My father is a French-Canadian and my mother was a First Nations Mohawk. The Oka Crisis in Ontario in 1990 brought something to their home that I had never witnessed growing up - a house divided by a particular people.
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| Oka - cbc.ca |
I was raised without a cultural divide. There were no face-offs; no boundaries that separated us from other people. I was free to build a relationship with everyone. Marry the person I love. Love being the operative word - not ruled by physical or social qualities.
The Oka land dispute between the Mohawk people and the town of Quebec was the first well publicized violent conflict between First Nations and the Canadian government. It also became the first cultural battle my parents faced inside their home. Freedom of speech was no longer invited. Opinions were met with retaliation and anger. Silence almost always followed. Thankfully, their marriage survived that war.
Why do we take sides during a dispute? -- People sometimes have a habit of getting involved in disputes that don't directly involve them.
Are we driven by the media? -- The number of people affected by a story makes us feel that it's important.
Are we hypervigilant about the issues regarding this world? -- Human interest stories get our attention. But we must do our homework.
Do we join forces with people we shouldn't? -- Beware of Satan's presence.
What impacts our decision to take a stand? -- The tendency during any crisis is to become all consumed by it. Make sure you recognize God's voice in it.
We must remind ourselves that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. While our nation is under attack in so many ways right now, we as Christian's need to be careful how we react.
It pains me when I see a Christian organization splitting hairs over the mere mention of 'God' because it might offend someone. More often than not, we fear saying the wrong thing or making an inappropriate comment. We need to proclaim God's word without fear or shame.
In this world of chaos I just like spending time writing letters to encourage people who suffer from depression as well as writing letters to our sponsor child through Compassion Canada. I enjoy cooking meals with a community of believers who put their love for Jesus into action by sharing what we have with people in need. I want to help wherever I can.
I want to make wise decisions in the middle of a strong and violent change.
I want Jesus presence to not be silenced.
I want to be a light in the world, standing firm in His teachings and doing something good.
