A Word from Laura: Remembering and Listening
The series of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness (“OPW” in our three-letter acronym world) on the impact of the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol has me thinking about Western’s response. We in the Zoom gathering the following Sunday most likely recall Susie Farr saying “I don’t want to forget [what we saw]; I want to remember.” Many of us with video on were nodding in solidarity; I can imagine some with cameras off were, too.
As many of us as would not want to relive the horror or the evil of that day and as the mob violence traumatized many, we know that we cannot forget it. We can’t forget, not just because of the current eyesore of a barricade or the ongoing efforts to get to the bottom of what happened, but because we shouldn’t forget.
We shouldn’t forget, for so many reasons:
We need to see the truth of what God would have us see – about the events, the people, and the circumstances leading up to January 6;
We need to be clear that the Jesus we follow would not want his name waved on a flag in the middle of that crowd;
And grounded in our faith in a God of love and justice, we need to see the dangers of white supremacy, for black and brown bodies and for all people.
January 6 will become another chapter in the history we wish were not true about our nation, as well as another story we’ll need to share in ways that do not cause further harm or retraumatization. I was speaking with another group this week about ways we as a congregation can create space for sharing our cultural and personal stories. One of the comments invited us to reflect how we can become better listeners to one another. As we hear each other’s stories – sometimes experiences that are difficult to share in a diverse community - how might we better communicate our support?
I know that I am still working on my own ability to listen. Some of you have been very good teachers, and I am grateful! I hope that as we move through this Lent of Liberation, it might also be a Lent of Learning – remembering history, even when it is painful, and listening for the sake of becoming a courageous community.
Grace and peace to you, my friends,
Laura