Warning, Pulling the Thread May . . .
Unravel the Whole Darn Thing
Have you ever had that shirt, sweater, or other garment where pulling a stray thread only made it worse? Doesn’t it sometimes seem like we’re pulling on the thread of political corruption, dark money, the caste system, and its various mutants (racism, sexism, homomisia, Transmisia, Islamomisia, etc.), along with the offspring of the wealth gap—an abyss that makes the Grand Canyon look like a crack in the sidewalk?
How in the world are we supposed to come together and create world peace when we can’t even unite to help the people in our own cities and towns with their lawns, feed their families, and ensure our children are all educated effectively? If we look at the math beyond the superficial divisions, we will find the core consciousness behind the current divisiveness has always been there and was, for many people, simply lying dormant like a sleeper cell of spies waiting for that phone call or code word to awaken them to their mission.
If the fabric of democracy is indeed coming apart, is that a bad thing or a necessary one? Does the current chaos reveal a clearer picture of how and where our governing bodies have been ripe with the stench of a decomposing system that can’t sustain itself by feeding on its own carcass?
“Today’s crisis in democracy has brought us back to the same question that haunted the Founders: Are the principles on which this nation was founded viable? Is it really possible to create a country in which everyone is equal before the law and entitled to have a say in their government, or are some people better than others and thus have the right—and the duty—to rule?”
― Heather Cox Richardson, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
Much like a person receiving a diagnosis of cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or any terminal illness, there is a shift in priorities. Many people have expressed a renewed sense of life, where trivial things are released so they can make the most of each moment. Is this a moment of renewed clarity for us? And when I say us, understand that I am not simply or only speaking of the United States of America. I am speaking of us as a planet, where we are witnessing all manner of atrocities.
Maybe the world that works for all is a tapestry made from the threads that unravel from the old garment of governance, considering that garment is stained and still wet with the blood of Indigenous Americans who were massacred, mutilated, and moved to reservations so that manifest destiny could flourish. The garment is stained and still wet with the blood of enslaved Africans who were kidnapped, trafficked, and subjected to such grotesque treatment that Hitler modeled his evil after what he learned from the Christians of America. The garment is stained and still wet with the blood of Chinese workers who built the railroads, while they were treated as less than animals. It is a garment still wet with the blood of all those who were killed fighting for the right to vote, seeking equality, and desiring to be recognized as human beings.
Each conversation we have where we deconstruct, decolonize, demystify, and dismantle the narratives of supremacy that have been handed down as if they were divinely ordained. Our conversations are spaces where we knit new narratives, stitch new possibilities, and weave a new way of leading, governing, serving, and caring for others.
“Our minds must be as ready to move as capital is, to trace its paths and to imagine alternative destinations.”
― Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity
In our conversations, let’s go beyond small talk. While it’s acceptable in some situations, for the evolutionary shift I want to be part of, small talk is like applying a band-aid to a severed carotid artery. The deeper, more meaningful conversations are where real healing occurs. However, these conversations can also be uncomfortable for many of us because they sometimes involve conflict, and there are questions that may not have immediate answers. Still, we must ask and converse, and create a new garment that truly wraps around the planet while excluding no one, including our non-human siblings and the environments they inhabit.
I invite you to look at and read about “The Fabric of Freedom,” then ask yourself, “How do I make this a reality for everyone?”
https://worldpridedc.org/about-us/fabric-of-freedom/
Rev. Raymont Anderson, PhD., the spiritual director of The Center for Spiritually Integrated Arts, author of Moving Mountains: The Journey of Transformation and Visual Music: Interpreting Songs in American Sign Language
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An educator, visual artist, performer, interpreter, author, lover of comics and film. Ordained minister, public speaker, workshop and seminar facilitator.