Oh Canadians!

Pastors and Priests are sometimes the objects of what is called "projection". Some worshipers want them to be the exemplars of a perfection which they (the worshipers) can never attain.

(This projection can also be directed to Doctors, Teachers, Therapists etc)

Projection is a dead end for the projector.  It leads to unrealistic expectations about the pastor/priest/ therapist.

It is also a dangerous trap for Pastors. I speak for myself. How horrible and dangerous it is when I begin to believe  that I am an all wise, all compassionate and utterly inviolable Priest. I know that this is not true.  I know that such projection can help me to avoid the truth about my pride, my weakness and my arrogance.

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I sometimes think that we Americans "on the left" project our phantasies about good and wise government on Canada. We want that Nation to be all that we are not. (Many of my liberal friends said that they would move to Canada if  Trunp  became President of the U.S.A, None of them have done so!)

We adore  rock star Premier (Justin Trudeau) whilst knowing next to nothing about his policies. We believe that every Canadian man, woman, child and dog is excessively polite. We think that the Canadian Health Care system is utterly admirable (but we wouldn't want to import it to the U.S.A. because it's "socialistic"). We refuse to believe that Canada also has its unfair share of ultra rightist white nationalists and xenophobes.

Yet we mock what we think is a Canadian accent (and imitate it badly).

We think that every Canadian ends every sentence with "eh".

Can't you just hear it  "Our Father which are in heaven, hallowed be thy name eh.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven eh":

In short we want to lump all Canadians together in homogeneous perfection.

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I thought about this last week.  Don and Bruce are a couple from Ottawa who visit Sarasota most years. (Of course they were given a hard time by a U.S. Border Agent, just because she could.)

Bruce and Don often come to the Friday evening social gathering which we call Ben's Bar..   I was the host last week,

During the day I found myself thinking  "the Canadians are visiting tonight".

"The Canadians!" (not Don and Bruce),

Don, Bruce and I giggled about this.  As Don said "what, all 30 million of us".