Goodbye, Mr. Tory.

Dear COAH, 

John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, announced that as of 5 pm today (Friday, February 17th), he would leave his office for good. He had accepted full responsibility earlier this week for having an affair with one of his staff members. After the landslide third-term victory last October and a relatively smooth leadership style for the past eight years as the mayor, Mr. Tory's image has been squeaky clean. When he said it was a 'judgment' error on his part, many of us were in shock. As a lawyer, an executive, a broadcaster, and a politician, he portrayed the image of a balanced person who valued common sense and prudence. He is the kind of person who would do the right thing in the right way without emotions getting in the way. At least, that is how I viewed him.

What makes Mr. Tory's resignation heartbreaking is that Mr. Tory will probably not come back to the public to rebuild his tarnished image. During the height of the pandemic, I was challenged and motivated by his diligence. 'Wow, he is up again and working!' I would exclaim while watching him on television doing his daily interviews. It was not even seven in the morning! Unfortunately, the people of Toronto will remember him more by how he exited than how he carried the city during the difficult time of the pandemic.

What happened to Mr. Tory should be a lesson to all of us. As the old cliché goes, it isn't over till it's over. We must always be on guard. As people of God, we should bring hope to the world by living a blameless life.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." (Matt. 5:13)

I am curious to know whether Mr. Tory is a believer or not. I wish him well, and I pray that he would 'take the time to reflect on what has happened and do the work of rebuilding the trust of my family.'  

Blessings,

Pastor Minho Song