Jude writes about three people who were religious, but not spiritual - Cain, Balaam and Korah. Due to the level of 'Church hurt' experienced in the body of Christ and elsewhere, I'm certain we have all encountered similar persons. These types of religious people will tithe, pray, go to church on Sundays, and do good works; however, these three are known of their destructiveness and their spiritual distance from our Creator.
I was listening to a speaker discussing the dangers of religious spirits within the Church. This notion intrigued me as the speaker continued to describe how certain characteristics of this spirit is also seen in the present-day 'cancel culture.' While I believe the speaker was moving in a different direction with her discussion, I could not help but revisit my unease with narratives that position the early settlers as benevolent heirs to the New World.
While many of these newcomers were seeking opportunity and freedom from their own religious oppression, they also forcibly removed similar freedoms from the original peoples of this land. Before Canadians continue discussions around statues being torn from their pedestals and objects to renaming public venues or locations, I think it is important that we pause to examine the architects of the residential school system and the impacts of such a legacy. These are, I believe, Canada's original cancel culture.
My grandmother never drove a car during her lifetime. She once shared that while she was attending the Fort Alexander Residential School, she witnessed the death of two fellow students while she was inside cleaning on the second level of the school. The priest had hit two young boys who were outside playing with his car. The nun who was supervising my grandmother ran outside when they heard the commotion outside. My grandmother watched as the nun helped the priest put the two lifeless bodies into the priest's vehicle. The priest then drove off and these students were never spoken of again.

If this was an isolated incident for the 150,000+ children attending residential school across this nation, it would, of course, be a tragedy. The reality is much more horrific. While the actual number is estimated to be much greater, there are more than 4000 children named in a National Student Memorial. Research is ongoing, however, numerous former students and staff recount witnessing the deaths of children by various causes. Many children, like the one who my grandmother spoke of, are yet to be named.

There are many who adamantly refute the harms of residential schools with blatant denial of abuse or by minimizing Survivors' experiences with their perception of 'medical science' or 'historical fact.' Perhaps some are unable to comprehend that such cruelty and evil is humanly possible. These same people will refer to the recollection by witnesses as 'the past' in order to create a comfortable, yet cold distance. Many are willing to look to the records and archival photographs as evidence of happy, nurturing environments without considering who had the power to determine what was preserved or question how photographs were used as propaganda to sell benevolent narratives to the mainstream population. Some have callously stated that the Spanish flu or Tuberculosis were common in the early 1900's and, without examining the timing or cause of death for each child, argue we should accept that these deaths were 'most likely due to natural causes'.
Today, school counselors would be deployed to assist students in the event of a tragedy such as the death of a fellow classmate. I bring up my grandmother's story to point out that many students who lost friends and siblings were left to process their grief, loss, and confusion in isolation. My grandmother carried her grief well into adulthood. Even those students who may have died of illness were not surrounded by loving family members in their dying moments. Rather, it is clear that the grossly underfunded residential school system often could not provide an environment that offered these children a humane degree of comfort.
On May 27, 2021 the world was shocked to hear reports that more than 200 probable burials were identified on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School. Radar scans pointing to possible child remains confirmed what many Survivors had spoken of. Although I was aware of research underway to identify children who died while attending residential school, I was not immune to the impact of shared trauma, grief and loss following the report from Kamloops. I recall late nights scrolling through social media and reading through a flood of painful memories by Survivors that were hauntingly similar to that of my grandmother.
Processing my grief was anything but linear - my emotions would cycle through despair, numbness, and anger. I saw similar grief mirrored nationally as the country turned orange in honour of those who attended residential schools and those who never returned. Some people took to the streets in protest and many reports surfaced in the media of churches being burned or vandalized. Any object commemorating colonial rule in Canada or the architects of the residential school became the targets of public outcry. As for myself, I found myself sitting with God pouring out all my disgust with the crimes of colonialism as well as the deep injustice I felt as an Indigenous person.
If I am being honest, I admit that through all my venting and asking God what HE was going to do about His church, I was not actually listening to God for a response. And in His empathy, love and merciful understanding, He waited until I was ready to hear from Him.
The Bible explains that God deals with His people and the Church before He deals with others (1 Peter 4:17). Jesus also called out religious spirits and hypocrisy (Matthew 23). I believe in my spirit that there is more exposure coming as communities begin searching former residential school locations. It is crucial for the Church to face its imperfect actions or we risk not dealing with the religious spirits that have been erecting shiny bronze idols of tradition, monuments and pretty historical plaques.
When I hear cries among fellow believers to restore statues, I wonder if this actually aligns with God's plans for these times. The Apostle Paul writes: "And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes]" (Romans 12:2 AMP). It strikes me that these fancy statues and bronze plaques speak more of the prevailing attitudes and mindsets (i.e. superficial values and customs) of the time when they were created than of actual history itself. We must ask ourselves who controlled what was said? When we truthfully seek the answer, we will have to consider that there were other experiences and factors that were overlooked in order to uphold such a narrative.
The path forward is more than God addressing the Church, however. When we pour all our energy into mourning inanimate statues, we not only overlook the immense hurt felt by families and Indigenous communities, we miss the faces of thousands of children who did not return to their families and communities. When Cain murders Abel, God tells Cain, "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10 NLT). In the same way, the innocent blood of those who died at residential school cries out - not only because of a horrific loss of many children, but the injustice of each of these young ones not being able to walk out God's special purpose for them.
I believe that God desires that every child lost as a result of the residential school system will be properly acknowledged because they each mattered immensely. Psalms 139: 13 - 16 states “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb…You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (NLT). Each innocent child that died in that system was given a special destiny and unique purpose by our Creator. We lost teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, spiritual leaders, scientists, writers, business people, and many more. The impact of losing them can never be fully known in the present, but I assure you that the deaths of each child is still felt by families and throughout Indigenous communities today.
I believe that God's intention is to respond to the tears for these little ones. Could one response be that Heaven wishes to restore mantles of those children who died by bestowing them on those who are willing to walk out their own purpose as well as those of our little ancestors? There are many instances in the bible that reveal the restorative nature of our God - and there are also examples where we see that God desires participation in His solutions. When reconciliation stalls because we are outraged by hurt people damaging statues or get hung up on what we should name places A and B, we are missing a great opportunity to comfort the brokenhearted and pray for a generation who will rise to walk out their own earthly purpose as well as the mantles of those who were lost to us. Perhaps we can then move from a history of 'cancel culture' to writing a re-Creation story.
Heavenly Father,
Your Word tells us not to set our eyes on the things of this world. Help us to see past hurt and anger and bring into focus Your love and desire for reconciliation. Help us to perceive when You are moving and when You are doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19). Help align our hearts to Your Will and intentions.
I pray for all the Survivors, families and communities that are hurting. When Moses asked you to show Your Greatness, you responded by saying that You would show Your goodness (Exodus 33: 18-19). I ask that you send comfort to them and that they will see Your hand move in their lives, that they will experience Your love and unfailing goodness.
You teach us that all children are sacred. Guide our actions so we can honour them - so we can act as good ancestors for our future children and build a good, loving world for them.
I pray that You send labourers who will help heal our nations and that You restore all that was lost, including the special purposes of the children who did not get to live out their path here on earth. I pray for all those who have a unique role in helping to restore and reconcile, that you will safeguard them, strengthen and build them up.
We believe You will move mightily and that our faith in healing and reconciliation will be, as with all faith, rewarded (Hebrews 10:35)!
Amen!
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