Cultivating The Courage To Face Our Truths... As Uncomfortable As They Are

As uncomfortable as they are, there comes a moment when as a Nation and as individuals in community we are required to speak truthfully about the dysfunctions that afflict us. It does us no good to remain in a state of denial as we continue to devolve into an existentialism that has as its end product our ultimate demise. Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri force us into such reflections. America cannot deny its history of militant racism that has resulted in the destruction of the lives of some of its citizens who until recently were denied not only the rights of citizenship, but also their most basic human rights. On the other hand, African Americans have a sacred responsibility to consider the ways in which we have fed the beast of our own victimization. Truth beckons, and we can't cringe in the face of its call to rise up and take charge of our futures. I offer the following as one starting point in our needed reflection.

 “The journey through life is essentially a journey through our imperfections. Honest reflection on our experiences grows us, and contributes abundantly to making the lives of others on this journey less precarious. From beginning to end, there are circumstances that make us who we are that are at times uncomfortable to talk about. The instabilities we experience are mostly rooted in this truth.

We must all, every day, squarely face the stories that have gone into making us who we are. If we do not, we will find them staring us down at the most inopportune moments of our lives. For better or for worse, they are there. It therefore becomes our wise duty to face them, and in doing so, free ourselves from them where necessary.

The tyranny of those experiences can be broken. Our discomforts about them can be relieved. The dysfunctions that they breed can be aborted. The dis-ease they generate can be resolved, and we do need to engage in this very necessary process of healing.

If we do not, the possibility that we might be able to engage in positively creative relationships is vastly diminished. The truth does set us free. The courage  to face our truth is the most force-full stimulus in our liberation both as individuals, and as communities."

We cannot change the past, but we have a sacred duty to do the necessary work of creating the future we want. We must begin that work now. Everyday. All of us.

Excerpt From: The Introduction to the book  “Of Scattered Seed and Broken Souls.” 
 By Roy Alexander Graham... Visit FigTree Books at www.FigtreeEnterprises.com