The Watchman

The Patient One

September 30 marks the Day of Truth and Reconciliation here in Canada, which is a day to remember the children who never came home and of the survivors of Indian Residential Schools, along with their families and communities. It is a time of remembering the tremendous pain and anguish of young children being torn from their families and being forced to change their self-understanding and identity. No child, family, or community should have to walk through this tearful, sorrowful and painful Valley of Baca.

An image that helps me to remember something deeply is the painting by the artist Roy Vickers from the Eagle clan at Kitkatla, B.C. called The Watchman.

The eagle looking out over the waters towards the Comox glacier reminds me of the power of memory, insight, and the need for patience. It’s in no rush. It’s perfectly still. It takes in the entire vista of water, forested hills, and snowy mountains. The eagle has the ability to see things clearly and to understand what it sees. It sees out while remembering the past and is able to make the next move both wisely and timely.

Vickers describes his art piece with the following inscription:

I am once again the recipient of a gift from my helper,

Eagle.

Eagle the master of fishing.

Eagle the patient one.

Eagle…THE WATCHMAN.

We are called to keep watch and remember all of the children, families, and communities that have been abused, forgotten, and lost over these sad years. Let us remember and be heartened by the truth that Abba also remembers his children even as the Prophet Isaiah airs, “Remember these things…I have formed you…you will not be forgotten.” He knows us all by heart and by name—never to be forgotten.