In the Name of Jesus

Isn’t it incredible what harm can be inflicted in the name of Jesus?

The residential schools in Canada were funded by the Canadian government and were run by churches.

In the name of Jesus, they were established to forcibly convert and assimilate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children; to convert these children to Christianity and to assimilate them to English-speaking, Euro-Canadian culture.

In the name of Jesus, Indigenous youths as young as 3 years old were torn from the arms of their parents, removed from their homes, and denied the comforts of familiar language, customs, clothing, and culture. 

In the name of Jesus, the first residential schools were established by Catholic missionaries.  The Roman Catholic Church operated many of the schools, and the Anglican, United, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches were also involved. 

In the name of Jesus, over 130 residential schools operated from the 1830s to 1996 and they existed in every province and territory in Canada except for Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland & Labrador.   There were 15 in Ontario alone. 

In the name of Jesus, the first residential school – The Mohawk Institute - was established by the Anglican Church in 1831 in Brantford, Ontario.   It is now run by the Woodland Cultural Centre; I’ve driven past it many times on the way to soccer practice with my kids. 

(The Mohawk Institute; photo credit:  Wikipedia.ca)

Isn’t it incredible and horrible what pain, trauma, hurt, and horrors can be inflicted in the name of Jesus?

Today, many Christians will be attending worship services – online, in person, via zoom, at drive-in church – and I pray that this sobering truth is considered.  In the name of Jesus, Christians are capable of inflicting great pain and, in doing so, can gravely and seriously misrepresent Jesus and his beautiful, life-giving gospel message of hope.

Jesus gave the Bible to teach us how to live; He even gave summaries because He knows that humanity is prone to misunderstanding.  He summed up His law and directions in this clear, direct, concise way:

LOVE GOD

LOVE OTHERS.  (Matthew 22: 37-39)

Micah 6: 8, reminds all Christians that God requires us to DO justice, to LOVE kindness, and to WALK humbly before God.

Christians, MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, must represent the love, kindness, compassion, and self-sacrificial tenderness of Jesus to others. 

Jesus always had time for the little, the lost, the lonely, the rejected, the despised, the outcast.  He called the little children to come and be with him.  He spoke to a Samaritan woman when no other self-respecting Jewish man would; he touched lepers and the dead to bring healing and health; he gave up his life to bring hope to humanity. 

Jesus would never have hurt or abused Indigenous youth.   

Christians must stop misrepresenting Jesus; must stop making the gospel message repulsive to their neighbours, communities, and nation. 

So today, I’m calling myself to represent Jesus well. 

To show love like he showed love; to extend grace and kindness as he would have; to write and speak words that are winsome, and beautiful; to live a life that illustrates a gospel message that is always always always healing, hope-filled, life-giving, and full of love.

 

 

Sources:

·          https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools

·         An Overview of the Indian Residential School System - by the Union of Ontario Indians based on research compiled by Karen Restoule

·         Wikipedia online

We Need to Talk About This Dark Secret

We need to talk.

We need to talk because I’m pissed off, sick, and sad.

About a week ago, I first heard about Canada’s unearthed tragedy.   I’ve been processing it, grieving it, and researching it ever since.

The remains of 215 children were discovered in a mass, unmarked grave on the grounds of a former residential school in BC. 

I’m sure you’ve read or heard about this news, but can we just let the horror of it sink in for a minute?

The remains –

The remains of CHILDREN –

The remains of children in a MASS, UNMARKED grave…

These are words and these are realities that should never be strung together.  These are words and realities that make me feel sick and deeply deeply sad. 

I hope you feel the same way.

I hope you are upset, sickened, and disturbed. 

The remains of these children were found buried on the grounds of a residential school and the more I learn about these schools, the more I realize they are a macabre part of Canada’s dirty, dark, sinister past. 

                                       Former Kamloops Indian Residential School.  (Photo credit:  BBC Canada)

Residential schools were established to forcibly convert Indigenous youth to Catholicism or Protestantism as well as assimilate them into what the European settlers were deciding was Canadian language, culture, and customs.  The ultimate goal was to “kill the Indian” in every child.  The schools were federally funded and church directed.  They operated from 1831 - 1996. 

                                            (photo credit National Post)

I was attending school during those last years.  I graduated from High School in 1996, but the teaching techniques at my school were nothing like those used at the residential schools. 

Children attending the residential schools were forcibly removed from their families and everything that was familiar.  They endured beatings, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and rape.   According to the Department of Indian Affairs (1907 report), 90-100% of children suffered physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and there was a 40-60% mortality rate.

Now, my school had the strap hanging in the principal’s office where it hung ready to smack any errant student.  I even remember being slapped full across the face by a teacher in front of my entire class, but our school NEVER ever had a mortality rate. 

And the more I learn about these residential schools, the more I realize how much I DON’T KNOW.  I did NOT learn about the residential schools and their attempts at Indigenous cultural genocide.  I was too busy going to my private, Christian school where I was allowed to maintain any custom carried over from my dutch motherland.   No one took me away from my parents, beat me, sexually assaulted me, despised me or tried to “kill the Dutch” in me.

I asked my husband if he remembers learning about the residential schools.  He did not.  His first exposure was through the 2016 album released by The Tragically Hip called “The Secret Path”, a 10-song album dedicated to the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12 year old Anishinaabe boy who had run away from a residential school in 1969 in Kenora, Ontario.  Chanie died attempting to walk the 600km home. 

                                                    (photo credit:  amazon.ca)

I asked several friends if they learned about the residential schools.  One remembered two short paragraphs in a thick history tome.   That’s it.

My son, however, knew about the schools.  “We learned about them in our history class last year,” he told me.  I threw up my hands and rejoiced.  Good! 

WE NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” 

Let’s not be part of the danger or part of the problem. 

Let’s not be ignorant any longer. 

In light of this, I will be dedicating several days to researching, educating, and calling myself (and you, if you want to join me) to action.

My friends, let’s keep talking.

#womenencouragers #nomoreignorance #residentialschools #grievingourpast

#letstalk