The True Reconciler

For Marvin, following Jesus has meant wrestling honestly with questions of identity, culture, faith, and reconciliation.

From Big River First Nation, Marvin grew up as a Christian. But as he grew in his faith, he found himself asking difficult questions. What does genuine reconciliation look like?

Those questions became especially personal as Marvin encountered stereotypes, racial slurs, and misconceptions about Indigenous people. At the same time, he experienced something that challenged those assumptions: genuine relationships with non-Indigenous Christians who loved Jesus and wanted to understand.

As a pastor once asked Marvin, “How do we have reconciliation?”

The answer begins with relationship.

It means talking, listening, learning what has been broken, and asking how we can begin to bridge those broken places. It means recognizing that while we are all treaty people, we are also brothers and sisters in Christ.

The church has an important role to play in this work. Reconciliation requires humility and understanding, especially when we encounter people whose stories include pain and brokenness. It requires Christians to represent Jesus well—not simply through our words, but through the way we love, listen, and build relationships.

As Scripture describes Him, Jesus is the Reconciler. And for Marvin, that changes the conversation. Reconciliation is not simply a cultural movement or an idea to pursue; it is ultimately about being drawn back to the One who is “the Truth and the Life.”

Let’s slow down enough to hear the stories behind the people who walk through our doors. Let’s have compassion and humility in asking what has been broken, and what it could look like to rebuild.