Colossians 1: 15-20 “The Full Circle of Grace”

For years Native Americans, like the natives of many other lands, were told that they must embrace the perspective and customs of Western civilization if they were to be truly Christian. Native American children were severely punished in their schools if they spoke Native American languages. In many cases, children were taken from the parents and raised in white-operated orphanages and forbidden to demonstrate anything about their native cultures. Some Native Americans surrendered to such pressure and entered into despair and hopelessness as they saw their roots ripped from their souls. But others refused to become white in order to become Christian. And today there are Native American Christians who are writing theology from their perspective and experience. They are learning how to be Christian without surrendering their roots. Continue reading