Resourced to Be A Resource: Creating a World Where ALL Can Thrive 

Hi beloveds,

In early December I was asked to deliver the homily for a Blue Christmas worship service. Blue Christmas gatherings, typically held on the winter solstice night, were created as a day to honor those who are grieving the loss of a loved one or who might find it difficult to access joy during the holidays. The text for reflection that evening were the words of Jesus in Matthew saying, “Come unto me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” I have been pondering these words of a “deeply invitational God,” to quote the sentiments of Dr. Fatimah Salleh and Dr. Donna Coltrane Battle, that encounters deeply traumatized people. Not only is the invitation of Jesus informed by the traumas of this Galilean community, but it is also inclusive of the entire community that he is speaking to in Galilee. I find it fascinating that Jesus uses the word “all” in this passage. It feels like an unnecessary word, as though  he was just being wordy for its own sake. But for some reason Jesus makes it a point to say ALL. He didn’t say the weariest or those carrying the heaviest of burdens, but he says all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, come. 

I wonder if that community often battled back then what many communities battle today. We often do two things regarding suffering. We place suffering and pain on a hierarchy, and we think that some people are more deserving of relief and recovery than others. Some deserve to be pardoned while others deserve the death penalty. Some deserve to be brought back home while others may never dwell safely in the place that they have called home. One humanitarian crisis deserves our headlines while others are reduced to background noise. We have a tendency to participate in what many call the oppression olympics, as marginalized communities are pitted against each other under the gaze of white supremacy. Those whose ancestors endured one tragedy are more deserving of care than those whose forebears  experienced another tragedy. We don’t have the capacity to resist evil in all its forms, so we think it’s most beneficial to focus on only one demographic at a time. We tell people that they shouldn’t grieve about something they are experiencing because somebody else is experiencing worse. We minimize one person’s pain at the expense of somebody else’s. Mindsets of scarcity would have us believe that there is not enough care, not enough attention, not enough provision to go around, yet Jesus gives us a model of what it means to have spaces of flourishing and thriving that are inclusive of all, and all really does mean ALL. 

I believe that at this time in human history, the Resource Center is a space that embodies the words of Jesus, inviting all to come and find rest for the soul. It’s one of the reasons that I agreed to join the staff and become a co-conspirator for justice in this work. Programs like the Queer Divinity Students Thriving in the South and The Ministry of Black Women’s Self Care continue to provide spaces of belonging, connection, and reflection for those who are often marginalized in our communities. Offerings such as “Remembering Those We Miss” and the opportunity to rent canvas labyrinths, offer ways to process our personal and collective grief. Through workshops on the Enneagram as a tool for self exploration and the Art of Conscious Aging, many are able to connect more deeply with themselves and make connections in community with one another. With creative projects such as the Kindred Spirits quilting conference and the Jereann King Johnson documentary project, we are witnessing pursuits that center the work and the creative worlds of Black women and femmes. This is just a fraction of what the resource center does and I suspect that in seasons to come this work will be needed even more. 

All of these offerings require sustainable support from each of us. As we move through the season of Advent and endure what many have come to call the longest nights of the year. I am grateful for those who resource this work so that the Center might continue to be a  resource for the larger community in what feels like a liminal season. As we witness  protections for trans youth be put into question. As we are concerned about our neighbors who were born in other countries but have come to call this nation home. As we rally at the North Carolina Capitol to protest bills that deny relief to those affected by natural disasters, the Resource Center continues to provide spaces of renewal, retreat, and replenishment for those who are in need of soul rest. I am hopeful that as you envision organizations to support at the end of this year and as you plan your efforts for 2025 that you might consider what it means to partner or continue to partner with us in this very important work. I have this hope because I believe in the words of poet Gwendolyn Brooks who reminds us that,“We are each other’s harvest. We are each other’s business. We are each other’s magnitude and bond.”