Richard Twiss passed away Saturday from a heart attack. I'd heard him speak at two CCDA national conferences, and he opened my eyes to both the oppression that native peoples have suffered, and to the road forward toward reconciliation through the contributions and beauty of diverse cultures as they celebrate rich faith in Jesus Christ. Below are some quotes from his book, One Church Many Tribes.
“Native people have a rich spiritual and cultural heritage. It is into this reality that the Creator sent His Son. This was done in order to make a way for all people to once again travel the path of beauty and harmony that God the Father intended all of His children to live in and walk in through Jesus Christ, the Waymaker. Jesus is our chanku – the way to God and to successful living. This is the Jesus Way.”
“Our value as a people is determined by God’s sovereign will and design, and His kingdom finds its value in its people – all of them.”
“I believe that the greatest challenge facing Native peoples is the unresolved anger, distrust, hatred and bitterness in our hearts toward Euro-Americans, based on centuries of injustice and oppression….I am hoping that there will be heard in the land, in our generation, a corporate crying out to God the Father in confession and repentance for our sins, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation…those who have suffered the most are the nonbelieving Native men and women who have been deprived, not only of economic well being, but also of every vestige of true self worth, because they do not know the love of Jesus who alone gives all worth and dignity.”
“This conflict between the integrated worldviews of the Indian and the compartmentalized worldviews of most Western Evangelicals has been among the greatest hindrances to effective communication between the White man and Native people. It has also proven a tremendous obstacle to the growth of Native people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, for to them it means they must abandon their entire approach to community and spirit to accept a way that feels foreign and unnatural to them.”
“I now want to show, as clearly as I can, how many Native cultural viewpoints are in fact quite biblical, valuable and even necessary for the life and growth of the Church in North America today….most North American tribes were monotheistic, believing in one universal, absolute being who furnished moral guidelines for their conduct and who motivated every living thing…..Native Americans see themselves as a part of the whole creation. They have long perceived and pursued a balanced relationship between man and the environment – a partnership of equality and respect….traditional Native culture has always emphasized the submission of individuality to corporate identity – seeing ourselves as one of the people…that togetherness is more important than our individuality, that we are members one with another…
“the peoples of this world are deeply wounded and tormented by unresolved offenses and guilt…Human beings created in the image of God are designed for the purpose of walking in harmony with their creator….this is a reconciled life.”
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