THE WORLD OF MISSIONS

Interesting perspective Joel Osteen has. His words seem based upon an assumption of man's superiority over Nature. There is a subtle suggestion that man's existence, his being is somehow the center of life's movements. The ring of Pastor Osteen's words sounds like God's actions are awaiting man's nod to act out on our behalf.

"If you take the limits off of God he will amaze you.." Joel Osteen said. "He will amaze you with his goodness..."

In the glory days before the missionaries Earth centered people (I don't like the term, but it speaks to Western ears) never shared this sensibility with their children, or their grandchildren, and my life intertwined as it has been with those mysteries that connect land to spirit and Creation to the movements of Life in one's body the implications of Rev. Osteen's words have the same spirit to them that disassembled the indigenous cultures for the advancement of Europe across the globe. In other words missionaries have employed the same sense of God to Native people for centuries. The words, and the examples of the missionaries led to the end of each tribe's culture, and sovereignty.  Missionary work was the sudden, or gradual desolation of culture, loss of language, ceremonies, effective parenting, and the traditional relationship with the Creator, and the Earth, our Mother that held the world in balance. The 'visitors' did not understand our sacred ways until their archaeologists and anthropologists picked up the shattered pieces, and began listening, and learning from the rubble. The mission of that Church system is still in place in Africa, Asia, Turtle Island, Greenland, etc...

It is in the words. It lives in the words. Native peoples know and remember the words, and Pastor Osteen speaks those words our elders suffered under. Their grandparents warned and taught, as best they could, the cunning ways of the missionaries, and taught the children they could teach how to hunt for their souls, and remember the language of their ancestors, and listen to the land of their People. The stories are in the books the white people wrote. Churches and their missionaries are still in league with traffickers stealing children away from Native parents. The spirit of those words are still wrecking havoc on the lives conquered by missionaries globally  It has not ended the ripple effect of those word's spirit, and the way American missionaries operate is little changed. By my own eyes and experience as recent as June 2013 this approach, and sense of God is still being insinuated and presented on reservations across the US as the way of God! - Gregory E. Woods 8.30.13



a sad note:

"In this short essay I was responding to a post on a friend's Facebook wall. She is an author, a Christian. Our backgrounds connect at an important part of my life. That being said I took a risk making this observation. In real life the staunch supporters of the Church are not students, and anything that challenges patterns of belief is attacked. It is no different in cyberspace. It is sad, but predictable. I've enjoyed so much in the circles of learning and sharing, but sadly conservatism and Christianity are the most resistant to change, challenge, revelation and transformation." - Gregory