by the Rev. Dr. Ed Hird
Why do so many people from around the world love to hang out at
Whistler, BC? For some, it is the skiing, others the bike riding, and some the
water sports. There seems to be
something for everyone’s interests.
Since the building of the Sea to Sky Highway for the 2010 Olympics, Whistler
has been transformed into a year-round recreational experience. We recently spent a week in Whistler that we
were given for free as part of trading our car in two years ago at the North
Shore Auto Mall. All of our three adult
children, their spouses, and grandchildren joined us for part of that relaxing
week. We particularly enjoyed the
relaxing walks through Whistler Village, the delicious restaurants, and the
creative playgrounds for our grandchildren.
Whistler was originally called London Mountain, a name later
dropped because of its associations with dreary weather in London England. It was given the name ‘Whistler’ in the 1960s
because of the whistling, chirping sounds of the local marmot squirrels. While at Whistler, I celebrated my sixty-third
birthday. As a Whistler birthday
present, my wife fittingly bought me John Grisham’s new book The Whistler. Ken Follett has called Grisham ‘the best
thriller writer alive.’ Reading
Grisham’s Whistler renewed my
long-term enjoyment of Grisham’s twenty-nine legal thrillers. Whistler
takes us into the life of a corrupt judge who is making a killing,
literally, off casino corruption in Florida.
The Whistler in this story is not a chirping marmot, but rather an
undercover whistle-blower who forces a reluctant bureaucracy to finally do the
right thing. Grisham, who has a strong
Judeo-Christian faith, is passionate about the rule of law and the protection
of justice, all which are key values for any healthy society. Without an impartial judiciary, everyone
suffers. Without consequences for
breaking the law, anarchy rules. Janet
Maslin, in a New York Times review,
commented that Grisham “is at heart an optimist who believes that wrongs can be
ferreted out and righted.” Grisham, said Maslin, has fought harder for truth
and justice than anyone this side of Superman.
The most important event in his life, says Grisham, was when he accepted
Jesus into his life. Grisham’s personal
faith has led him to do mission service in Brazil to those who often suffer
from injustice.
The preamble in our Canadian constitution expresses our
commitment as Canadians to the rule of law and the supremacy of God. If anyone can function above the law, no one
is safe. The supremacy of God reminds us
that everyone of us needs to be accountable for our actions. Every one of us needs to do the right
thing. The Ten Commandments were
summarized by Jesus as essentially about loving God and loving our
neighbour. Love is about doing the right
thing, the Christ-like thing, even when it may be hard. The Whistler in Grisham’s novel paid a huge
price to do the right thing. May we too
have the courage to do the right thing, no matter the cost.
The Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, Rector
-an article for the Deep Cove Crier
-author of Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit
1 comment:
Wow! Thanks Ed. Hmm, you've added to my education on these two points of trivia - the background on naming Whistler, BC, and John Grisham's personal faith in Christ. And that latter point is not at all a 'trivial pursuit'! :) ~~+~~
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