Reconciliation garden 화해의 정원

One day, on the way to the mission trip to St. Paul Chung Korean Parish in Kitchener, Ontario, we dropped by St. Mary Our Mother of the Seven Sorrows Church founded in Gothic style in 1854.

After praying, I went around the Church and found an interesting corner called “Reconciliation Garden” established by St. Mary’s Parish ReconcilACTION Circle which works together to heal and educate people about Truth and Reconciliation with the help of Indigenous leaders and elders.

The reconciliation garden is dedicated to the growing of a relationship with Indigenous Peoples. In the reconciliation garden, there are seven signboards of Grandfather teachings that were originated from the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples. The seven teachings (humility, respect, truth, wisdom, honesty, courage, and love) teach us how to live a good life and be in balance with the Earth and all of creation.

Because St. Mary’s Church is situated on land that is the traditional home of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral People, the Church is much concerned about reconciliation activities.

Since the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Reconciliation for the dignity, survival, and well-being of Indigenous peoples on September 13, 2007, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established while taking the UN Declaration as the framework for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

To improve the lives of indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples, various reconciliation activities are undergoing in Canada.

Walking along the path of a wide-spread forest, we can easily take a look at some signboards appreciating the universal awareness of the necessity of reconciliation and harmony with water, earth, air, wind, bird, moon, sun, etc.

Four hundred years prior to the arrival of Europeans in A.D. 1615, Southwestern Ontario was home to as many as 20,000 people known as Neutral Nation. They were given this name by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain because they refused to ally themselves with others.

As the adventurous, sometimes exploitative, development projects went on, however, they had to move somewhere without enough strength to persevere and survive. Along the forests here and there, some tracks of dead trees appear and reveal the history of their residentials.

Wisdom from the remnants of Indian tribes, the Amish way of life, the Puritan and transcendental way of life are still relevant in the world. Enduring people can still survive and live a better life even without the benefits of the rapid development of contemporary means.

How to cooperate and unify all the different natures and characteristics of life would be our homework forever. Education and awareness would be the key to improving the quality of life toward integration. So, we are eager to learn and experience something anew.

When I recently visited Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I saw a long line of kids and students, some with their parents or teachers in front of the statue of John Harvard (1607-1638), the founder of Harvard. Various groups of people were crowded to take a picture of the statue and to rub his bronze toe for luck. With that passion, I do sincerely hope that the world together can improve the climate crisis.

“My son, if your heart is wise, my heart also will rejoice; And my inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is light.” (Proverbs 23,15-16).