Remembering September 30 as a National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
O God, we are blessed to be a human family, blessed to be on this land, blessed to have neighbours as diverse as your creation. We thank you for Indigenous neighbours and friends.
As a community of faith, we join in the lament of our nation. We lament that historic and contemporary racism continues to mar our relations. We lament the church’s role that privileges settler peoples at the expense of the First Peoples of this land. We lament apathy in the face of the need for change, in ways that make a difference.
For the witness of strength, caring, and love of Indigenous peoples, and for the struggle for what is just and right, open our hearts this day. Encourage us to listen more, to participate in the movements for change that will bring us together in good and respectful ways.
Thank you that truth and reconciliation are possible, not just as a distance point on the horizon but as the work we do every day. Creator, you anchor our commitment to reconciliation and will help us act when we see injustice.
Hear our laments, and grow our hearts full of compassion as we strive to be a better friend and neighbour. We pray in the name of Creator. Amen.
