Even before setting foot on Alaska, I was already charmed with the impeccable and surreal natural beauties visible from the airplane window. The far-stretching mountains covered in snow were abnormal sights for mid-June, considering I was flying in from Nashville. Once on the ground, I observed that these enormous mountains could be seen everywhere we traveled in Alaska; they never were out of sight. I could feel God’s presence through nature. It made me instinctively praise God as the creator. The view of the ocean from the summit of Flat Top after an intense climb up the mountain was absolutely stunning. The scenic view of Eklutna Lake surrounded by high mountains covered with patches of snow and a mist of cloud at its tops was as if I was looking at a picture. Only God could create something so complicated but perfectly harmonious.
But God was not only present in the physical environments. God was there through our interactions with our speakers that were Alaskan Natives. As we met and learned about the Alaska Native nations, I came to admire the deep spirituality of the indigenous peoples. Their history and traditions contain a special connection to our natural surroundings that allows them to see a creator in it all. “The spirit needs to move for a long-lasting change to happen,” I remember from one speaker. I saw a strong resilience from every speaker to keep the indigenous cultures, values, and traditions alive and living today through moving people’s spirits, despite how much was lost during colonization and through the process of acculturation. It was educational to listen to the stories and experiences of our speakers. Some stories told by them were hard to swallow even as a listener, and I cannot imagine the amount of pain and hurt felt by those that shared. But the willingness for them to share those hard stories and be vulnerable with us was surely a process of relationship building and healing happening. I was very grateful and blessed with simply just being present in Alaska to listen and learn how to respect the Native Nations.
I think it takes courage to acknowledge moments when we discover the pain afflicted through past actions by societies and communities that we are part of today. As I grow into a global Christian leader, I am learning that it is my job to contribute to building an equitable community by listening and respecting the people that were wronged. I witnessed the churches, organizations, and people in Alaska building such a community. And though there is still much to mend in many of our societies, I am hopeful that the Holy Spirit will provide everyone with opportunities for perspective-changing moments that will bring different people together to keep God’s work going.