International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Have you ever suggested an idea with the expectation that someone would love it and run with it, just to have your idea affirmed as a good one, and then tossed back at you to bring to completion? Well that is how my first Facebook post on the International Day of Indigenous Peoples has come about. Boy do I have a renewed appreciation for all the posts everyone else has done. The hours of research, story collection, Bible study, and reflection all for something short enough to capture the hearts of 100’s of Facebook followers in a way that moves them to greater service unto God. What can I say? WOW, those that have gone before me are giants in the arena where I am so lacking. I’d like to say thanks for giving me a chance to grow and seek God in a new and exciting way, by offering my thoughts on the subject of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples.

While the United Nations (UN) is by no means a solution to the world’s ills, it does make a stand for the equality of people of all origins. And with that at the core, the UN holds August 9th as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. With an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, making up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, they account for 15 per cent of the poorest, and represent 5,000 different cultures. An excerpt from the UN document on the rights of indigenous states that the UN

"affirms “that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust,..”

When I read that, I had to read it again and get to the core of what they were saying.  All……superiority …. are.... morally condemnable…… Do I believe that? Is it biblical?

The story of the Pharisee and the tax collector divergent prayers tells us how the Pharisee prayed raising up his “righteousness” to God in prayer and the Tax Collector raise up his “unrighteousness” to God in prayer. Jesus says at the end of that parable, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Wow what an example of how thoughts of superiority can be hidden in even our prayers to God. And, what a warning that comes with it. (Luke 18:9-14 MSG)

Now does the UN take their affirmation from the New Testament? Maybe, maybe not, but I personally have a hard time saying that the affirmation the UN made doesn’t echo the sentiment in the warning given at the end of the parable. Superiority or what might be summarized as pride has consequences. So, it comes as no surprise to me that as fallen people each and every one of us play a part in the need for such documents as the UN’s document on the rights of indigenous and its strong statements. 

While the bible tells us that we are all made in God’s image, we all have various inborn traits and characteristics, God had all of us in mind equally when he created the human race. The human race, wow did you catch that? Humans are one race. We are created from the same original blueprint. We are one in the image of God. Realizing this, to think less of our fellow man is to think less of God. It is in his image we are created (Genesis 1:27 NIV).

So today on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I ask each of us to examine ourselves. Seek God’s heart for the many cultures He so intentionally created across His image bearers. Praise God for the tapestry of humans that bear His image and share that image through their individual cultures. Remember those that are oppressed for their "different-ness" and ask God to teach us a little bit more about who he is through the "different-ness" of each person that is a part of the human race he has created.
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Many of you know that Tim and I work with Impact Ministries, a ministry training up leaders in Biblical principles. It is our hearts desire to see the peoples of Guatemala empowered by God, a God who purposefully made each of us in His image with different cultures, languages, and ways of reflecting that image. So I ask a special favor of each of us today, pray with me that God continues to strengthen the indigenous leaders of Impact Ministries to make a difference in the lives of the children they teach at the Vida Schools of Alta and Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. And, pray for the many people around the world that still need to know they are a valuable image bearer of God.