Canada

In studying Bible commentaries, I came across a word “diaspora”. Historically, the word diaspora was used to describe the mass dispersion of a people from their original “indigenous” territories to different locations, in the Bible specifically the dispersion of Jews. That got me to wondering if this word “diaspora” could apply to Indigenous dispersal in North America.   

‘There remains an experience of incomparable value. We have for once learnt to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcast, the suspects, the maltreated, the powerless, the oppressed, the reviled – in short, from the perspective of those who suffer.’

“When it comes to cross-cultural ministry, I could give you techniques, but what has made the greatest impact is when we exchanged hearts.” (Ray Aldred, Hearts Exchanged Report, 2000)

I have been following a few different topics that, I believe, have a common intersecting point: re-attachment.  The Canadian government is discussing a newly proposed Bill C-15 to implement UNDRIP.  And the global pandemic has caused further struggles in seeing action to counter climate change.  As the Christian Reformed denomination is working to renew both the relationship to land and Indigenous Peoples I believe we must look to principles of engagement and re-attachment in order to see positive change.  To

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence. - Acts 2:18

I sometimes find that the word refuge or phrases like seeking refuge lull us into a false sense of safety and security, especially when talking about people who are forcibly displaced from their homes and are given the label refugee. 

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. - Psalm 25:4

Mark 10:31 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105

In our world today there are over 80 million people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes, including 26.4 million refugees. In my last post I mentioned that less than 1% of refugees are resettled through a formal refugee resettlement program in one of 37 formal resettlement countries yearly, but in 2020 that number dipped down to the lowest in recorded history.