Another
year of IYC has come and gone, and one of the things that I have subsequently
been chewing on is how to address another aspect of Native traditionalism. Again, I don’t attempt to dissuade culture of
another group of people, however, as a Christian, I believe and know that any
way to get to God outside of Christ is futile.
When I listen to how a traditionalist shares their belief, I am already
thinking, “How might I share Christ?” At
IYC, it so happened that one of my cabin girls admitted that she believes more
in the traditional ways than in Jesus.
She then started sharing about the medicine bundles, the reverence due
them, as well as the purpose.
My brainstorming was already
stirring. When I got home, I went into
studying the Scriptures and making comparisons between medicine bundles and
that of Jesus Christ. This time around,
there is no story to write, but rather an understanding of the bundles (to the
extent I know…I will admit that I may have to study more to gain a more
comprehensive ground, but this is a start), and see where the power in the
bundles may fall short, and where Jesus actually fulfills the purpose of
them.
Some people may think what I am attempting
to do is incredible or incredibly stupid.
How can a Christian explain the Gospel by using the already existing
traditions of a tribal people? Or the
other extreme – how dare I attempt to say that traditionalism isn’t enough for
Natives? Aren’t I just forcing my own
beliefs on another group of people?
These are legitimate questions, and I believe that I have an
answer.
First and foremost, I believe that Jesus
is the only way to heaven, and furthermore, to God. God is holy, and as all of us are ready to
admit, are not perfect. Truth is, we all have
sinned; missed the mark and have disobeyed God.
Thus, we needed saving. We cannot
get away from the reality that our own actions are not good enough, because
even one spot in the face of a Holy and Mighty God is not reverent enough. Thankfully, He is also a loving God, and sent
Jesus to take our place and now, a faith in Him is all that is required to
approach God.
Now, on the aspect of forcing my beliefs
on another group of people…If one were to go into the way back traditions of
Europeans, one would find that there was a lot of paganism and other weird
traditionalism going on. We don’t
remember now, because the Western world has been dominated by science and
proving of theories and beliefs for the last 400 years. (So much for Christianity being a “white
man’s religion”.) There is no culture,
by nature, that is atheistic. Even the
Western world believed in a higher power before it ran off to its Scientific
Revolution. Nevertheless, I believe that
God revealed components of Himself, and a need for Him to all cultures of the
world. We have ceremonies, bundles,
rituals, etc…in order to reach God. However, in our own efforts, it is still not yet
good enough. Back to the original point,
we still need a Savior to do the work for us.
Since then, missionaries have found ways of sharing the Gospel with tying
familiarity of culture to the Truth of Jesus.
I read it in a book called Peace Child,
which took place in the 1970s. But even
the apostle Paul did it. In Acts
17:22-34, he came upon the Greeks and all their temples and idols. Then he found that they had an altar to an
“Unknown God” and shared how that the Unknown God was known; His name is Jesus
and is Lord over anything else that was worshipped. In the same manner, I hope to approach
studying Native traditionalism, in an effort to share Christ with them. God is
already at work on the Rez, but I can’t help but remember that Jesus wants all
people to come to know Him, even those who are holding onto traditional
beliefs. As stated before, I may still need
more studying, but for now, this is what I have on the medicine bundles of the
Blackfeet, and how it compares/contrast with Jesus.
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Blackfeet Medicine Bundles
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Christ Bundle; i.e. Salvation
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To
carry a medicine bundle, it is a life or death decision. One does not bring it into their home flippantly
or on a whim. There is a cherishing
and a reverence for the bundle, and to take it may mean one has to change
their life-style.
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(Similarity)
Jesus wants all of us; not some of us.
We don’t claim to be Christians and then walk out, living in sin. When it comes to obeying Christ, we take up
our cross daily to follow Him. (Mark 8:34-37)
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One
takes the bundle as a whole. Do not
take it apart and keep some of it. In reverence,
you take all of it.
