Guest Post by Jimmy Thunder
This guest article is written as a second part of Andrew Gabriel’s article: “No, Indigenous Canadians Don’t Just Need Jesus: Reconciliation Requires More.” I recommend readers read his article first. In his article, Andrew is not saying that we should remove Jesus from the process of reconciliation, but rather that we need to recognize the complex legal, political, and social factors that exist.
Please join me in a written prayer inviting Jesus to speak to us in spaces that we may not have invited him to speak to us before:
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Lord, as Christians, we want to be able to meaningfully contribute to reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples, but we need you to lead us and guide us.
Jesus, help us be better reconcilers between one another
Lord, we know that once we accept you into our lives, we are far from perfect. We are a work in progress over the course of our lives. Teach us to love our neighbors and to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19-27).
Some churches see all conflict as an attack of the enemy that must be destroyed, rather than an opportunity for deeper understanding and shared growth. Teach us the difference between constructive and destructive conflict. Teach us how to have constructive healthy conflict and see reconciliation in general interpersonal relationships in Churches across Canada.
| Constructive Conflict | Destructive Conflict |
| Win/win | Win/lose |
| Seek first to understand then be understood | Dominate the conversation |
| Jesus’ words guide resolution | Jesus’ words are tools for debate |
| Active listening | Waiting for our turn to speak |
Jesus, help us clearly address both sides of conflict between nations
Let us not place the responsibility for conflict resolution solely on the nation that has been offended by requiring them to forgive us.
Jesus, you have the vantage point of seeing conflict between nations throughout history. Anglican priest, Desmond Tutu, was assigned by Nelson Mandela to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. From a Christian perspective, Tutu realised the importance of focusing on our shared humanity so as not to demonize the enemy. Lord soften our hearts.
As humans, we are capable of committing extremely horrifying acts of aggression to one another. We don’t like to think about this part of our nature. We especially don’t want to associate this part of human nature with the nation to which we belong.
In order to address the ‘Truth’ required for Reconciliation we must overcome our human instincts to avoid the uncomfortable conversations about the past and present actions of our nation. It requires the humility to accept the truth of what happened and the love to begin to resolve this problem. This is against our nature, so we need the help of someone above our fallen nature to help us. We need you, Jesus.
The ‘Reconciliation’ of Truth and Reconciliation similarly requires us to move past our human instincts for revenge. Our fallen humanity is the reason why yesterday’s victims can become tomorrow’s oppressors. We need to move beyond our human instincts to a place where we can forgive and live in peace together with our oppressors. This is against our nature, so we need the help of someone above our fallen nature. We need you, Jesus.
Lord, help us understand how to correctly apply your Word to this conflict in Canada
Jesus, you are neither a citizen of Canada nor a citizen of any Indigenous nation. Yet, in 1 Peter 2:12,13 you admonish us to honor God by living as good citizens of whatever nation we belong to. Canadian society is imperfect, but we’ve built institutions for ourselves to provide a structure for those with economic, social, and political power. We’ve written a constitution and agreed to hold ourselves to it. We’ve agreed to follow the values, ideas, and rules our governments represent. We pray that every Christian within these institutions follows your true words and not false words attributed to your name.
For centuries, the doctrine of discovery and terra nullius has been taught as the true word of God. This doctrine taught that if Indigenous Peoples were not farming the lands that were discovered by the early settlers from European nations, then the Indigenous People could be considered ‘flora and fauna’ and title to these lands could be obtained by mere discovery. The interests of the settlers’ nations were given authority from the Church until the authority of these concepts were transferred to case law. Words misattributed to your name were used as the basis for decisions made by the judicial branch of Canada’s government until 2014.
Lord, help us see the full scope of Christian involvement in reconciliation
Conflict resolution on any scale is never successful when the offending party unilaterally defines the scope of the problem and the solution. Give non-Indigenous Christians the humility to define reconciliation from the perspective of Indigenous Christians. Lord, speak to the hearts of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Christians to use our imperfect institutions to provide equal living standards to members on either side of the Treaty relationship.
We thank you Lord that Christians are learning that the 94 Calls to Action aren’t enough, these calls are just a starting point. Let us now begin to reflect on the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples (commissioned after the Oka Crisis in 1990), the nation-to-nation agreements known as the treaties, and other documents from a Christian worldview.
Help us understand treaties in the way treaties and covenants are expressed in scripture. A nation doesn’t sign treaties with people groups. Treaties in North America are nation-to-nation agreements that were made in good faith and were guided by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 The long history of treaty making in this land is reflected in our Canadian Constitution in section 35. Treaties are not meant to be forgotten. Teach us to honor you by living as good citizens of Canada by honoring our word and our Canadian institutions.
Lord, help us do better at introducing you to Indigenous Peoples
As was the case with Terra Nullius, we have not fairly represented you to Indigenous Peoples for centuries. We have associated you with the selfish and destructive policies of the Indian Act such as residential schools.
Let us be true representatives of you in this world by sharing the full context of scripture, including the Old Testament prophets who call for justice in this world. As Roy Hession writes in The Calvary Road, let us draw closer to one another by drawing closer to you in the same way that the spokes of a wheel draw closer to each other as they draw closer to the center.
Lord, as Christians, we want to be able to meaningfully contribute to reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples, but we need you
to lead us
and to guide us.
Soften our hearts.
In your name we pray,
Amen.
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Jimmy Thunder, MBA, serves as the director of economic development for Norway House Cree Nation, adjunct faculty at Horizon College and Seminary, board member of Circles for Reconciliation, and founder of Reconciliation Thunder, a non-profit that uses social media to support Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. He has been a guest speaker at the University of Manitoba, community organizations, churches, CHVN radio, CHEC and faith-based conferences, and he has been published in Christianity Today and Faith Today.You might also be interested in these posts:
Thank you. Challenged. Encouraged.