Lingering

Today the sky is clear, the breeze has taken a rest, and the rain will break for now. There are reports of more wet days ahead, but for this day:  there is clarity and sunshine.

Sitting with the memory of yesterday, when people from across the country and from different walks of life got together to examine Love, Racial Justice, and what new practice needs to emerge.  It was a six hour gathering that tied together the understandings of the term "racial justice" and made inquiry into how those understandings manifest at this time.

Common themes were around healing, holding safe spaces, struggling with walking in different worlds that hold both openings and barriers to inclusion and equity.  Everyone seemed to recognize that this is a time when the guidance of Spirit is needed in the midst of complexities that could cause one to turn inward and ignore much of what is happening in the world.  

The equity and opportunity themes came through very clearly as sharing focused on what animates one's interest in engaging around the idea of racial justice. Growing awareness about the historical record, deeper understanding about institutional resistance to change, a desire to move from recognition to action were among the things that seemed to lead to engagement around the movement for racial justice.  The lived experiences of injustice was obviously one huge factor - but did not need to be said. As in so many efforts to make right, the things that are clearly not right - there was no need in this circle to be explicit about the lived experiences.  Their presence in the space said the obvious - there is real harm giving way to great doubt about conditions in society.  

And, to meet that great doubt - there is a great faith in the vision of change for things to come into the aspirations this society holds for itself.  This is the work - to be in service of the vision and to explore and pursue the paths that may lead to the kind of change humanity so desperately needs.  The loss of humanity is starting to appear too often.

As the country continues to process the events that took many lives, in many different ways in the past week.  This small gathering was dedicated to examining how to keep moving toward, and in, the spirit of love and compassion.  The conversation was not easy, and throughout the time together, it was wise to ensure that embodiment was part of the conversation.  Allowing people the chance to attend to where their body was holding the tensions of the meeting and sharing of the day was essential.

The impact of yesterday has lingered - the question of what is "racial justice" led to more self-reflection.  It will be important to develop the capacity to keep self-compassion along with self-reflection as a part of the processing and planning for how best to move in the direction of our collective vision.  We cannot lose that vision.