by the Rev. Richard
Twiss* (Lakota)
Jesus was an aboriginal boy.
Jesus was Hebrew. Jesus was born into a traditional Native village. Jesus was a
political refugee. Jesus was a cultural man born into the Tribe of Judah.
Jesus never doubted his indigenous identity. Jesus overcame colonial oppression. Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus can heal our broken hoop: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14; Message Version). Who’s “hood” did the Creator of heaven and earth moving to? A small Native village named Bethlehem in the land of Palestine in Asia Minor. Jesus was a black-haired, black-eyed and dark complexioned tribal boy - an ethnic boy depending on who gets to call someone else ethnic. He was born a member of the tribal nation of the Hebrew people and sub the tribe of Judah. He was given tribal names; Bright and Morning Star, The Rock, Rose of Sharon, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Lily of the Valley, Chief Cornerstone, DayStar and many more. His people, having been invaded and subjugated by a foreign Empire, were living under the tyranny of colonial rule. Though His nation was forced to submit to the imperial domination of Rome, Jesus repeatedly spoke of His kingdom as not being of this world. It was not a kingdom of power, oppression and privilege, but love and mutuality. Though Jesus suffered the humiliation of death on the cross at consent of the colonial magistrate, it did not diminish nor end His kingdom. After three days in death and hell, he rose from the dead, and in newness of life he set the captives-all human and non-human creation-free from the tyranny of hell and death. He shouts back from the other side saying “Oh grave where is your victory, Oh death where is your sting?” As the Way maker he shows us our way back to the “beauty way.” We are redeemed from our brokenness to now love our neighbor, forgive our enemies, care for other broken people and be restored back to authentic community in a broken world. When Jesus, God-the-Son was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, as he came out of the water, God-the-Holy-Spirit, like a dove descended on Jesus; then the voice of God-the-Father was heard from heaven saying, “this is my beloved Native boy in who my heart is deeply pleased.” Jesus did not feel ashamed, like a second-class citizen, or any sense of inferiority about His dark skin, tribal ways or ethnic identity because he received the affirmation of His Father’s and the Holy Spirit’s love in the midst of His tribal identity. God-the-Father was not embarrassed by His Sons obvious ethnic identity. (Twiss, 2010:2306-2329)
Jesus never doubted his indigenous identity. Jesus overcame colonial oppression. Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus can heal our broken hoop: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14; Message Version). Who’s “hood” did the Creator of heaven and earth moving to? A small Native village named Bethlehem in the land of Palestine in Asia Minor. Jesus was a black-haired, black-eyed and dark complexioned tribal boy - an ethnic boy depending on who gets to call someone else ethnic. He was born a member of the tribal nation of the Hebrew people and sub the tribe of Judah. He was given tribal names; Bright and Morning Star, The Rock, Rose of Sharon, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Lily of the Valley, Chief Cornerstone, DayStar and many more. His people, having been invaded and subjugated by a foreign Empire, were living under the tyranny of colonial rule. Though His nation was forced to submit to the imperial domination of Rome, Jesus repeatedly spoke of His kingdom as not being of this world. It was not a kingdom of power, oppression and privilege, but love and mutuality. Though Jesus suffered the humiliation of death on the cross at consent of the colonial magistrate, it did not diminish nor end His kingdom. After three days in death and hell, he rose from the dead, and in newness of life he set the captives-all human and non-human creation-free from the tyranny of hell and death. He shouts back from the other side saying “Oh grave where is your victory, Oh death where is your sting?” As the Way maker he shows us our way back to the “beauty way.” We are redeemed from our brokenness to now love our neighbor, forgive our enemies, care for other broken people and be restored back to authentic community in a broken world. When Jesus, God-the-Son was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, as he came out of the water, God-the-Holy-Spirit, like a dove descended on Jesus; then the voice of God-the-Father was heard from heaven saying, “this is my beloved Native boy in who my heart is deeply pleased.” Jesus did not feel ashamed, like a second-class citizen, or any sense of inferiority about His dark skin, tribal ways or ethnic identity because he received the affirmation of His Father’s and the Holy Spirit’s love in the midst of His tribal identity. God-the-Father was not embarrassed by His Sons obvious ethnic identity. (Twiss, 2010:2306-2329)
Twiss,
R. L. 2010. Living in Transition, Embracing Community, and Envisioning
God’s Mission as Trinitarian Mutuality: Reflections from a Native-American Follower of Jesus. (In Young, A. and Zikmund, B. B., ed. Remembering Jamestown: Hard Questions about Christian Mission. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications. [Kindle
ed.]. Available: www.amazon.com. part 3, loc 2135-2451).
* Richard L. Twiss (1954-2013) was a Lakota minister, educator, and author. He was educated at Asbury Theological Seminary and was the Co-Founder and President of Wiconi International.
* Richard L. Twiss (1954-2013) was a Lakota minister, educator, and author. He was educated at Asbury Theological Seminary and was the Co-Founder and President of Wiconi International.