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(Similarity)
Christ is not an adage to our lives.
We don’t keep the parts that we like, and then throw out the parts
that we don’t like. Often, we like the
idea of being saved from hell, but we can balk at having Him transform our
lives. This should not be. We take Jesus fully. (Romans 6:1-14)
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The
bundle is meant to be passed on (i.e. when a holy man is about to pass away,
he must find someone to carry it for the next generation).
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(Slight
similarity) The Christ Bundle is not
meant to be taken in, and then never shared with others. The news of Jesus’ salvation is meant to be
passed on! This is so that all people
may come to know Christ as their Savior, adopted as children, and transformed
into His likeness. (2 Corinthians
5:18-20)
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Bundles
are carrying the power of creation (i.e. animals, ex: beaver bundle, owl
bundle, buffalo bundle).
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(Difference)
According to Romans 1:22-23, 25, we don’t need to look to the power of
creation, but rather, we should be looking to the power of the Creator. Moreover, this power isn’t just the power
of Someone, but rather is that Someone coming to live inside of us (i.e. the
Christ Bundle is a Person). How amazing
is it that our Creator came in the form of man and died for us that we might
be saved! (John 1:1-14)
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The
bundle carries a power to heal and brings peace to the home.
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(Slight
similarity…but extension) When we accept Jesus into our hearts, He makes us
new, brings healing to our whole being.
(2 Corinthians 5:17) Again,
there is an emphasis that the Christ Bundle carries a greater power than what
other bundles could carry, because it is power straight from the Creator God Himself.
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The
bundle chooses a specific holy person to carry it. They will carry it into their home as long
as they live.
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(Difference)
Jesus’ salvation is for everyone who will believe and receive it. All those who take up the Christ Bundle are
God’s children and part of a royal priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
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The
bundle chooses a holy person.
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(Difference)
Whereas the Blackfeet bundles wait for someone to be holy before receiving
it, Jesus on the cross has already done that work for us. The Christ Bundle does not wait for us to
become holy, but rather, invites us to take Him, as we already are. Then the Bundle has full reign to do its
work in us and make us more like Christ.
(Romans 5:6-11; 17-20)
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One
house carries the bundle at a time.
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(Difference…extension)
Many can be saved simultaneously. I can share the good news of the Christ
Bundle (salvation), and while He is in my heart, they are able to take Him
into their hearts. The Christ Bundle
surpasses the boundaries of homes, people, nations, and even generations.
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One
must be careful to not disturb the bundle (cannot be fooling around and not
living a holy life and doing wrong things).
If wrong things are being done, it can only give back what it is
given.
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[Extension]
(Slight
similarity) It is true that while the
Holy Spirit (Creator who lives inside of us when we take in the Christ
Bundle) is in us, we do not want to sin.
If we sin willingly, we are on dangerous grounds (Hebrews 10:26-39),
because we are not revering who God is, and letting Him transform us. We are then trying to live as we want and
pushing the Christ Bundle in a corner of the houses of our hearts. This simply won’t do. When we live a sinful life, we push God out
(Romans 1:24-25). God is a giver of
good gifts (James 1:16-17), but if we want sin, God will allow us to have it,
and the consequences we bear are the ones we brought on ourselves.
(Difference) However, the Holy Spirit is a power greater
than any other. Jesus Himself
conquered the grave and disturbed hell.
Thus, if life happens, and you have someone enter your home who is sinning; if you see things that aren’t right going on in your
community, we don’t have to be fearful that the Christ Bundle is going to be
disturbed and give it all back. Stand firm in Christ. This
bundle is so powerful that when He encounters sin, He convicts and impacts it
with His life (if only we just allow Him to do it)! He has the force and power to change the
circumstances, rather than be riddled by any demonic forces. So, if the Holy Spirit tells you to go into
situations that are nasty (on a spiritual level), GO! because the Christ
Bundle is about to do its work! (1
John 5:1-5)
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