February is the month of “love”. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about love and two key components that go along with it: forgiveness and reconciliation.

I think we all acknowledge that, throughout America’s history, many wrongs have been done against Native peoples. Sometimes, these were done on purpose by those who intended to do evil. Other times, they were well-meaning efforts by good-hearted people that ended with unintended consequences.

If we’re ever going to see a great revival among Native peoples, I believe we’ll need to see a great revival of forgiveness for the wrongs of the past and true reconciliation to move us forward in the future.

Dr. JoAnne Lyon, a General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, reminded me recently that true reconciliation is continual reconciliation. It is not a one-time event or special ceremony. Our reconciliation needs to keep going to new levels. It needs to be “worked out” daily. And with true reconciliation comes real redemptive relationships.

Please pray that God will use WNAM as a catalyst in The Wesleyan Church and beyond, to help foster true reconciliation and redemptive relationships between Native and non-Native peoples across North America. And pray for God to show you what you and your church can do to help foster true reconciliation and redemptive relationships with Natives in your community.