Peter Belongs

"There is no worse flaw in man's character than that of wanting to belong." 

 ―David Adams Richards, "Mercy Among the Children"

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Dear Kate,

You can say that again, but make it personal: There is no worse flaw in my character than that of wanting to belong.

This insight touches on everything of significance to being human: our self-identity, longing for relationship, community, our pursuit of justice, true spirituality (both our materiality and transcendence), and our beholding of what is wise and beautiful and, finally, redemptive of this very worst flaw we can never undo.

No doubt injustice was buried in cemetery next to residential schools.  Yet it is still unclear exactly what was buried.  First Nation members maintained "that the graveyard included a mix of locals and residents of nearby communities," and that they've "always known [the unmarked graves] were here."  In fact, Cowessess First Nation Chief Cadmus Delorme stated that what is next to the school is "not a residential school grave site."   Please read the full CBC article here, and there are many others to give you a deeper understanding of the topic if you are interested.

My question is, in face of such uncertainty, do we have enough moral tinder to set churches on fire?  Maybe one would maintain, even if the graves turn out to be not strictly related to the operation of residential schools, the very fact that residential schools were operated at all is good enough a reason to set churches on fire.  Then maybe my question can be stripped down and expanded to ask: Is there ever a good enough reason to set things on fire?  And if there is, where do we draw the line (or, if a line needs to be drawn at all)?  Are there any other atrocities from the past that we will need to be aware of and gather timbers for?  Who has the moral imperative and prerogative to carry out such finalizing task, pulling the past into the present, pushing history to its proper feverish, unredeemed end?

Since the burning and vandalizing of churches began (56 of them by this morning, but don't dream to find this number in any major news outlet), I have heard from not a single Christian I know speaking about this topic.  I don't claim to be a sociable person, but do know a Christian community or two, and do have a few Facebook friends, and do speak to many on a regular basis.  Zero.

Why?

"There is no worse flaw in man's character than that of wanting to belong."

Yours, Alex