By Bill Mollard

AS WE BASK with glowing hearts in the successful completion of the Winter Olympics, let’s not forget that they were the result of a momentous collective effort.

All levels of government collaborated to finance and make these games possible. Infrastructure was built. By-laws were amended. Motorists tolerated construction delays for years on end. Businesses like the Cambie Street merchants endured financial hardships, sometimes to the point of extinction. Police coordinated with the military.

Schools and businesses shut down. Art was created. Thousands of volunteers came together for a common cause. Non-profit organizations held a vigilant watch over vulnerable citizens. Activists brought attention to their causes. When mountains were bare of snow, it was flown in.

And Christians played their part, both as individuals in the efforts already mentioned, and through collective hospitality efforts such as More Than Gold, which offered a warm welcome to the world on the streets of Vancouver.

Pulling together

In short, the Olympics have proved to be an exemplary instance of what is possible when government, science and technology, business, police, artists, volunteers, activists, churches and every day people come together and pull in the same direction.

Nobody knew what to expect before the games started. But, like an Olympic athlete surprised by her own capacity at the point of competition, something has emerged that goes beyond the goal of these collective efforts to do things like build infrastructure and manage traffic.

Canadians have discovered some renewed sense of collective identity and belonging during the Games. Completing the venues on time was one thing; the eruption of true patriot love – whether on the streets of Downtown Vancouver or in front television sets from sea to sea to sea – was another, as exuberant as it was meaningful. We are looking at our country – and each other – differently.

And Christians were at the very centre of the action playing a variety of roles. Long before a local journalist dubbed these games “the Olympics of the Streets,” Christians were organizing to make sure that everyone felt genuinely welcome on those streets, from the foreign tourist to the local homeless person.

Outpouring of love

This outpouring of God’s love was an invaluable contribution to the spirit of the Games and the experience of many visitors who will never forget the More Than Gold volunteer’s friendly face and cup of warm hot chocolate.

Could the dogged determination it took to prepare for and execute the games, and the delightful sense of Canadian identity that emerged during them, point toward a way forward for our nation? If we applied the same resolve, brilliance and financial resources from churches, government, scientists, business, police, artists, volunteers, activists and everyday people that we did for this landmark event, what couldn’t we overcome?

Who are we going to be, Canada? The future is ours; what kind of country do we want to live in?

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Let’s answer this question at the peak of our civic pride, and then let’s act to create the future that we know we have the capacity for. Imagine if the Olympics marked a turning point for Vancouver, and for our entire nation.

Imagine if people looked back and said, “that was the year we felt something change.” And imagine the part that we, as Christians, could play in this change. Because it’s an issue long dear to my heart, let me let me take you down just one particular path of possibility: ending homelessness.

Imagine seeing fewer and fewer homeless every year in the Downtown Eastside, until there weren’t any at all.

Let your mind wander to the last stark image you have of a homeless person – perhaps someone who asked you for money or pushed a cart down the street beside you – and imagine that person living in a clean, bedbug-free home, working, paying their own subsidized rent, and reconnecting with loved ones. Imagine that person free from the terrors of addiction or mental illness, enfolded in a community that can help them maintain that freedom.

Imagine that person as your neighbour, perhaps even as the best neighbour you’ve ever had. And imagine how your heart would glow as you helped make that happen.

An achievable dream

After being caught up in the achievement of these Games, that dream has never felt more achievable. I, for one, believe that Canadians are compassionate, generous, ingenious people who want to empower one another, and especially our most vulnerable citizens.

The eradication of homelessness may seem a daunting task, but is it any more daunting than the mammoth obstacles we have overcome to host the world?

 I believe that, with the same communal pride we felt during the Olympics, we can come alongside the mentally ill homeless with the help and care they need. We can offer recovery programs to the addicted that provide a way out of their debilitating condition into a full, good life. Not only can we do this, but we can become known across Canada as the catalyst for this kind of collective compassion.

I challenge all of us to push ourselves and our community and political leaders to follow our still glowing hearts and see the rise of a new Canada. We can make a difference on a personal level by continuing to support the most vulnerable with our prayers, talents and generosity. We can be known as people who warmly welcome others to our cities and our country, showing God’s love in tangible ways on our streets.

On a public policy level, we can encourage a national housing strategy that moves toward a home for everyone. I can think of no greater legacy than for the flame of the 2010 Olympic cauldron to spark changes that ignite us toward that end goal of safe housing in good communities with support services for every Canadian in need.

So let’s talk. And then let’s act. Who knows how much closer together and farther onward we can take our city and nation when we do.

Bill Mollard is president of Union Gospel Mission.

April 2010