Reflections on Black History Month By Transitional Synod Leader Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley

The old saying goes, you never know someone else's story until you walk in their shoes. In many ways, Black History Month is the opportunity for non-Blacks to walk in the shoes of another culture. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be Black? On a Sunday morning, this space would include the pregnant pause giving the hearer time to consider the question truly. I invite you to pause. How would you answer this inquiry?

First, if you were Black, you would live with a mixed history of dehumanization. While at the same time, basking in the knowledge that your ancestors were kings and queens with resiliency flowing like blood in their veins. We walk the fine line between always living multi-culturally and mastering the societal norm of code-switching. We live fully aware that showing up in a space often means that uninformed assumptions are usually made about who we are. Peter Paris said, 

 “Wherever the African is, there is his religion: they carry it to the fields where they are sowing seeds or harvesting a new crop; they take it with them to the beer party or to attend a funeral ceremony; and if they are educated, they take religion with them to the examination room at school or in the university; if they are a politician, they take it to the house of parliament. Although many African languages do not have a word for religion, it accompanies the individual from long before his birth to long after his physical death.”

To be Black is to understand your personhood is always expressed in social terms because the process of being a person can only occur within the confines of the family. Our identities are communal and less individualistic. The contributions of Black peoples include excellence in science, medicine, education, technology, music, and sports. For more information, see https://www.history.com/topics/black-history.

February is a time to learn more about the role of Blacks in building America. Our footprint is expansive. Like others, we are deeply loved. We are resilient. We are often allies for others. Another saying goes, "don't believe everything you hear." The stereotyping of Black people in media perpetuates beliefs that devalue and minimize the rich stories of the complex histories of Black people. No ethnic group is without some exceptions. Everyone is not righteous. No society is perfect. There are always bad actors. However, like other ethnic groups, these are not the majority. The majority are God-fearing individuals that want to contribute to society, support their families, engage in meaningful work, build relationships, and, like others, want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I was triggered this week by the actions of a member of the denomination that reminded me that we keep moving one step forward and two steps backward in race relations in our country. It's truly a dance in which I am weary. Dr. William Yoo's book "What Kind of Christianity?" may be a start in reshaping this issue. It records the history of racism in the Presbyterian Church. Many values that caused the Church to divide over slavery are the genesis of our systematic troubles today.

The narrative of difference does not bind us, although it is a tangled weave. We can break the cycles of division and find the necessary places for connections and authentic relationships. You may be weary of this subject. I truly understand. For far too long, the social construct of race has distracted us from mission and ministry. Change will likely happen when more people begin to say enough. Proverbs 10:12 states, "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers a multitude of wrongs." Love is not a sentimental or a weak response which is little more than emotional bosh. Love is the force that all great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Muslim-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the First Epistle of Saint John 19.

"Let us love one another: for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. They that love not do not know God; for God is love. God lives in us if we love one another, and His love is perfected in us.” Arnold Toynbee said: "Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love will have the last word."

Famous Black people lived with this hope as they endured harsh treatment for centuries. Hope was found in the Word of God and affirmations past down from generation to generation "Trouble Won't Last Always" and "I am because we are, We are because I am."