Q: I am proud to be a child of God. Right now, I am struggling with the problem of determining which things in my Native American culture will fit in with my Christian faith and which things do not. Is it possible to have all of both worlds?
A: I reread your question, and it seems your faith is somewhat shallow or you have just become a believer very recently. I may be missing something or not understanding but it seems in your question there is very little to say that you are being persuaded in your beliefs by God's Word.
(1) Was your forgiveness of sin a strong point at the time of salvation? 1 Peter 2:24.
(2) Is Scripture (the Bible) clear to you that you are a child of God? 1 John 3:2–3.
You need to be very clear in mind and soul on these basic issues. The peace that God gives will come into place when you are. Since God loves you, you need to know Him as the Scriptures reveal Him and as you understand this you will also know Him, love Him, and thank Him for the salvation provided through Jesus Christ. To determine what is right or wrong without the guidance of God's Word is simply not right.
-Bill Jackson.
A: A Transformational Story
Some time ago, a small caterpillar was born. With some difficulty it crawled on the ground from one place to another. One day, tired of crawling, it decided to climb a tree. But not just any tree, a tree it had played under for years.
The caterpillar climbed and climbed, but then it slipped, fell and could not move forward. It kept working little by little until it came to a branch and could see the whole valley below. The views were wonderful. It could see other animals, the blue sky with white cotton clouds and, on the horizon, a great sea painted an intense blue. It sat there, observing the world around it and felt that life was too beautiful to not transform with it. While the caterpillar was tired and, at the same time, grateful for its life as a caterpillar, it knew that the time had come to become something else.
The caterpillar fell asleep, feeling a great peace and thinking about how its destiny was to be something more than a simple caterpillar. It slept and slept, making a chrysalis grow around it, a shell that kept the peace there long enough to become another being.
When it awoke it felt trapped in a heavy shell that didn't allow it to move. It felt something strange had grown on its back. With effort, it moved what looked like huge blue wings and the shell broke. The caterpillar was no longer a caterpillar; it was a beautiful breath-taking blue butterfly. However, the caterpillar had been a caterpillar for so long that it didn't realize it wasn't a caterpillar anymore.
The blue butterfly crawled down the tree using its little legs, even though it now had wings. The butterfly moved using its legs as it had always done, believing itself to be a caterpillar and continuing to live as if it were. But its wings didn't allow him to move on the ground as with much agility as before.
The butterfly that believed itself to still be a caterpillar didn't understand why its life had become so hard. Tired of carrying the weight of its wings, it decided to return to the branch where it had transformed. This time, trying to climb the tree, moving forward was impossible. A gust of wind or any other small, unexpected occurrence pushed it backward. The butterfly that thought it was still a caterpillar stood still and looked up at that branch that seemed so far away. Then it began to cry, desperately.
Upon hearing its cry, a beautiful, wise butterfly approached it and asked, "What happened?" "I can't climb up that branch. Before, even though it was hard, I could do it," said the blue butterfly.
"If you can't climb up that branch ... maybe you can fly to it," the now-butterfly responded. The blue butterfly that thought it was still a caterpillar looked strangely at the other butterfly.
"You're wearing down your legs by not using your wings," said the other butterfly, taking flight while opening its wings and flying away with elegance. The blue butterfly watched, amazed at each movement of the other butterfly, and reflected on the butterfly's words. It began to understand that it was no longer a caterpillar, that perhaps those heavy wings could be useful.
The blue butterfly opened its wings, closed its eyes and felt the wind caress its beautiful blue wings. It felt that those wings were now part of it and accepted that it was no longer a caterpillar, so it could not continue to live as such, crawling on the ground. Then it opened its wings wider and wider, and observed the beautiful, almost magical blue of its wings. Soon it realized it was flying! It was slowly moving towards the branch.
Flying was much easier than dragging its legs, although it still had to perfect its technique. It discovered that its fear of flying hadn't allowed it to accept who he really was, a caterpillar transformed into a beautiful blue butterfly.
We are like that caterpillar being transformed into that breath-taking blue butterfly, (2 Corinthians 5:17). There is an inward change brought about completely apart from the power of the individual, (Ephesians 4:8–9). The individual is powerless to bring about this metamorphosis or change accomplished only through the work of the Creator, God's Son, Jesus Christ. In the cocoon stage of transformation, the caterpillar has to fall apart completely, literally die before it forms into the final stage of a butterfly, (Ephesians 2:1–5). Like the caterpillar, we are being conformed into the new beauty and creation of the butterfly, (Philippians 3:20–21).
As in the tale of the caterpillar, the importance is on the process of transformation, (from the inside out, Gal. 2:20), and the discovery who we really are through the eyes of our Creator, (1 Peter 2:9). Whatever we do, let us give God glory and praise, (Colossians 3:17).
-Huron Claus
A: Our Indian culture is one of a kind. We are unique people. Our thinking and the way that we do things are very different from the white man's way. However, God sent Jesus Christ to die for all people no matter what culture they have. He crosses all cultural barriers to bring people to Himself. We do not have to leave our Indian ways behind when we accept Jesus into our lives. We can be Christian Indians!
There are things that are tied to our Indian ways, however, that we cannot continue. They are the religious ceremonies that cause us to worship many spirits, and other gods. Our Creator, the God of the Bible, says "Have no other gods other than Me! Do not make for yourselves a god to look like anything that is in heaven above or in the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not worship them or work for them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3–5).
Do you have a question about the Bible, being a Christian, your personal struggle, discipleship? Send your question in writing by email to ilm@indianlife.org or to:
Indian Life Ministries or PO Box 32
Pembina ND 58271
Indian Life Ministries
PO Box 3765 Redwood Post Office Winnipeg MB R2W 3R6
