09/30/2024
Listen…
Listen to the echoes of history,
Of children taken, of voices silenced.
Listen to the land that holds their stories,
Stories buried deep beneath the earth,
Tangled in roots of grief and sorrow,
Waiting to be heard.
We stand here,
Not to turn away or close our ears,
But to face the past with courage.
To open our eyes wide,
Unafraid to see our country at its worst,
Yet hopeful that we can make it better.
This was done in the name of education,
In the name of faith,
In the name of civilization.
But we know the truth,
We know the price that was paid,
The harm that was caused.
So, we wear orange today,
Not as a gesture,
But as a promise.
A promise that every child matters.
That their lives, their cultures,
Their voices will never be stripped away again.
Listen...
To the survivors, to their courage.
To the stories that demand to be told,
Not for shame, not for guilt,
But for healing, for justice.
For reconciliation is not just a word,
It is a ministry.
It is the work of restoration,
The work of repair.
Today, we stand with our Indigenous brothers and sisters,
In a sacred space of repentance,
In a moment of reflection.
Not to dwell in guilt or shame,
But to sow seeds of hope.
Hope for a future where every voice is heard,
Where every culture is honoured,
Where healing is more than a dream,
But a living reality.
Listen...
For reconciliation begins with listening.
It begins with humility,
It begins with us.
"Seeds of Reconciliation" by Zach Manntai
