Today, Sept. 30th marks the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

As recommended in a very informative communication I received this morning from Amnesty International Canada (below), I have registered for a virtual tour of the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, courtesy of the Woodland Cultural Centre. It is a powerful walk-through and retelling of the longest-running residential school in Canada’s history. Register here https://woodlandculturalcentre.ca/october-27th-virtual-tour-of-the-former-mohawk-institute-residential-school/

This day calls for all of us to be compassionate. Compassion is being sensitive to the suffering of self and others with a deep commitment to try to prevent or relieve it. We are called to be aware, embrace dispositions and attitudes of nonjudgment, nonviolence, forgiveness and mindfulness and take action. I appreciate Joyce Rupp’s description of compassion as the photosynthesis of the heart – requiring the slow, trusting process of change. We are called to give ourselves to this process of truth and reconciliation as individuals and as a country and to continually recommit to this transformation – not just today, but every day.