Indigenous LENTEN GUIDE
Lent is a sacred time of reflection, repentance and renewal—a time when we turn our hearts more intentionally toward God’s call for justice, healing and right relationships. For 40 days, we are invited to slow down and reflect on Christ’s journey—a road marked with suffering where we find unexpected moments of compassion, healing and hope.
In this Lenten season, we invite you to join us as we reflect on the wisdom of Scripture, listen to the voices of Indigenous People and practise lament using a new resource created by the territorial Indigenous ministries department.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. - Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
This hunger and thirst for righteousness is not passive-it is a longing for a world where relationships are restored, where truth is spoken, where justice rolls like a river and where people, lands, waters and creatures are honoured as created in the image of God. During this Lenten journey, let's open our hearts and minds to that holy longing. Let us carry a genuine hunger for justice and a deep desire to participate in the healing work God is already doing among Indigenous communities and within our own hearts.
Creator, help us walk softly through this Lenten journey.
Open our hearts to truth and transformation.
Through prayer, learning and reflection, may we deepen our understanding and strengthen our commitment to reconciliation grounded in love, humility and hope.
Lament is the practice of bringing our sorrow, injustice and brokenness honestly before God, our Creator. It is a spiritual practice that gives voice to pain-both personal and communal-while also clinging to the hope that God hears, cares and responds. Lament is not hopelessness; it is grief that seeks restoration and transformation.
Lament provides space and opportunity to acknowledge suffering, confront injustice, repent and join the Creator in restoring right relationships.
Throughout Lent, this guide will help us explore connections between the teachings of Jesus and the rights acknowledged in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), reflecting on how our faith calls us to stand alongside Indigenous Peoples on this journey of right relationship.
What is UNDRIP
Adopted in September 2007, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms the inherent dignity, rights and cultures of Indigenous Peoples around the world. The vision of UNDRIP is one of respect, partnership and restoration-values deeply aligned with the teachings of Jesus. As followers of Christ, we are called to participate in this work of reconciliation, to listen with humility and to walk gently with communities who have long carried the weight of injustice.
Call to Action #48
In 2016, The Salvation Army joined other faith groups to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #48, which called for faith groups and interfaith social justice groups in Canada to formally adopt and comply with the principles, norms and standards of the UNDRIP as a framework for reconciliation.
How it Works
On Ash Wednesday and then each Monday from March 2 to 30, this page will be updated with exercises, guided prayers, family activities and reflections that connect the teachings of Jesus and the rights affirmed in UNDRIP.
The resource can be used alone, but we encourage you to invite a friend to join you on this journey.
Share your Experience
Our social media channels will be updated throughout the seven weeks to provide reminders and moments for deeper reflection in a virtual community space.
If you are comfortable sharing your reflections on Walking Softly with the Declaration: A Lenten Pathway to Right Relationships, we invite you to continue the conversation on our social media pages.
