Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Reflection

“This hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be of the same color as yours. I am a man. The same God made us both.” –Standing Bear, 1879

Prayer

Creator Spirit,

Thanks to Standing Bear’s words, an immature nation opened its eyes and recognized the one human family refracted in the Native American. How shamefully slow we have been! Refusing to see your image in each other! Forgive us, God, for obdurate blindness, and the willful desire to seek comfort in sameness. May we marvel instead, that your image explodes in so many colors, grateful that creation’s diversity is truly a sign of your goodness. On this celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we remember and affirm once again our fundamental unity, as one human family. Amen.

Call to Action

With whom do I struggle to show God’s hospitality? Take a moment today to reflect sincerely on where in my life I need to practice inclusion.