One of the real privileges about attending this meeting is the strong involvement of indigenous, native American and first nations peoples in the meeting. There was an extraordinary moment at the beginning of the Council when official gifts were exchanged at a wonderful drumming and welcoming ceremony.
The gift offered to the local representatives of the Native American indigenousous peoples by the newly formed World Communion of Reformed Churches was a US military sword that had been made into a ploughshare.
A peace medal from a time of treaties between colonisers and indigenous in the 19th century was offered to the presidents of the WCRC by the NAtive American leaders. Symbol of the hope for peace but of many broken promises between "anglos" and indigenous over the centuries. A sign of hope for better and tranformed relationsh in the future.
At the press briefing in preparation for the Pow Wow - which will take place later today - we heard how deeply moving this exhange had been for one Native American woman - to receive a US sword turned into a ploughshare - "In my culture anglos are referred to as people of the sword" so a sword transformed into a ploughshare has enormous meaning. You can read more from the press briefing here.
As I write this Richard Twiss is speaking to the plenary, an extraordinary address which I cannot fully capture here. He is challenging "the theology of the cowboys", reaffirming the need for an indigenous theology and making a very strong plea for the need to look at issues of land, justice, reconciliation and much, much more besides. He brought a strong challenge and a deep commitment to Jesus Christ to his address to the Council meeting.
He's now ending his address by singing and drumming, and praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in ever deeper discernment.
A version of Richard Twiss' address can be found here.
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