We are seeing it. We are seeing things that are wrong. Our own inner compassknows that exploiting women is wrong. We know that lying is wrong. We knowthat when the needy are not helped, it’s wrong. We know when we lose our ownfreedom, it’s wrong.  (Galatians 5:1)
We share this. We know the right and the wrong. It has been written on ourhearts. It’s our inner compass.
We choose the ones we are most outraged by. Some of us have trust issues.Lies hurt. Some of us have known women harmed, demeaned or oppressed. Ithurts. Some of us know what it is to need and not have help. Some of us havelost freedom and know the oppression that comes with that.
The outrages come from the heart because we want what’s right. What’sbetter. What’s good.
We share this.
The thing I have learned is that if we don’t have love, we are a clanginggong. (1 Corinthians 13:1) The noise has been intense.
Pick the wrong in one another and we miss the point. We need to look forwhat is good, what is pure and what is beautiful and think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
In Christ, repentance means to think another way, turn from the bad road andget on the good road. All that was bad is forgiven; lies, womanizing, withholdingblessings, oppressing. The light on the wrongs lately have been bright. Butin turning from it, there is forgiveness, hope and liberty because this isexactly why Jesus died for us. To forgive us.
It is the Day of Atonement in the year 5777.
When 2000 years before Jesus, the people celebrated mercy and forgiveness inthe blood and death of a perfect lamb and a goat had hands placed on itconveying the sins of the people on it and made to run into the wilderness. Thescapegoat.
Jesus came as both in being the perfect sacrifice and the scapegoat for allour sins.
We get to choose what road we walk. It is a time for justice andrighteousness. To do what is right. To love one another as Christ has lovedus.  (John 13:34)
I was shown a 300 year old oak tree. It was being choked out by every kindof brush and buckthorn.  Lori, he said, this oak has known the bison, thecarrier pigeon and the people who lived beneath it. My heart was pierced inan instant.
Through prayer, the LORD impressed upon me that we as a nation have criedout for repentance, but He revealed that our repentance needs to go back tothe Land and our Brothers and Sisters who lived here before us. Blood hasbeen shed on this land. We strip Mother Earth bare of life. We have beenrepenting up the wrong trees, so-to-speak.
This is where our hearts should return. It’s time we start again.
Journalist for the Blackfeet Nation, John McGill, told me last week as wediscussed the First Nations People gathering at Standing Rock in efforts toprotect the Missouri River and their land from a pipeline, “You try and get5000 people together for a protest and there is chaos and aggression. Youget 5000 Natives together in a protest and there are drums, singing, prayer,peace and unity. Natives know exactly what to do.”
Today is the day of Atonement. Our sins are gone and there is mercy and grace. Let’s take that gift of love today in humility and look to what we can do for one another to love what God loves; His Creation and His Children. 
Finding our True North.