July 3rd, 2021: Healing vs Destruction




Ten Catholic churches were vandalized yesterday in my city by protesters who are angry about the lack of church responses concerning the deaths of children during the Residential School period. As much as I can understand the anger, I am not sure yesterday's action brings anyone closer together for a meaningful conversation. We cannot go about seeking healing by destroying others.


I agree that the Catholic Church leadership needs to make a statement concerning the discovery of these deaths. The silence from the church communicates an uncaring and prideful response. 


James 5: 16 gives some helpful direction about what to do when we sin against one another:


"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."


Many First Nations kids have become foster kids. Some of them may die from suicide, homicide, and infectious diseases. Some of these children have one parent who went to Residential Schools. The trauma is passing on to the next generation. I encountered that situation a couple of times. I expressed my desire to help, but some people told me that it was not my place to help because I am not well-versed in these folks' cultural traditions. I agreed, but no one gave me a clear answer about how these young folks could get help.


Let us be courageous in seeking healing for the next generations of kids. If we have to develop and equip more young First Nations to be helpful to their people, we need to do so without politics and condemnation. Vandalizing churches is not the answer for people who want to make a difference. Having the burning desire to embrace the pain of one another as one of our own might be better. We want to be powerful and effective in dealing with past sins. It starts with a humble and broken heart that cries out for restoration. Confession and prayer are important steps in that process.

 

Popular posts from this blog

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

May 18th, 2020: Why Forgiveness?

Image
  A young man called me last night and he was tormented by his relationship with his mother. It is not because she was a horrible mom. It was unresolved grief that is caused by his dad's suicide a few years ago. Emotionally, he blames parents for his father's death although he knows intellectually that it is not right. I knew the father a bit because his mother and her family came to see me for help when they first arrived in Canada. He was a brilliant physician and who was quite loved by people of a small northern town in Alberta. He was awkward in some ways and very uncomfortable in social conversations. This young man has had many conversations with me ever since the suicide. His father's death has been a major topic of our time together. Most of our conversation yesterday was about forgiveness. We were talking about forgiving people who never ask or haven't got a chance to ask us to forgive them. The question is whether we can forgive without being asked. His father...
Read more