The Sound of Sobbing

 The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

 Psalm 14:2

The sobbing was not audible. Yet, my heart was breaking. The streets of Montreal were silent as we started our walk in the old city. The Canadian tour guide was informing us that only 5% of Canadians attend church. How could this be? We had seen spires of majestic cathedrals rising amidst the modern buildings in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec.

Ranold, our tour guide, painted a picture of Sunday mornings in Montreal. The Canadians are very family oriented.

They sleep late and then gather family and extended family either at home or in restaurants. Friends meet for brunch. He told us that in his family only one brother goes to church. The rest of the family has the Sunday meal ready for him when he comes home.

Unlike the people in my area, few Canadians ask where you go to church or if you even attend. He doesn’t even know if the Prime Minister is religious. His thinking is that the Canadians don’t care one way or the other. To be religious is okay. To refrain from worship is okay too. As we continued our walk we noticed that about eleven o’clock the city began to wake up and the restaurants filled. It seems Ranold was right. Thus my silent sobbing.

Canada is a beautiful country. The maples adorned themselves in their most gorgeous fall colors for us. The oohs and ahs escaped from our mouths at each turn in the highway. God had dipped his paintbrush in the gorgeous colors of fall to paint the country red with touches of gold and orange.

 The Canadian people are friendly and their customs are charming. Their love for outdoor sports fascinates me. They even ice-climb up their frozen water falls in the winter.  They “kite sail” over frozen lakes. Our tour guide ice skates on a seven mile waterway in Ottawa.

I am unable to understand how the Canadian people can live so close to nature and not worship the God of Creation? Are their eyes closed to the awesome power of Almighty God who designed their country?

I ask you to join me in prayer for Canada. Pray for the 5% who recognize God and worship Him. Pray that the country will awaken to the reality of the Living God. By the way, include the United States in your prayer. Our churches may be full, but our morals have turned to bitter herbs.

Dear Father, Thank you for Canada, our beautiful neighbor to the North. I pray for both Canada and the United States. May we remember Your  first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.

Janice Yandell