Sermon for June 25, 2023 – The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Truth, Reconciliation, and Restoration

Reconciliation…to reconcile…What does it mean to you? I imagine that if I were to ask this question to each of you, I would likely receive just as many different answers, as we all have different understandings and different experiences of reconciliation. It is a word that we hear a lot, especially coupled with another important word…truth. And these two words are necessary parts to repair the breach by uncovering the truth, and owning up to the suffering and dehumanization that has been caused between peoples.

If some of you are beginning to squirm in your seats or are thinking “here we go again,” good. This pursuit is not comfortable and should make us uneasy as we peel back the layers of the historical injustices that the indigenous peoples of North America experienced at the hands of the “divinely-inspired” European colonists. When they arrived they did not see thriving communities and culture. Instead they saw “heathens in need of saving,” who were living differently from the typical European way of life. Out of fear and hubris, and aided by the biology of viruses and initial superior weaponry, the great European kings carved up this land, that did not belong to them, like a pie for them to consume an ocean away. In doing so, they wiped out entire communities and nations of indigenous people along the way.

If we feel like we are hearing this often, then that is good because when we stop talking, when we stop remembering, then the past fades from memory and we risk making the same mistakes all over again. By talking about truth and reconciliation, by deepening our understanding of our historical role in this, we keep taking steps towards healing, towards restoration.

The Cambridge dictionary defines reconciliation as “the process of making two people or groups of people friendly again after they have argued seriously or fought and kept apart from each other, or a situation in which this happens.” This is a helpful definition in that it roots reconciliation in peace. Peace is at the heart of reconciliation.

The government of Canada understands reconciliation as a commitment “…to a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership.” This understanding mentions nothing of peace, but does give us a few more words to add to our working definition like, rights, respect, and co-operation. If peace is the heart of reconciliation, then respect and co-operation are the means by which we walk the path towards reconciliation. By acknowledging the inherent rights of the indigenous peoples of North America to land and resources, it then restores what was stripped from them by the European colonists. Acknowledging these basic human rights entitles people to rights of autonomy, self-determination, and self-governance; the first steps towards towards reconciliation.

When we look at reconciliation through our Christian theological lenses, we understand reconciliation is the end of the estrangement, caused by our sinful actions that creates a separation between us and God, and a separation between each other. Reconciliation happens when we acknowledge and confess those sins, and being forgiven by God, we shed the burdens of those sins, freed from their power over us, and we are no longer separated from God as we try better to not repeat our actions; all the while knowing that God will continue to offer us this divine grace, this divine forgiveness over and over again, so we should not live our lives in fear. Therefore, what we experience in being reconciled back with God, should be an example for how we act and interact with our neighbors and strangers alike. Reconciliation is the work of divine justice that makes for human peace and the work of a divine peace that delivers human justice rooted in the divine actions of God. Our theological approach provides us with a few more words that might be helpful: confession, forgiveness, and emulation. Emulation is perhaps the most important for us as Christians, as we are constantly called to emulate God as we follow the teachings and actions of Jesus, God incarnate…love your neighbor as God loves you, unconditionally.

So, as we have seen, reconciliation is not easy. It is difficult work to repair what was broken, to restore that which has been destroyed. Reconciliation involves the deep work of the heart. We are called to seek peace, to acknowledge our common humanness that binds all people together regardless of culture, race, or creed. We must cast a reflective gaze towards the past to uncover the truths that have been buried for far too long. We must confess our sins, seek forgiveness, and then, and here is where the rubber meets the road, and then work together towards building a better, brighter future. We must co-operate and respect our differences. It is too easy to assume a level of guilt and then offer support to assuage that guilt, but that can be perceived as condescending and perpetuating the “savior” mentality that maintains a sense of separation. In the States we say If we look at scripture we see Jesus getting down into the muck and mire to come alongside someone and help them. So too must we, resist the urge to seek quick fixes, to throw money at the problem and walk away. Instead we can come alongside our indigenous brothers and sisters and hear their story to share in shouldering the burdens and sharing in the joys that come with walking this journey together.

In preparation for today, I asked Barbara+ what she thought our community needed to hear about reconciliation, and she paused, thought for a moment, and told me “More cooperation.” She said, if you want to see reconciliation than you do not have look further than All Saints, as we are the only church with both an Anglo and an Indigenous priest on staff. Our cooperative relationship, where we learn form each other, support each other, and seek and serve Christ in all people, is an example of reconciliation. While this is an excellent start, there is still so much more work before us, because while reconciliation is key, restoration is also key. We are called to reconcile and restore broken relationships. Reconciliation is the pathway towards restoration, and the restoration of creation is at the heart of the mission of God.

In a few moments we will once again have the opportunity to confess our sins against God and our neighbors, and we will once again receive absolution through God’s infinite mercy. And we will then be reminded of this mercy and grace as we partake in holy communion, but the work isn’t done yet. Let us take this grace and mercy and be reflections of God’s compassion and love as together we walk this path of truth and reconciliation.

Amen.