Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix responded Thursday to what appears to be a growing gulf between themselves and some members of the faith community concerning the messaging coming out of their COVID-19 briefings.
Reverend Aaron Dyck, of Gateway Baptist Church, has written an open letter to Dix in which he wrote he feels 鈥渃ompelled as a faith leader to request that people of faith be given the respect that is so overtly presented to every other particular group in this great province.
鈥淭he constant condescension by Dr. Henry, purporting to tell us 鈥榳hat faith is鈥� and the endless patronization 鈥� as if the government 鈥榰nderstands鈥� anything at all about what constitutes faith itself, let alone its practice 鈥� has long past worn thin,鈥� the reverend wrote.
Henry鈥檚 response to this Thursday was that she thinks people sometimes 鈥渢ake what I say and twist it to make their own ideas about it.
鈥淚 have repeatedly said that I have taken advice and have had the privilege of speaking to many faith leaders in the last few months and I appreciate their advice immensely,鈥� she told the Now-Leader.
Henry said she鈥檚 learned a 鈥渢remendous amount鈥� from faith leaders and has said on occasion what she鈥檚 been told about beliefs and about faith. 鈥淎nd I do absolutely believe that we need our faith leaders in crises like these, more than ever before, and I really want to give my thanks and praise to the many, many leaders out there who have sent me their advice, their thinking, their thoughts, and the fact that they do understand we need to take measures to protect those that we care most about in our community right now.鈥�
Henry said she doesn鈥檛 purport to know everybody鈥檚 ideas about faith, but knows there are 鈥済reat leaders鈥� in that community who are 鈥渟tepping up every day and supporting the people they care about in their congregations and doing it in a safe way, and I just want salute them 鈥� they have my gratitude, and my admiration.鈥�
In his letter to Dix, the reverend wrote, 鈥淕ood sir, I beg you: at the risk of alienating permanently the approximately two million British Columbians who practise religion, at least stop pretending that there is somehow a virtual replacement for thousands of years of physical, incarnational ministry. Tell us this is wrong. Tell us this is not OK. Tell us this is, in fact, an evil, however necessary, and stop with the platitudes. We are in your corner, but cannot for much longer be told this 鈥渋sn鈥檛 a big deal鈥� when it comes to practising a faith more than a dozen times older than the nation of Canada itself.鈥�
What faith leaders would appreciate, Dyck told Dix, is 鈥渟ome respect for what you have taken from us, the cost to our people, and an acknowledgment that nothing replaces what we have laid down in order to support you and your efforts.鈥�
The health minister鈥檚 response to the reverend is that the provincial government, since the outset of the pandemic, has listened to and reached out to hundreds of faith leaders across B.C. He admitted his idea of faith is not necessarily shared by everyone, but added that 鈥淚 can tell Reverend Dyck that at our church, that we鈥檝e lost a lot of loved ones this year, including our minister, and the loss of being able to come together on Sunday has been profound for members of that congregation just as they have been for congregations around B.C.鈥�
Dix said he鈥檚 鈥渙verwhelmingly鈥� inspired by the work done by faith communities of all faiths and all denominations to support people in their communities during this difficult time.
鈥淎ll I can say is it鈥檚 not condescension, it鈥檚 gratitude that we feel for the support we get in our community, wherever we find it,鈥� Dix told the Now-Leader. 鈥淎nd for many people, that鈥檚 in communities of faith. So, we鈥檙e with you and we鈥檙e asking you to join us in helping in this period to help heal, heal ourselves physically, and protect ourselves and our good health, and also stay healed and stay better as a community.
鈥淚 think Dr. Henry has been unbelievably respectful,鈥� Dix said in her defence. 鈥淚 so admire her approach when she talks about kindness, which is at the core I think of many faiths鈥� views as well. She lives that every day and I鈥檓 so, so proud to stand with her and I just so disagree with the criticism that came in the letter.鈥�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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