WE WERE ALL CREATED IN GOD by Robert Soto

March 27, 2010

WE WERE ALL CREATED IN GOD by Robert Soto

Genesis 5:1 "This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God."

It was an interesting day. We danced for a small community in the middle of nowhere Texas. They just put up their first traffic light and will soon have an overpass so people passing by will not have to slow down from seventy to fifty-five miles an hour. They have an elementary, junior high and high school. The total population of this community is between 110 and 250 people. Today, the whole community came into the football stadium to see the Indians. Recently, more than half of the town discovered that they were Lipan Apaches when one of their residents researched his genealogy. Furthermore, I was told that most of them were my distant cousins that came from my grandmother's side of my Dad's family. So it was interesting coming among them and hearing them say, "welcome, cousin" as I walked among them and got ready to dance for them.

But what made it interesting was that they had invited three groups to dance for them. First of all, my family - a group of Lipan Apaches and a few friends, danced for them. Then came a group of Lakota teens who were adopted by another family and who were sharing their traditions as Lakota people. Then the third group who danced were Aztec dancers that once made their home in southern Mexico. As we finished our part of the presentation and made room from the Lakota dancers who eventually made room for the Aztec dancers, it dawned on me that we all had two things in common. First and foremost, we were all Indian people from three regions of our continent. The second thing I noticed was that we all used a drum as the center of our dances. But then I noticed another thing: that we were all created Indian people and as Indian people, we were all created in the image of God the Creator who created us. God created us different but at the same time He created us the same. Moses once wrote, "When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God." Next time you see yourself in the mirror, remember this - we were created in the likeness of God, so let Him work through you.

Robert Soto, Lipan Apache and pastor of:

McAllen Grace Brethren Church
The Native American New Life Center
Chief of Chiefs Christian Church