Lent 2026 Guide-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 6
Devotion 3
Inspiration
I am the holy being of my mother’s prayer and my father’s song.
– Norman Patrick Brown, Dineh Poet and Speaker
1. Set Conflict Resolution Ground Rules:
Recognize whose lands these are on which we stand.
Ask the deer, turtle, and the crane.
Make sure the spirits of these lands are respected and treated with goodwill.
The land is a being who remembers everything.
You will have to answer to your children, and their children, and theirs
The red shimmer of remembering will compel you up the night to walk the
perimeter of truth for understanding.
As I brushed my hair over the hotel sink to get ready I heard:
By listening we will understand who we are in this holy realm of words.
Do not parade, pleased with yourself.
You must speak in the language of justice.
– A Reading from “Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings” by Joy Harjo
Reflection
In her long poem, Joy Harjo names six movements for conflict resolution,
guiding us toward deeper self-knowledge and the hard grace of asking
forgiveness. She reminds us that challenge can become a meeting place
where we recognize one another as both broken and beloved. In that shared
humanity, we learn to lay our burdens down – not alone, but side by side.
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