“We find ourselves on one side of a fractured wall that we didn’t build.”
I had zoomed into the Meeting for Worship (MfW) of Southern African friends. Southern Africa is an hour ahead of the United Kingdom (UK). It was 8 30 am here.
I noticed the presence of children on the screens which I hadn’t previously as I visited MfW in Europe, Australia and North America. I became aware that ‘the worshippers’ was coming from various local meetings in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The host encouraged the children to say hello. I was moved by how they connected to each other upon recognising the faces of other children.
I have observed in the local meetings I attended in the United States there is a practice if there are no more than 20 people of allowing each person to say how they are. Here in Southern African they also encouraged this practice.
It was as I listened that I got a better sense of those with who I have worshipped. I was concerned to hear of the detention of a friend and of the financial shortages a homeless project was experiencing.
I was surprised to hear that the ‘Black Lives Matter’ was active. I naively assumed that Southern African would be living free from racism. It was the words of a friend that awakened me,
“We find ourselves on one side of a fractured wall that we didn’t build.”
Over the last few days and weeks, it has come clearer to me that it for me to dismantle racism. I had disassociated myself from slave owners, “ I come from the underclass they probably exploited my ancestors too.” But as time has gone on and new light has come regardless of my place in the pecking order or that of my ancestors here I stand as a person of white appearance benefitting from white supremacy.
My God incarnated in the human of Eashoa ( eng: Jesus) came to break down walls (or the illusions of walls) between people. In Ireland, I had seen how I contributed to building a wall and then worked to dismantle it now I am seeing how I am a part of this wall and now I need to loosen myself like a brick from it.
Best day,
g
