Another National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has come upon us and I for one am encouraged to see the number of people who have embraced it here in Winnipeg, and of course on social media.
I stumbled on, and into, a few conversations not long ago about the value of continuing to repeat the same land acknowledgements at church and social gatherings. More accurately, the discussions revolved around whether or not they were still holding meaning like they once did or have they just become something we do, not necessarily with a sense of conviction. It wasn’t really a challenge to remove them like we find in some circles, because the topic is contentious, rather it is about a ritual that loses meaning. Every church or organization has these conversations (or should) from time to time to figure out what they do that brings about conviction and resolve, and what is just being done for the sake of doing it.
No one wants a topic of conviction to become an object in the corner that no one knows what to do with. The flipside of this of course is the place of ritual in our practices. Some things become sacramental and more meaningful because we just did them. Religiously.
As I process this day — yes I have been on a tangent of blog posts about special days this Fall — I question my own motives for making the day meaningful. There is the historical recognition, through reading, media, and most importantly, conversations, that first brought me into the space of it being a personal conviction. Hearing stories from those deeply impacted by the actions of the government (Canada) and the church (general) spoke to me and my sense of peace and justice in the world around me. To take it further, truth and reconciliation made sense to me in my understanding of the work of Jesus and how we see this message in scripture. I am reminded every time I look at the orange shirts I have bought over the years that the Creator’s desire of peace and justice throughout all creation is a daily action of being. Today is marked by the community around me catching a glimpse of that mission and sharing a small piece of the hope for all.
So, today is a reminder of values held within all humanity, if only as a glimmer, put there by design. It is a reminder to take action personally and as a community.
Listening. Asking. Bearing the weight together. Discerning a hopeful response. These are the actions that come to the forefront of my mind and today is simply a reminder to keep them there.
You can read my past posts about Truth and Reconciliation here: (I’m sure I have said more somewhere, but here are the main 3)
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