene is a Tory.
Others will too, until, she--and her successors--try to make an effort to be more non-partisan.