Hi Pastoral Care Team members,
The question 1:
The Rev. Mark MacDonald said, “Our misperception of each other can cause the ‘death’ of the other people, as we may diminish someone else’s humanity. The heart of the problem relating to each other is not just physical death.” What is most challenging part in this learning? Can you relate this learning to your own experience or what you’ve witnessed?
The question 2:
Has this learning helped you deepen your understanding of “Care?” If so, how? What is your definition of “Care”?
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Isaiah 25: "The Veil of Death"
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+25&version=CJBThe heart of the problem relating to each other is not just physical death.
How we misperceive each other can cause the “death” of the other people, of someone else’s humanity.
Alcoholism - family disease. The whole family can be sick. “Systemic disease,” not just individuals.
“Pastoral ministry”: We who are in “pastoral ministry” are “privileged” to see people whose lives are …
Example) Love their children, but abuse them.
Their will power/desire is crushed, torn apart by these crazy way of …
This “veil of death” is a way in which people see the humanity in other people - diminished, crushed.
After taking an example of Residential School:
“Is what we are looking for better than the lives of children?”
“Is what we are looking for better than the lives of children?”
"How can the death of children be justifiable?"
"Mass hypnotism”
Ways of thinking of indigenous people - “primitive,” “earlier stage of what we are not.”
If they are given enough training, education, good stuff, they will become like us. That’s what God wants.
We become hypnotized to thinking this way.
“We will have to show you what to do” (when the Indigenous congregation went to a Conference held in Toronto)
The way of thinking becomes a habit
This habit/pattern becomes very destructive
4-500 years of hypnotism
Mistrust/distrust
Even indigenous people need to look at themselves in a way that is harmful (hypnotized)
“Why are you so dumb? Why do you do that way?”
We are no longer to be treated less than human
What reconciliation would look like in Canada?
Paul in the Second Corinthians
“Spiritual Battle” is not between flesh/blood
but their imagination - how they think
“Indigenous women don’t matter.”
They are 14 year old girls - how can we think that “they” are responsible for their own being victimized
-> This is the “death veil” kind of thinking
Reconciliation is the reclaiming of the oppressed people of their humanity
The movement toward true reconciliation; IT CAN’T BE STOPPED. IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.
It has impact to the “Church."
It calls Church to be very different;
Movement of truth as a community that sees the rest of the humanity as their family
A young person said, “It makes us free.”
Christian people: Who we are and what we are for
- to look at the cross in a very different way
Colonization & Residential Schools: What we wanted is them to “disappear.” (or updated/upgraded)
We all need to throw away “the veil of death”. Even Stan MacKay should.
Even though they are the baptized Christian, church still sees them as the Other.
On this mountain Adonai-Tzva’ot
will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food and superb wines,
delicious, rich food and superb, elegant wines.
7
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil which covers the face of all peoples,
the veil enshrouding all the nations.
8
He will swallow up death forever.
Adonai Elohim will wipe away
the tears from every face,
and he will remove from all the earth
the disgrace his people suffer.
For Adonai has spoken.
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