World Day of Prayer at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Virden was comfortably full as participants brought the Republic of Suriname into focus, Friday, Mar. 2.
This tiny, coastal nation of northeastern South America was colonized primarily by the Dutch, with strong Dutch Reformed Christian roots.
From information provided by a committee from Suriname, the lives of ethnically diverse women in that nation formed the basis of prayer.
Suriname is culturally diverse, having been under French, British, Dutch and American influence prior to independence gained in the 1970s.
With 94 per cent of the land forested, it functions as the “lungs of the earth”; 15 per cent of Suriname is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A meditation at the heart of the service read, “As humans we make promises that we do not keep, but this does not mean that we should just sit and wait. God is trustworthy, and the Spirit of God prays with and for us. Let’s not lean back, but do our utmost to preserve the earth for those who come after us.”
Manitoba First Nation focus
The high point of the service was to be guest speaker Karen Batson, the first female Chief of the Pine Creek First Nations, a reserve on the western shore of Lake Manitoba.
“Unfortunately, Karen was called back to her community last night. She drove all night to get there,” explained moderator Marjory Andrew.
In her stead, Chris Kennedy, Batson’s Brandon neighbour brought an understanding of Batson’s circumstances and work.
“Every prayer we said for the peoples of Suriname should be said for the peoples of our First Nations reserves...” (pull quote)
He said, “Karen sends her regrets. Karen is an associate professor at Brandon University and grew up in Pine Creek on the reserve. She left to get an education.”
Alluding to recent court cases, and media coverage of First Nations social issues, Kennedy went on to explain, “She told me she had a call to go back home, for many of the reasons you read about in the paper.
Kennedy is also an employee with a Virden-based company RFNow, which has recently partnered with First Nations communities, providing internet service which can help link remote reserves to the world at large.
He said, “I’ve gotten to know many chiefs and grand chiefs... the one thing I know Karen would share, one of their biggest issues – all of their greatest talent always leaves the reserve, goes to university, and it’s hard to get them back.
Spiritual people
“Karen and many of those chiefs have decided it is time to go back home. The talent these people have - the spiritual talent they have – every time you go to anything, it always opens with a drum ceremony, a prayer, and it always closes with a drum ceremony and a prayer. They speak of the Creator, a lot. Their Faith is true to that and they believe many of the hardships they’re going through will be fixed....
Following the service, Margaret King from eastern Canada who was visiting with Rev. Janice Campbell, remarked, “Every prayer we said for the peoples of Suriname should be said for the peoples of our First Nations reserves.... mercury (pollution), deforesting lands, sexual abuse, addictions, clean water, they all apply.”
In the fellowship hall, honouring Manitoba’s First Nations, the table was laid with several pots of delicious moose stew, bean stew, bannock and blueberries.
