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Indigenous Spirituality |
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Indigenous Jesus Reclaimed Wood Cross, Antique Navajo Blanket, Vintage Carved Wood Native American Crucifix |
My years living in New Mexico have inspired a tremendous amount of respect for the Native American culture and spirituality. I find their understanding of one God who hears our prayers and of the Spirit of God being infused in all of nature are in wonderful harmony with Christian thought and Biblical tradition. Yet, I must admit that I bear the burden of ancestral crimes perpetrated upon the first inhabitants of the Americas. Many were converted to Christianity but tragically were persecuted in the process for retaining their indigenous culture and spirituality. Ironically, often these loving and caring Native Americans were much better at the practice of the Christian life, even without formal Christian training and dogma, than the missionaries who tried to convert them. My intent then in depicting Christ as a Native American in this piece is to honor the Native American and their culture and spirituality, and to convey that they are deeply loved by Jesus and are created in the divine image of God. Finally, I hope to show through all of my indigenous peoples’ themed art that the mystery and ways of Jesus can be embraced in diverse cultures. |
