John Macallum Welcomed the Stranger(s)

 

                                                         John Macallum welcomes a Syrian family

When an alien (stranger) resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the native-born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 19: 33-34 NRSVue

...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me...

Matthew 25: 35 NRSVue

A few days ago we stopped at the food pop-ups in Belleville's Zwick's waterfront park with the goal of buying lunch from the Syrian vendor. This family came as part of the wave of refugees entering Canada from late 2015 into 2017. We got to know the parents and passle of kids when they joined events held for the 23 Syrians we sponsored through a wonderful interfaith coalition. 

The pop-up was tended by the 16-year-old son and I asked about his three older sisters, who it turns out, are all in college and doing well. I inquired about his plans and he shared that he will be doing an electrical co-op term with the view of entering an apprenticeship to become an electrician. I mentioned that I remember seeing his father walking him and his siblings to school in the first days here, none of them knowing English. He said that he has no recollection of learning a new language, it just happened. He was open and friendly, a bright young man, and we parted with smiles. 

Shortly after this lheart-warming encounter we learned that John McCallum, a former Liberal cabinet minister, had died at the age of 75. Macallum was versatile, serving several portfolios including including national defence, veterans affairs, and revenue. He was also the minister of  immigration, refugees and citizenship who orchestrated the arrival and settlement of approximately 50,000 Syrian new Canadians. In his public interviews he always seemed both determined and affable, an excellent spokesperson for this initiative. 

We can be appreciative of solid public service by any Member of Parliament but I figure that the "jewel in the crown" for John McCallum was this monumental effort. Of course, his work was dependent on the efforts of faith groups and all the other sponsoring organizations across the country who chose to be hospitable to those in desparate need. 

It was a fine moment for Canadians and we can be grateful for those in government who were vital partners in these efforts. Thank you, John MaCallum.