I am… a Mom, a Grandma, a musician, a retired teacher, a Companion — a clay vessel being shaped and reshaped everyday. It is not the shell I move around everyday with, but the heart that is being molded, all in the Creator’s time.
All my life experience has shaped my heart, raising 4 children, teaching JK/SK students, volunteering as a church musician and in particular, being a member of a “Companions” group. “Companions” is a group of lay people and one religious sister from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph. The purpose of this group really is to understand and share and live the charism of the founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph in our daily lives. This outreach group has had a flow of working/retired, men/women in the group who listen to the movements of the Spirit when praying, sharing, singing, reflecting on personal/world events which impact their lives.
Our most recent “Companions” virtual meeting involved a guest who provided us with his life experience as it related to our topic of reflection: racism. Our head knowledge of this topic was based on the book, “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad. Our heart knowledge learning was based on listening to this young Indigenous family man and his lived experience of racism. With gentleness, openness, humility and humour he shared his life and work experience.
What immediately struck me and others in our group was his wisdom of heart, being who he was called to be at such a young age (early thirties). Many of us could relate to him on the level of “being” as we are past the stage of life of “doing”. Living his life, he has realized about right relationship and he expressed a desire to reconnect with his Indigenous heritage after the death of his Indigenous Grandfather. He spoke the language of right relationship, …love, addressing the needs of others by listening and communicating in a reciprocal manner, especially the elders in his work life. We only have to look at retirement homes during COVID to see where we fail at loving our elders. He offered practical suggestions of books to read and courses to take which address more truthfully our knowledge of present-day indigenous issues of marginalization.
History books tell the story from the perspective of the dominant person and therefore is a one-sided story coming from a vantage point of power. It was backed up with heart knowledge where inadequate solutions to serious problems caused subsequent physical, social, emotional and spiritual consequences in these communities. These issues are real, and they are happening to real people. The enduring shame of Indigenous people must be challenged. We can’t dismantle what we can’t see. We are all racists and our help to address the shame and marginalization, in particular, Indigenous youth must mean we need to relate to them without stereotyping, defining, limiting, and judging.
He shared a story from his work life about his plan to help indigenous youth connect with their heritage in their community. It was a tree planting project. When he approached the elder (who had no prior dialogue about the plan) as to where the trees should be planted, the elder directed the tree planting group to the outer edge of the boreal forest where this Indigenous community had carved out its community life. The Spirit gave him a moment of humourous reflection with the love lesson of always having meaningful discussions about their needs rather than having a pre built-up plan to solve the issues.
How can an Indigenous community have a boil water advisory for 25 years?! The answer to that question is a personal conversion of heart. Whether it is in omission or commission this suffering in this community is my suffering too. In order to have common union we must face this community’s suffering and convert our heart.
Our speaker’s passion for learning about his heritage and his desire to claim it was remarkable. He recognized his homecoming, who he was created to be is the path he must take. What insight, courage, humility, gentleness knowing that his journey is my journey too…who we are called to become, who we are called to be…Love.
Submission from the Pentecost Companions Group: Jane, Leanne, Jaime, Dena, Sue, Ann.