I drafted this on Indigenous People’s Day, but wasn’t able to get it finished and posted until now. I offer this imperfect, searching reflection on the toll of perpetuating injustice.
What exactly did we lose In our crossing all those years ago
We hear the cries of what we stole
From the keepers of these lands
When we stepped out into ‘unclaimed’ space
Declaring it our own Health, flourishing, safety Men, women, children Futures and generations Beginning with the land
We saw much to gain
We staked our claim
We failed to see Humanity, Goodness, Purpose
What exactly did we lose As we marched toward ‘destiny’ all those years ago?
We hear the cries of what we stole
From the ones we forced to march
Further and further in
Making manifest our dreams History, grounding, purpose Men, women, children Futures and generations Beginning with the land
We saw much to gain
We plundered
We failed to see Humanity, Value, Dignity
All that we lost In our crossing and our marching all those years ago
We sought to wrest from others
Stealing futures, borrowing against our own
But who can produce that which is lost?
Who can return what is stolen and spent? Unmoored from faith, ancestor, purpose Our children wander in a trackless future Unable to distinguish between our God and our atrocities Generations rapidly sinking into self
We saw much to gain
And in our ambition
We set aside our own Humanity, forfeited our own Life
Come, Lord Jesus, come For we have built what we cannot undo On the heads of our hosts On the shoulders of those we thought poor And now we are too impoverished to set it right
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
In Pursuit of More 
Thought provoking. It seems to be man’s nature — to move into others’ land and take possession and find some way to justify and rationalize the atrocities that take place in so doing. It is not limited to Americans. Every country has a history that is less than stellar. Sin is ever-constant and most are not even aware of the Enemy that lurks close by and knows how to seduce and entice us. We also need to remember there were always people who spoke out against what was done, and still speak out — constructively. And strive for change. Not by violence. By faith and action.
Glad to see you writing again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for reading and responding! Sorry it took me to long to reply, I’ve been pretty spotty in my wordpress involvement since baby 🙂 I agree that this is a human condition problem. I think in this piece I am trying to wrestle with how this human condition issue affects my specific community of white Americans, and even more specifically how I see the effects of our perpetration of injustice playing out in our community generations later. In justifying ourselves or deflecting our communal responsibility, we allow everything to continue as the Enemy wants it to. At the same, it feel paralyzing to look the problem in the eye and really know in any concrete way what it would mean to try and set it right (hence the last paragraph). I miss you all at writer’s group!
LikeLike