Harriet Bedell

08Jan
‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
-Matthew 5:43-48


Today we remember Harriet Bedell, deaconess and missionary. Born in Buffalo in 1875, Harriet was trained as a schoolteacher but was inspired several years later by an Episcopal missionary who spoke about missionary work. In 1906 Harriet was accepted by the New York Training School for Deaconesses, where her one-year course of study included instruction in religious matters, missions, teaching, hygiene, and hospital nursing. Following her training she was sent as a missionary-teacher to the Cheyenne Indians at Whirlwind Mission in Oklahoma. For the next seven years she cared for the sick and the poor, organized social services, performed the duties of the rector in his absence, and provided education for the women and children. She provided religious instruction, hoping to win the confidence of the Indians and convert them to Christianity. 


Harriet's next posting was among the Native Americans in remote areas of Alaska, where she spent the next 15 years, until the Great Depression dealt inevitable financial hardship to the area. Her last mission was to the Seminole Indian reservation in southern Florida. Appalled by their living conditions, Harriet began her campaign to improve the quality of life among the Mikasuki-Seminole Indians by living and working with them, not merely teaching them. She sought to assist the tribe financially by reviving the doll making and basket weaving skills which had become nearly extinct. Indeed, sales from the arts and crafts store at the Mission helped to increase income for the Mikasuki-Seminoles.


In her work with the Seminoles, Harriet emphasized health and education rather than religious conversion; their spiritual and physical comfort was more important to her than religious conversion, and her work and friendship with the Seminoles reflected those values. She walked a quiet path of courage, listening first to God, to the land, and to the people she served. She did not come to conquer or to be praised, but to learn, to heal, and to stand alongside those often forgotten. In her life we see that faith is not loud or forceful; it is patient, respectful, and rooted in love.


Harriet's witness reminds us that true mission begins with humility. When we honor the dignity, culture, and stories of others, we reflect Christ more clearly. May Harriet Bedell’s example draw us into a deeper compassion, teaching us to serve with open hands, open hearts, and a willingness to be transformed ourselves.


Musical Reflection - Think on These Things - Seminole String Band


Holy God, fill us with compassion and respect for all people, and empower us for the work of ministry whether near or far away; that like thy servant Harriet Bedell, we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, and by giving up ourselves to your service. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Humility

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