What is Stephen Harper Reading?

Dedication:

To Stephen Harper,
Prime Minister of Canada,
Three books to make you and your family dream,
From a Canadian writer,
With best wishes,
Yann Martel
P.S. Merry Christmas

Letter:

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0A2

Dear Mr. Harper,

It is Christmas tomorrow, and we live in a country where the first-mentioned fundamental freedom in the Charter of Rights is the freedom of conscience and religion. It is a time to celebrate. But curious how, despite the vast, lawful liberty that is ours to enjoy, we Canadians are so constricted in our religious expression. So “Merry Christmas!” is fast disappearing from public greetings, replaced by formulations such as “Happy Holidays” or “Holiday Greetings”, which are held to be safely generic, the original meaning of holiday—holy day—being conveniently forgotten.

Yet “Merry Christmas” is just a blessing being offered. Does it offend? Would you or I be offended, actually offended, if someone shouted to us, “Happy Diwali!” or “Happy Hanukkah!” or “Happy Eid!” with a smile and a wave of the hand? Wouldn’t we rather be gratified by the well-wishers kind intentions, even if we are not Hindu, Jewish or Muslim? Similarly, when we gift a “Merry Christmas” to a stranger—and how good it is to reach out to strangers—is our intention not kind? Our spiritual stomach is full, so to speak, and we are offering blessed food to another. If that person should reply, “Thank you! Blessed be your Baby, my Prophet thought most highly of him,” we don’t take offence that their stomach is already full. In fact, we are happy for them. Better an abundance of food than a lack, no?

I love it that one religious group stops working, halts the making of money, to celebrate the birth of a baby. We tend to forget babies too much, I think. We tend to neglect magical thinking.

Most of our compatriots take their religious freedom as meaning they are free not to practice any religion, and they address life with big questions and big myths they get elsewhere. That’s fine. To each his or her own path.

But it’s Christmas tomorrow, I repeat, and by all accounts you are a Christian, and rightly entitled to say “Merry Christmas”, though you are far more discreet about your Christianity than your predecessor as party leader, the Honourable Stockwell Day. It made people uncomfortable, his liberal use of his constitutionally-given religious freedom. You are more savvy and cautious. You seem to be somewhat of a closet Christian, not speaking much or sharing much of Jesus of Nazareth.

Still, it’s Christmas tomorrow and there’s a Baby to be celebrated.

So, in the spirit of the occasion, I offer you this time not one book, but three, and books not to be read alone, like an adult, but to be shared with children. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg, and Imagine a Day, written by Sarah L. Thomson and illustrated by Rob Gonsalves, are picture books of contagious magic. You will look at them, at each page, and marvel. The Brothers Lionheart (pardon the terrible cover—it’s the only edition I could find), by Astrid Lindgren, of the famous Pippi Longstocking series, is a novel for children with fewer illustrations, and black and white, but it is just as magical. I hope you and your family enjoy all three books.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Harper. May your heart be the manger in which the newborn Baby lies.

Yours truly,

Yann Martel

encl: three inscribed hard cover books

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