“Time heals,” the saying goes.
However, as a therapist once said to me, when we neglect to do the work of accountability, repentance, reconciliation and healing, it’s like leaving dishes unwashed in the sink. The longer you let it go, the harder it is to clean the mess.
I believe this work is the Way of Love. At the heart of our aspiration to participate in creating the Beloved Community is the work of healing.
As a reminder:
“Dr. King’s Beloved Community is a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. In the Beloved Community, international disputes will be resolved by peaceful conflict-resolution and reconciliation of adversaries, instead of military power. Love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred. Peace with justice will prevail over war and military conflict.” – The King Philosophy – The King Center
To achieve that which we aspire to, we must do the work of today alongside our past. We will need to continue to take the long walk of accountability, repentance, and reconciliation to truly move to healing. There are many ways this work is already being done across ECMN and across the Episcopal Church. One of the ways we can show a sign of unified support for this work is accepting Presiding Bishop Curry’s invitation to Episcopal churches to take part in a national action. Bishop Curry invites us all to toll our bells on Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 3:00 pm ET (2pm Central) to remember and honor the first enslaved Africans who landed in English North America in 1619.
See the video from the Presiding Bishop and learn more about the invitation here.
Source: Bishop Brian Prior – Doing the Work