I’ve stayed home. I’ve stayed quiet, mostly…while following friends on social media whom I greatly admire, out on the front lines protesting, activists, dedicated to social justice and changing the world. I choose to offer quiet contemplation and soul companioning. We all contribute in our own ways to this uprising, this awakening of consciousness, our own and others. I’ve turned inward to look at my white privilege, a term I first heard while in seminary 5 years ago, and still grapple with understanding. I’m reading, listening, watching, to unlearn and re-learn from resources listed by Black Lives Matter and other organizations. I have a long way to go.

I grew up in the 60s–– the civil rights movement, Vietnam war, protests, riots, Woodstock… I was 7 when John F Kennedy was assassinated, 12 when Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. I’ve been noticing how the energy of this time feels familiar–– the anger, shock, grief, fear, and disbelief feels familiar. And I’m noticing how the little girl and the elder within are processing the daily events psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Every day I walk in silent meditation searching for beauty in the world because if I don’t, I fear I’ll fall apart.

Last night, in my internet search for truth and justice, I hit a trifecta that was new and unfamiliar…and I totally lost my shit… doubled over sick to my stomach, sobbing, the tears burned like fire in my eyes, and my heart beat furiously, angrily in my chest. I felt responsible, negligent, appalled.

Notice the Rage and the Silence  If you’re curious about some of that internet truth and justice that hit me like a ton of bricks, give a listen to this 30 – 40 minute interview by Krista Trippett with Resmaa Menakem, the author of My Grandmother’s Hands. It’s a recipe for healing wounds that are centuries old.  https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/

How can we win?  Then watch Kimberly Latrice Jones 6 ½ minute video – “How can we win?” And you’ll learn a few things about black economics and history that I’m pretty sure white folks never learned in school. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dey7R-6_c2E

Another George  Shortly after listening to and watching those pieces, a post came up on my feed about the execution of a 14 year old black boy, George Stinney on June 16, 1944. I couldn’t find that exact post, but I found this on Snopes.  Check it out here  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/george-stinney-execution-exoneration/

How can we be so cruel to one another? Part of the answer is that it’s in our bones, literally in our DNA, passed down through the ages. (Listen to Notice the Rage and the Silence) How can we become allies with people of color and support their resiliency, equality and prosperity? Whether we protest, pray, donate, or vote, the change must come from within, at a cellular level. May the healing and reparations not take centuries.

Peace and blessings, Rev. Lisa