But how are people interpreting and working towards reconciliation?
Senator Murray Sinclair stated, "If you thought the truth was hard, reconciliation will be harder." This podcast is a forum to face the difficult, complicated, and messy nature of reconciliation. We have heard Indigenous leaders call settler people to step into this reconciliation journey.
Within this podcast we intend to deliberately place ourselves, those who come from a predominately settler background, in this space and identify where we can be challenged and encouraged to keep moving towards reconciliation.
Reconcile: Everyday Conversations is a project of Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan.
But how are people interpreting and working towards reconciliation?
Senator Murray Sinclair stated, "If you thought the truth was hard, reconciliation will be harder." This podcast is a forum to face the difficult, complicated, and messy nature of reconciliation. We have heard Indigenous leaders call settler people to step into this reconciliation journey.
Within this podcast we intend to deliberately place ourselves, those who come from a predominately settler background, in this space and identify where we can be challenged and encouraged to keep moving towards reconciliation.
Reconcile: Everyday Conversations is a project of Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan.
Reconciliation is “telling each other your stories, making space for others to hear stories, and to find commonality together”.
Greg Wiens has worked as a pastor for 20 years, most recently in the rural community of Waldheim, Saskatchewan at the Mennonite Brethren church. Greg defines reconciliation as “telling each other your stories, making space for others to hear stories, and to find commonality together”. Within this episode he tells stories from throughout his life that have shaped his understanding of how people can learn from each other.
A theme throughout our conversation with Greg was understanding our own privilege and how to listen to stories of oppression with compassion and empathy. Greg believes that Indigenous people will be the leaders of the future church and we need to make space at the table.
We invited Greg to our office to have a conversation around these five questions:
1. How would you define reconciliation?
2. What experiences have defined this understanding?
3. Where have you seen grace in the reconciliation journey?
4. How would you invite other people into understanding reconciliation?
5. Why is reconciliation important to you?
Then we recorded his reflections.
*****************************************************
Links from the episode:
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan
*****************************************************
Reconcile. Everyday Conversations is a project of Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan aimed at facilitating conversations among settler/non-Indigenous Canadians around our role in reconciliation.
*****************************************************
Project Coordinator: Heather Peters
Recording and Editing: Jo Kroeker
Music by A Northern Road to Glory