In honour of the G8 and G20 summits....

My son is working behind the scenes at the G8 summit as I am typing this. My daughter will be working tomorrow near the G20 summit as it switches locations. Close to home this time around, but important events for sure as world leaders meet to discuss crucial matters that affect many countries.

More important in my world is the event on my front porch (yes...I do jest). Momma Robin, whom I have observed returning to the old nest the last few days, rearranging the furniture....has laid an egg today. And so it all begins again. One egg on the first day of the G8, another will surely be laid when the G20 begins, and perhaps a final one on the last day of the summit meetings....maybe even just one more to be sure when the leaders are dispersing to go home. And so these will be special Summit Babies.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                    I caught a few minutes of an interview with John Manley on the radio this morning. He is a former Canadian Liberal finance and foreign affairs minister and he was asked why all these world leaders don't just meet, in this technological age, by video conference and save all these dollars spent on getting together. It's a fair question that's been asked frequently lately. His answer gave pause to think and I hadn't looked at it before the way he painted the picture. He cited examples of times when specific Presidents and Prime

Ministers had crucial decisions to make and in those moments, a leader from another country came to them, just as a close friend would, to talk one on one. Some leaders have been very influential to others in helping with decision making, simply because they had become fast friends and confidantes, beginning with these events. Mr. Manley said that these times that leaders get together are very important face-to-face to forge friendships that are needed in their jobs. When you think about it, how close can leaders in high positions get to others with whom they can share in confidence.... who will understand the circumstances and have wisdom for the task?

I have also listened to John Tory, former leader of the PC Party describe what it was like in the public eye and it wasn't pretty. You take the most foul abuse thrown at you where ever you go - people think they have the right to lambaste you. They might not do that to the average person....but somehow they feel politicians are not human beings and can be treated with disdain and have insults hurled at them from every side, even threats on their lives and those of their family. I know what some of you are thinking. There's lots to criticize. Politicians are dishonest, money hungry, power seeking, blah, blah, blah. Yes, some are. But I wonder if we knew some of their spouses and their children and families, we might find that many are actually hard working, honest people who entered politics because they wanted to make a difference. But still, they will take criticism for every move they make.

Yes, there are lots of crucial mistakes made in the political world.... waste, dishonesty, wrong priorities....the list goes on. We can criticize and drone on about it for hours and nothing will change.

Criticism is useless.

Protests? Maybe they've accomplished some good if done wisely....but most seem to be just noise and simply invoke a negative response in return. Honest dialogue, tackling noble, worthwhile issues with practical and thoughtful insight would accomplish more. But as long as we're not willing to work that hard.....criticism is easier...... it puffs ourselves up to feel that we know best.

And nothing changes.

Next time you hear a robin sing that lovely, evening summer melody that signals the setting of the sun and the close of another day......pray for your world leaders. As wrong as they might be about much.....they are fallible human beings (like us!) who are in a position in which they must make crucial decisions and affect change. Pray.... not that they will do YOUR will....but that God will be in the midst of the decision making.

If it's all we can do.....let's pray. Because that truly does change things.....with a side benefit of changing our attitude.