As this series looking for common ground upon which Christians in the West might begin to approach a better, healthier, and mutually-respectful relationship with the Indigenous peoples upon whose traditional lands we live approaches its end, we’ve shifted from looking at values to some of the those those values are learned, lived, and shared. The … Continue reading Embodying Values in Ceremony
As I mentioned at the end of the most recent post in this series on searching for common ground between the spiritual values promoted by Indigenous cultures and the Christian tradition, today’s post will shift the focus away from values themselves to the mechanisms through which those tools are embodied. Specifically, today I’d like to … Continue reading Embodying Values in Story
Self-righteousness is a funny form of sin: It is pretty much universally loathed, yet also pervasive, and it is among the easiest sins for us to spot in others, yet one of the hardest to spot in ourselves. This very problem, however, says something important about what self-righteousness actually is: an inversion of repentance so … Continue reading The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: A Reflection on Luke 18.9-14
As I’ve been reading about different Indigenous wisdom traditions from across North America, searching for areas of common ground and essential difference between them and my own Christian tradition, I’ve been particularly curious to see how the idea of vocation, which I wrote a lot about at the start of the summer, might manifest itself … Continue reading Wisdom and Generativity: Personal Vocation in Indigenous Traditions
As a general rule, Christians are considered to be a rather severe bunch, people who tend to take ourselves and world pretty seriously. While there is definitely a positive aspect to this — we do only get one chance to live this life so it’s important to make the most of it — it has … Continue reading Subverting Expectation: Humour, Tricksters, and Transformation
Matthew Root 