Dear Friends,
We hope that you are safe and well.
Today is Indigenous Peoples Day. Today's Meditation is a YouTube video of a Ritual to Burn the Doctrine of Discovery, a ritual that took place a few years ago at the Agape Community in Western Massachusetts. Jean and I took part in this ritual--Jean read one of the prayers.
This YouTube meditation was suggested to us by Irene Desharnais. You may remember that the Doctrine of Discovery was a Papal Proclamation in 1493 that said New Lands Discovered by Christians that were presently occupied by non-Christians could be taken over by the Christians who discovered them. Naturally this did irreparable harm to Native Peoples, their Land and their Culture. For this we repent. We have so much to learn from the Native Peoples. It reminds me of the story of John Philip Newell greeting a few years ago a Native American Chief with the greeting Namaste: The Divine in me greets the Divine in you. The Chief began to cry. John Philip Newell was taken aback and asked what the tears meant. The Chief replied, "I was just imagining how different our lives would have been if those who first came from Europe came with the attitude of respecting and learning from all that they found here in America."
We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in the church, in healthcare, in the workplace--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.
In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that it is God's economy of abundance: when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.
We hope and pray that you find peace, healing, hope and the infusion of joy in your life!
With our love and care,
Jean and Ron
MEDITATION 799: Indigenours Peoples's Day and Burning of the Doctrine of Discovery
https://youtu.be/ptGJ1Y35Bzc
Pax Christi Massachusetts Supports Doctrine of Discovery Burning
Pax Christi Massachusetts and the Agape Community held a beautiful ceremony repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery and concluded by burning the document and planting a tree over its ashes. This event was part of a larger program named, “Listening to Native Voices: Standing Rock is Everywhere” where Native Americans led talks and shared wisdom.
The Doctrine of Discovery is a religious document that was created by Pope Alexander VI in 1493 that promoted the racist policy of discovering and conquering “new lands,” that were in fact already occupied. The Doctrine of Discovery gave religious validation to Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of America thereby promoting centuries of torture and discrimination for the indigenous people of America. Property titles and land laws in the United States find their foundation in and can be traced back to the Doctrine of Discovery. Therefore, the current discrimination and treatment of Native Americans finds its root in this document.
Here is a video of the ceremony. It is well worth watching these 12 minutes and 17 seconds.
https://youtu.be/ptGJ1Y35Bzc