Rev. Rob Oliphant is the member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West. On April 28, he won his fourth consecutive term in office as part of Mark Carney’s Liberals. He was ordained in 1984 and has worked as a United Church minister in communities across the country.

Oliphant spoke with Christopher White about what comes next for Canada.

Christopher White: Congratulations on winning both your seat and the election. It was a remarkable comeback for your party. How are you feeling as you begin to prepare for the next session of the new parliament?

Rob Oliphant: I’m excited. I looked at where we were last fall and I think we did some really good things. But at the same time, I could feel the floor falling out from underneath us. I was one of the MPs that called on [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] to resign, and it was difficult, because he was my friend.

I’m mindful that we didn’t win a majority, and that Canadians are sharply divided. Right now, we have to find a way to reach out, build some bridges and pull Canadians together — we can’t take that for granted.

CW: What do you think is needed to overcome the polarity in our country?

RO: As I look at Canada, people think that there’s a party going on and they are not invited and so people are feeling left out. We have women who think men have privilege and men who think women have privilege. The wealthy think that they pay too much tax and the poor think that the wealthy have too much. Newcomers to Canada feel they’re trying to get in and settled Canadians, who have been here for generations, feel like they’re being pushed out. Indigenous Canadians feel like they’re not being honoured. Young people think old people have it all. Old people think young people have all the opportunities they had. And I think Parliament is not immune to these divisions.

Each one of us has to be a little bit more modest and a little bit more caring. I can still remember when I was in seminary, I had a cut-out cartoon on my bulletin board and its key line was: ‘Has it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong?’ I kept that cartoon comic strip for a long time, because I think that needs to be our mantra.

CW: What are your hopes moving forward with this new government?

RO: I have said all through the election that the number-one issue is the relationship between the United States and Canada. We are facing a threat to our sovereignty, our economy and our identity. The number-one agenda item is a very careful, cautious and thoughtful approach with Americans at all levels. You need to do third-track diplomacy with labourers, businesses, academics and churches.

The United Church of Canada has principal relationships with five key denominations: the United Church of Christ, the Methodists, the United Methodists, the United Presbyterian churches, plus the Disciples of Christ. The United Church of Canada could be — and I hope already is — reaching out. They need to say, “Hey, we love you and we’re different from you. We want to be your best friend and your best neighbour, but we’re not moving in.” I would hope that is on the agenda of the General Council Executive right now. We may be somewhat marginalized in Canada as a denomination or as mainline Christians. They’re not in the United States, and they don’t know necessarily that we are marginalized. So, let’s use that.

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CW: Does your faith continue to influence your actions in politics?

RO: I would say my faith has always been robust, but also complex and has left a lot of room for doubt. I think the faith that the United Church has professed for the last 100 years has been about allowing for ambiguity, modesty, humility and mystery — not just problem solving. I also think my faith has taught me that there’s a big difference between optimism and hope. I’m not always optimistic. Sometimes I can be quite pessimistic about things, but I’m never despairing. I’m always hopeful.

I would say to the church, don’t come to me with advocacy. Generally, my meetings with the United Church are about people demanding, asking for, requiring or requesting things. Instead. come with gifts. Say, “here’s what we see our role as partners in a civil society. Here’s something we can do with the charitable sector that you can’t do.”

CW:  Is there anything else on the 100th anniversary of The United Church of Canada that you think the church needs to hear at this time in its history?

RO: I think it’s time for the church to stop looking backwards and look ahead. I think the church needs to let its mistakes go. We are a reforming denomination — renewing, reforming, adapting — but my fear is that we still spend a lot of time agonizing about our negative legacies. I think the 100th anniversary should be about looking at the next 100 years way more than the last 100 years. We’re in a different era and there are some great opportunities to be prophetic, to be interesting, to be creative, and to be the best of the arts, social justice and inclusion.

I want to talk about the future. I think it’s time for the church to write a new script. I don’t think that either Jesus or God is done with the United Church. The image I often use comes from Bruce McLeod, our former moderator. His words have stuck with me forever. He asked “if the rapture came today and the heavens opened, and the United Church of Canada was lifted into the skies, would the streets and sidewalks sag for the lack of love, or would the neighbours be happy for the green space?” That’s the test the church has to answer.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Rev. Christopher White is a United Church minister in Hamilton.