I have come to realize over the years that we Indigenous people are historically event-oriented people, rather than time-oriented people. Our worldview is for the most part the opposite of the European or western worldview. This has caused so many conflicts over the years. The settlers came with a worldview focused on an individualistic and for-profit approach to life as opposed to a communal and sharing approach to life with the Indigenous People.
When we look at the Word of God, we see the same approach with how God sees many events. God made covenants with people in the Scriptures, and His promises were based on those covenants. Within the history of Canada, there have been treaties between the federal government and the various Indigenous peoples. The Indigenous people believe the government has not lived up to those treaties that were made in the past. Yet, on the other hand, the Creator God, who sent His Son into the world to save the world from being separated from God, hasn't broken any of His covenants.
God's covenant with the people of Israel did not depend on how much they obeyed God. God said the people of Israel would inhabit the Promised Land. God said the world would be blessed through the people of Israel and that the Jewish people would play a significant role in the end times. These were and are event-oriented aspects of God's promises. Yes, there was an actual timeline and will continue to be a timeline, but God's focus was and is on the actual events. We humans aren't to be preoccupied with times and dates.
The same was true with the Messianic covenant that took place during the New Testament era. This covenant was talked about in the Old Testament but was fulfilled in the New Testament. This was when Jesus was born into the world, lived among humans, died on the cross, then rose again three days later, and will one day come back for us all, whether we are alive or passed on. This was event-oriented as well, even though it also had an actual timeline attached to it and still has a future timeline to the completion of that covenant.
Whether we see the Abrahamic covenant in the Old Testament or the Messianic covenant in the New Testament, we can know that God always wanted His people to focus on the event-not to be concerned with specific times and dates. So, when I compare with how God has worked in His holy Scriptures, I see the same attitude with my fellow Indigenous people.
Historically, they were focused on the seasons, which were events, but also fell into an actual timeline. Within the season were hunting seasons, gathering seasons, and playful seasons. Yet, within those seasons were events such as providing for the basic needs of the family and the community. Events such as young people coming of age. Events such as when to travel to the winter grounds or the summer grounds.
As Indigenous people, we have been through a lot of intergenerational traumas that have been caused by various contributing factors-factors and circumstances such as alcohol being introduced into our DNA. Diseases that killed off many of our people. Land, language, culture, family, and identity that was stripped away. Being put on reservations, having legislation such as the Indian Act enforced on our communities. Residential schools, and the involvement of the child welfare departments. This is a glimpse of the trauma we have been through. Through these tragedies we lost our event-oriented approach to life and community.
Yet, although we have lost aspects of our foundational way of life, we can still see glimpses of our still being event-oriented people. When there is a community gathering, my people are event-oriented, not so concerned with specific start times. When we get paid, we like to share with our families, rather than put money in the bank. When we have a lot, we share a lot. Even when I look at my own life and seeing my children finish high school, I've thought of it as an event. I was more concerned with the event of finishing high school, not so much with whether they could finish in exactly three years.
With everything that my fellow Indigenous people have been through, and with the way I see God working in His Word, I feel that we can all learn something. We should take on a more event-oriented approach to life. With this approach we can be in a better position to heal from all the wounds we encounter in this life. If we are always focused on specific timelines, deadlines, and prospering as individuals, we can lose focus on the more important aspects of life, such as rest, family, quality work, rather than the quantity of the workload.
Being event-oriented doesn't mean we are not productive and aren't accomplishing dreams and goals. It means we aren't running around like chickens with our heads cut off. All it takes is something like Covid-19 with all it's isolation and social distancing to make you realize that life doesn't have to be so fast paced. All it takes is being laid out flat, when we are sick, to make us realize that how short life is and how fragile we all are.
As we go through this holiday season, let's remember it's not just about Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It's about the event/season of Christmas that we all love so much. The season is about being reminded about how significant the event of Jesus coming into the world was for all of us.
Let's try to do more of that in 2021. Let's try to be more event-oriented rather than time oriented and see what happens. Let's slow down and smell the roses. Let's allow our hearts to heal from whatever hurts have taken place in the corners of our hearts during 2020.
Parry Stelter is an Indigenous member of Alexander First Nation. He is a member of Hope Christian Reformed Church in Edmonton, founder of Word of Hope Ministries, and Doctoral Candidate in Contextual Leadership through Providence Seminary and University. Visit his website at wordofhopeministries.ca
