Honoring the Belovedness in the (White) Other
BODY/BREATH
Sit in a comfortable, upright position. Place one hand on your upper leg and one on your chest. Gently close your eyes and breathe in and out of your nose. Now take five slow breaths bringing your awareness to the ground holding you. Relax and let go.
READ
“I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44
“A (person) is free when he sees himself for what he is and not as others define him/her.” — James Cone
“In a real sense, all life is interrelated. All (people) are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
QUESTION
What does it mean to love Trump and Trump supporters? How do we do this without annihilating ourselves? Where is the balance between protecting yourself and remaining open to the possibilities in the (white) other? What does that balance feel like and look like in yourself and your life?
REFLECTION
Because of white supremacy, can white people truly recognize People of Color, our belovedness and our inherent dignity and worth? I ask this question sincerely. I am in close relationships with lots of white people, and it is so draining and taxing to my spirit and soul. The way they see the world and relate to others, centering themselves and seeing us as objects. I know I am making generalizations, and not all white people are problematic, but all white people carry with them the wages of racialized sin, and thus must put it upon themselves to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Am I willing to be present in that work along with them?
I am aware of my limits to love. This awareness grows as I grow older. As a brown, queer woman in America, who was raised to be orientated towards others, I believe I need to seek balance: to serve myself as I serve others, but for me that means remembering to serve me first. The more I love myself, I value myself in spite of what this society tells me about myself, the more my capacity to love all people, forgive all people, particularly white people, grows.
PRAYER
O God of Mercy, remind us we are one body and help us to forgive.
