An Apology to Canada Regarding Tariffs

 As Joni Mitchell once sang in A Case of You "You are in my blood like holy wine".

We owe you an apology. Truly.

You deserve better. The world deserves better.

As people of faith, we believe that being a good neighbor is not just a social contract—it’s a spiritual calling. Across traditions, we are reminded to care for those around us. Jesus told us that loving our neighbor is the greatest commandment, second only to loving God. The Hebrew Scriptures call us to welcome the stranger and seek the welfare of our communities. In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad taught, “He is not a believer whose neighbor does not feel safe from his harm.” And we know you are not responsible for American fentanyl deaths.

You have been the kind of neighbor we all hope for—steady, kind, and generous. You have stood by us in times of crisis, shared in our joys and sorrows, and reminded us what friendship between nations can look like. And yet, our government has chosen conflict over cooperation, self-interest over partnership. A 25% tariff on Canadian goods is not just bad economics—it’s bad faith. It undermines the trust and goodwill that has long defined our relationship.

Being a good neighbor is about more than proximity—it’s about posture. It’s about choosing relationship over rivalry, generosity over greed, and cooperation over control. It’s about recognizing that our well-being is tied up with one another’s. No border, no policy, no tariff can change that fundamental truth.

As people of faith, we are called to love our neighbors and to act with integrity and fairness in all things. Trade policies should reflect these values—promoting cooperation rather than division, mutual benefit rather than hardship. We lament that these tariffs have instead created unnecessary tension, affecting workers, businesses, and communities on both sides of the border.

You know that many Americans, including those of us in the faith community, oppose actions that disrupt our shared prosperity and unity. We pray for a future where our nations work together in the spirit of justice and compassion, building bridges rather than barriers.

The great theologian Howard Thurman wrote, “There is something in every one of us that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in ourselves… and if I hear the genuine in me, I can hear it in you.” To be a good neighbor, we must listen for the genuine in one another. We must resist the forces that seek to divide us and instead build bridges of understanding and solidarity. We appreciate and applaud Justin Trudeau's direct message to the American people.

So, to our Canadian friends: We see you. We honor you. We want to stay a good, global neighbor. While the actions of those in power may not reflect it, remember that many of us stand with you in friendship and gratitude.

We are in this together with love and humility