Native American Church of Virginia Comments to His Holiness Pope Francis - Part I of III

Removing Barriers to Reduce the Suffering for Indigenous People Worldwide

PART I of III
By Chris (Comeswithclouds) White
ONAC of VA and HOSLJ Commandry of Virginia

1.  Indigenous People around the world are suffering.  Indigenous People around the world are living in oppression. Hunger. Hurt. Discrimination. With a loss of self and self-expression. Culturally, emotionally and economically disconnected from the rest of society. Experiencing a sense of worthlessness. Living in uncontrollable servitude to a power beyond their capacity to rise above. Living in an abomination of desolation. A place of spiritual alienation manifesting itself collectively leading to the death of the inner man created in God’s image; becoming man according to man’s wisdom. The wisdom of the current day says it knows what is best for man. Corporations can claim ownership of God’s creation through patent law, whether GMO of food sources, pharmaceuticals of God given plants, controlling who does and who doesn’t get food or medicine; governments with population human and intellectual control leveraging military activity, economic and information restrictions. Corporations and governments are determining factors of the human condition in the world today – Enigmas of reason and logic. The Indigenous Peoples suffering is real.

2. To understand and help transform Indigenous Peoples’ circumstances we must first start with the words (Indigenous and People). The adjective indigenous derives from the Latin etymology, which means "native" or "born within." The word people in the dictionary means a body of persons that is united by a common culture, tradition or sense of kinship, which typically have common language, institutions and beliefs. Some would go further to say, people are a politically organized group. Although no real definitive definition of "indigenous people" exists, we believe we can agree that these words have something in common and have evolved to refer to culturally distinct groups of people affected by the impact of different types of colonization.

 3. The only barriers that exist are in language. God spoke creation into existence. In the beginning was the Word. God “said” let there be light. And there was light. If you had faith of a mustard seed you will “say” to this mountain, move from here to there. And it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. God said his “Word” will not return to him void. Are we speaking the language of God today? Did not God come down and confuse the language of Nimrod’s day because with one language nothing could be withheld from them? There is power in the spoken word. It is not just about faith. It is a mystery. Why did Jesus say, if you “say” to the mountain, it will move? Why did God have to “say,” let there be light? Is it because His spoken “Word” will not return void? Is it the sound of God’s “Word,” that when it goes out and reverberates that creation is, that things become things, things come into existence? Is that what it means that all things created were created through Him (Jesus Christ), “The Word?”  When Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread Jesus answers and “said:” “It is written, ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’ (Deuteronomy 8:3) or to say “man shall not live by bread alone but he does live solely and have life by every word that proceeds or becomes evident from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:3) The “Word” (Jesus) is the bread of life. (John 6:48) If it is just thought without language it does not come into being. There is mysterious power in the spoken word. Without language we could not dream. Without language we cannot imagine. Without language we cannot tell anyone anything. Without language nothing could have come into existence. It is about what you say with your mouth and believe with your heart that creates. The power of the spoken “word” is underestimated and not fully understood. It is not by faith alone that we can move mountains. We have to “tell” the mountain to move. These are all contained in language. Only with language can we travel forward and backward in time. The past is gone and the future is a thought which is not yet come. We can only “speak” of what we did yesterday or last year. We can only “speak” of our plans for tomorrow.

In response to request by Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem Grand Chancellor Chevalier Massimo J Ellul GCLJ GCMLJ Grand Priory of Malta through the Oklevueha Native American Church Elder James (WFE) Mooney Grand Priory of Indigenous People Worldwide.

Pope Francis, Qom leader and Perez Esquivel Centre

4.  What if one person in authority took something out of context a long time ago. The next generation would not understand the “context” in which it was originally spoken and intended to be communicated. Future generations could go on for centuries trying to achieve results from a misunderstood or out of context principle and truth. By “context” we mean, if I hold my index finger in the air like this and there is no context what does it mean? It could mean anything. I’m still holding my index finger in the air and the context is “direction” what does it mean? It means “up.” If the context is
“number,” it means “one.” If it was left up to their interpretation, and if that context was not in the perfect will of God (the Word or language of God), we would have pestilence, wars and chaos & corruption would have reign in the world. Consider the possibilities that language can create in regard to religion.

5. Language in the context of religion has problems. Is truth compromised in the language we speak in regard to religion? Our premise is that each religion speaks about how they differ from another. Rather, let’s look at how we are alike rather than how we are different; to come to that place of commonality.

6. How are Judaism, Catholicism, Islam and Protestant alike? What truths do they hold in common? One God, Creator of all things. A place or destination not made by hands, i.e., heaven. Honor father and mother. Does the faith of the indigenous have commonality with these? Within the principle of honor father and mother, Judaism is the Mother of Catholicism. Catholicism is the Mother of Islam and Protestant. Are the children of Judaism honoring their mother? Is the mother nurturing the children? Is the truth of the principle honor father and mother compromised by self-interest? Do our ears hear the accuser judging who is right, who is wrong? Does pride have its way when we hear our way is right? Truth is neither right nor wrong. It just “IS.” Within these religions is a focus on the destination, i.e., going to heaven; which determines how we live our lives; how we should interact with others in order to arrive in heaven when our physical days are done. This focus is directional and in the future. A problem with the context of heaven being directional is that it is self-seeking. The most important thing in that faith is that the individual reach his or her destination some place in the future. This is self-seeking.  James 3:16 says, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” Is something missing or out of context in the teaching of heaven?

7. Religions versus the Native Way. Let us look at the Indigenous; the Native Way. There are many tribes, many traditions and many rituals. What sums up within all of those a common thread? It would be the Lakota word, “Mitakuye Oyasin” all my relations, or Seminole word, Hyiata “we are all related.” The Native Way says, we are no different than a tree, a rock or a fish. Judaism and her children would say, we are certainly not of a tree nor a monkey nor a fish. Which one is right?

8. How can language bridge a fundamental gap? If one were to say we were all related by virtue of being created, then the statement would be true and agreement in language could be seen between Judaism, her children and the Native Way. Language creates space beyond the limitations of right or wrong as a space of truth and understanding; a space where wisdom is drawn from. Let us look at how we are alike. Instead of focusing on how we are different.

Continue to Part 2

Continue to Part 3

© Chris (Comeswithclourds) White and ONAC of VA a SanctuaryontheTrail.org 2010-2015.
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