Actions, Heart, and belief

Red Jacket

Red Jacket was a great Indian Chief and warrior and he is remembered for this speech.

"A council of Chiefs, of Six Indian Nations, where gathered together to meet with, among other white men, a white Missionary. After the missionary ha delivered his message of Christianity to them the Chief responded saying:

" It was the will of the Great Spirit that we should met together this day. You were sent to instruct us on how to worship the Great Spirit agreeable to his mind andyou have told us if we do not take hold of the religion which you white people teach we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say that you are right and we are lost."

Red Jacket concluded saying, "Brother we are told that you have also been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. We are aquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. lf we find that it does them good, makes them honest and disposed to not cheat Indians, we will consider again what you have said.

Key to understanding the messge

Actions do speak louder than words.

Red Jacket could have just judged them by measuring what they said against what they already knew. He could have concluded that these missionaries were less than religous since they seemed so different.

Not unlike when one call the other "not a Christian" because they only see what they know already.

Red Clouds speech has survived many years.

Wonder how Red Jacket's neighbors did with their teachings. The heart is reflected in actions.