A Heartfelt Letter to the World

Dear World,

This is not a letter to condemn, shame or judge anyone. It’s a piece from my heart to yours. An explanation of a huge misunderstanding that’s rocked our world for many, many years. It’s a piece that I pray you can find the compassion in your heart to seek understanding over judgement. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and this is just that; my opinion. Whether right or wrong, I ask that you prepare your heart to hear it as such. 💗

FIRST THINGS FIRST

What’s going on is deeper than we think. It’s even deeper than what we see. It’s not about the businesses being burned. It’s not about the buildings. Its not that no one cares or that no one is thinking. It’s not just about George Floyd nor is it all political—although both play a role. But, it’s not just one thing—there are layers to what’s going on in the world right now. These layers are deep and long-lived in the hearts of many; particularly a group of people crying out to be heard, seen, understood and more importantly, LOVED. ❤️

NO ONE PERSON IS TO BLAME… at least not on the surface—but I won’t fully go there. 

I can’t say that I agree with the rioting—I don’t. I also can’t say that I don’t understand because—I do. As one who once stuffed down my pain and pushed down any hurt feelings I had while expecting the person or persons I deemed responsible for my pain to SAY THEY’RE SORRY, TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS AND ADMIT THEY SHOULD DO BETTER—that’s just not how life works. But in spite of all of it, I feel like I can see what’s going on. 

In all honesty, as one who’s dreamed of being a “modern-day” Martin Luther King Jr., I’ve at times beat myself up for not SPEAKING UP on social media nor on my blog this time as well as many times before. But to be honest, I hate confrontation and writings can often times be misunderstood. Unless you know me, it’s easy to not fully grasp the message I hope to convey. But I have given myself permission to speak MY HEART. To be HONEST and hopefully to ENCOURAGE ALL. 

Let’s be real…

EVERYBODY HAS A BREAKING POINT

What we see today is nothing new. With years and years of feeling less than and treated as such and to think that we’ve made progress—we have in many ways—yet we still have seen the same narratives presented. Skin tones still seem to be a threat to those who don’t share it and while that shouldn’t be the case, it’s the voice or voices that many hear and have heard over and over again. It’s funny that protests and riots are nothing new but somehow, today—it all feels new. ✊🏾There’s a new voice crying out for change. ✊🏾

I’ve wondered why things weren’t handled in ways Martin Luther King Jr. said instances like this should be handled. Until I realized that it’s quite possible that many don’t know much about him—not really. With watered down textbooks and the hiding of many important dates and events in history—not all have had the privilege of getting to know their history. Given that history repeats itself, it makes you wonder why legitimate parts of history would go removed and left unmentioned. Maybe what many don’t know could be of help to what’s going on today.

I’ve also wondered why so many have chosen to respond to their pain by inflicting more pain. But one thing has always been true: 🔑 hurt people, hurt people. 🔑 Again, I don’t agree with rioting but I’m also not in their shoes. I don’t know how much has been forgiven and forgotten nor how others deal with pain. It’s not my place to judge them or anyone; I only want to speak from the place of understanding—especially as a black person. 

I finally see and understand their cry. It’s not just their cry, it’s my cry too—only expressed differently. 

But, I get it. After years and years and years and years of pain and being told we’re not good enough because of the color of our skin—something we had no control over. Something we never imagined being a disqualification of love—and it shouldn’t be. Yet, tragic moments like the death of George Floyd and many others scream otherwise. And when that’s something we’ve seen time and time again—who wouldn’t break?

It’s not about the knowledge you or I know. I’m a Christian and I realize that this isn’t even a physical matter but much more than that yet; not everyone does. I’ve heard different politics behind it but pain is pain and it’s still real. We live in a time where feelings have become guides for those who’ve allowed them to.

I’ve heard many things that have angered me, brought me to tears and even to disbelief. 💥 I don’t understand why we’re still here, still having this fight. But as I mentioned before—it’s much more than a physical fight therefore, it can’t be fixed physically. 💥

✝️ DEAR CHRISTIAN

As a Christian, I feel it’s my duty to love anyway. I hate to use the word duty but it’s basically my one job—“love your neighbor as you love yourself, love believes the best of every person, love takes no account of wrong done, etc.” and while I hate to medicate with scripture; it can be just as healing when we allow it to be than other methods of approach. It is also the way we as Christians should and need to respond. How else will others know the love of God if we’re hiding it from them?

I’ve heard an argument from many sides, Christians, atheists, and the list goes on. ✨The thing is, I don’t believe that Christianity nor religion should be used to dehumanize legitimate hurts. ✨ Which is why it’s not fair nor is it ok to expect non Christians to behave like Christians nor Christians to behave like non Christians nor hurt people to behave healed. In the same way that I can’t expect an apple tree to grow oranges, I can’t expect someone to behave in a way they’ve never known or even decided to behave in.

💒 DEAR CHURCH

There’s a group of people—myself included—that needs YOUR VOICE. We also need to—all of us—to walk in the call of God on our lives; ministers of reconciliation. 🙌🏾 WE ARE THE INFLUENCERS THE WORLD NEEDS, especially NOW. 🙌🏾 It’s not a time to play victim nor to research facts about what led up to things, etc. A LIFE WAS TAKEN. (period) If Jesus was adamant about going after the one, shouldn’t we be adamant about the same? 

 DEAR POLITICS

I’ve heard it’s just politics. Well, I agree—to an extent. Let’s be real—there are still PEOPLE involved. People who are hurting. People who don’t know what I know or what others know. People who don’t know how to process in what others may term the “right” way. 

I don’t know about you but I can’t watch the news. Many times they don’t have anything new to tell us and much of their agenda seems to have invoked fear, rage and different emotions I don’t care to get into. I’ve heard that they’re connected with the government and I’ve seen things that have confirmed it. It’s sad. It’s sick. But it’s true. There are things they choose to hide and things they choose to expose. 

💡IT’S ALL STRATEGIC💡

But I get that this isn’t something someone who is hurting wants to hear. Nor is it easy to believe especially when everything you’re seeing is speaking so loudly that it brings with it a pressure so so heavy that you’re left with giving in to very real feelings—anger, sadness, hurt, fear. 

I GET IT!!

I’ve always loved watching Black History movies, not to relive what’s happened but for a better approach and to be educated as I love learning. The thing is, it’s different when I watch them from a perspective of believing all of that is over while I live in a reality that shows me quite the opposite. To be honest, I haven’t known what to feel or how to feel. It’s almost as though my heart was hardened to it all. 

But I’ve cried. I’ve screamed. I’ve felt anger and rage—in a different way like the privacy of my room but that doesn’t diminish the pain I’ve felt—nor the pain you’ve felt if you’ve chosen to do the same. 

Change is long overdue, I get it. I AGREE and I WANT IT LIKE YESTERDAY! And I believe that we’re on the verge of it and this is only the beginning. 🤝