by Christopher Lind, www.christopherlind.ca

In a resolutely secular society like Canada, one of the jobs of a theologian is to point out where the new theological language is emerging. One of those places is in Jack Layton's final letter to Canadians. There he provides a synopsis of his own theology.

"Love is better than anger
Hope is better than fear
Optimism is better than despair"

What most Canadians will find difficult to articulate is where they've heard that language before. Consider the following passages from Christian and Hebrew Scriptures.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18)

"Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another" (Ephesians 4:31-32)

"suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (Romans 5:3-4)

"I do not despair of my condition, for I have good hope of recovering from my illness" (2 Maccabees 9:22)

There are many other passages I could have quoted. Jack Layton didn't think of himself as a very faithful member of the United Church of Canada but in the end, I think the evidence points the other way. Clearly Jack Layton embraced an open, loving and hopeful spirituality that millions of Canadians are responding to. God bless you, Jack, a good and faithful servant.

Dr. Christopher Lind is the Executive Director of the Sorrento Centre, a retreat and conference centre in British Columbia. He is also a Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto. www.christopherlind.ca