Prayer on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Prayer on National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

O Lord, on this day we repent of the ways in which the settlers in this country failed to live in a good way with the Indigenous people of this land. We are sorry, and we repent.

Our ancestors and we have treated this land as though it was ours to do with as we wish, rather than as land to be shared with the Indigenous people for the good of all. We are sorry, and we repent.
Our ancestors and we imposed our patterns of education and governance on the Indigenous people, creating contexts where children were abused physically, sexually, and emotionally. We are sorry, and we repent.
Our ancestors and we signed treaties with the Indigenous people of this land, and we have failed to keep the terms and promises of those treaties. We are sorry, and we repent.
In our arrogance and pride, our ancestors and we believed we knew better, were better, than the Indigenous people who had lived on this land for thousands of years. For our arrogance and pride, we are sorry, and we repent.
O Lord, show us a new way, a good way that leads to hope, to the keeping of promises, to the healing of the relationship between Indigenous people and Settlers in this land. Renew our land and ourselves so that the day may come when Indigenous people and Settlers walk with each other in a good way.

By the action of the Holy Spirit turn these fine sounding words that we speak into committed action, so that justice and reconciliation may flow down like rivers, a never-ending stream. Shape our hearts and our wills that these words would be our commitment not just on this one day, but as part of our lives each day.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.