Have you heard this story?
A while ago, a six-year-old girl had a new shirt; It was orange. Her grandma had given her this shirt along with her hopes for the future. Wearing her orange shirt, with excitement, the little girl got ready for her first day of school. But what she found at her new school was not what she expected. They took her orange shirt.
That little girl is now a woman, named Phyllis Jack Webstad, and her story is now told to remember our country’s past mistakes, mistakes that should not be forgotten. In order to remember and stand in support of First Nations people, wear an orange shirt on Sept. 30th - Truth and Reconciliation Day.
You might be asking yourself, “Why should we wear orange now? Wasn’t that from ancient history?.” I would reply that it is not so long ago - only a generation or two. Imagine if it was your parents or grandparents. So, let’s move forward together with a desire to establish a better community with our fellow people.
As Christians, we should be the frontrunners of this change. We should lovingly listen to the stories of First Nations Peoples and support our brothers and sisters just as Jesus would. Jesus, himself, said that he was the Truth, so we help others seeking truth and help those families looking for closure.
Jesus isn’t just the Truth, but he is also the author of reconciliation. He is the fulfillment of God’s love revealing a plan to reunite us to Himself. Walking in His footsteps, we should strive for reconciliation with our First Nations brothers and sisters. Let us walk in love.
Start small. Wear orange.
By Mia Splane
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