There has been much harm done in the name of God throughout the Americas by those who identify themselves as Christians. So, it’s a legitimate and important question that Mark Custalow addresses: “How can you believe in Jesus after all that’s been done by the church and Christianity?” Mark is a Christian Native American from the Mattaponi tribe in Virginia. He offers a perspective that is both personal and authentic.
There is no excusing evil. Every person will have to answer to God one day. He is just and all wrong-doing will be accounted for. The question is, “How do people come to the place of wanting to follow Jesus after everything that’s been done in His name?”
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Transcript:
Yeah, if you look at Native history in this country, there’s been a lot that’s been perpetuated on our Native people, our ancestors and generations before by non-Native people and done in the name of Christianity, and the list of those things is long.
It’s cost many their very lives, and again, all in the name of Christianity.
That inflicts deep pain, deep grief, deep hurt, anger, angst, all kinds of emotions, and those things are perfectly logical.
It’s not an easy answer to that question, but the best way I know to answer that question is there’s the single greatest need in my life, the single greatest need in your life, is to be rightly related to the God who created us.
There have been many messengers that have come that have tried to tell others about God and they’ve come with great intentions and they use methods that just didn’t connect well. Others came really out of selfish ambition and they cloaked it in the name of Christianity, and a lot of that’s what took place.
I wouldn’t want something like that to keep me from the only source for the only answer for the real need that I have.
And for me, personally, my testimony, I’ve been able to find that. That doesn’t erase all the injustices of the past, but I know for me personally, I have a right relationship with a God who created me and He’s helped me to see all of that in a grander perspective from His eyes.
So again, that’s not an easy answer and it may not be an answer that comforts you, but I can tell you that God is greater than all of the sin of the world. His love far surpasses it all and is worthy of your contemplation and worthy of your faith and belief as well.
End Transcript
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