Bravery and Openness

” …race is constructed, negotiated, discussed, and remade daily, through housing law and policy and through so much more. It requires bravery and openness to to reflect on these moments, with the support of mindfulness and compassion practices. We can learn and teach one another about the largely invisible, generally under-acknowledged dynamics that hold the structures of racism in place.”

– Rhonda V. Magee, from her book The Inner Work of Racial Justice

There is something different about the movement in 2020 to address the systemic racial injustice in our country. You can feel the focus, the energy, the commitment to stay “on it” until this scourge is dismantled in every area of our lives.

To be contemplative includes the often challenging work of truly seeing the world as it is and holding space for the beauty to emerge.
For me, the beauty in the ugliness that continues to be revealed during this time of the pandemic is the rising call to action to effectively address racial and other forms of injustice. One of the strengths of Eremos is our ability to hold space for healing and peaceful change for our community and the world. Yet, there comes a time when this powerful endeavor needs to be accompanied by education and action. This feels like one of those times.

I am reminded of Stephen Covey’s wisdom to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” As a white woman who wants to be part of this change, I am actively in the “seeking to understand” phase, so I can intelligently vote and engage in efforts to make a difference.

If you feel a similar call to actively participate in addressing systemic racism, please join us in our fall book reflection of The Inner Work of Racial Justice, listen to Rhonda V. Magee share her wisdom with us in our conversation with her on October 8th, or read other great books on this topic. We chose Ms. Magee’s book because she so beautifully articulates the necessity of contemplative practices to hold us and give us the resilience we all need to address, change, and heal the painful beliefs, practices, and laws that have kept racism in place for too long.

May you find the bravery and openness to do the inner work, so your light can shine bright in the movement to end systemic racism. And may you remember that any effort, no matter how small, makes a difference.