Pierce Your Heart’s Desire
I have placed my body before my computer countless times to write this for you. Reflecting on these days, my mind and heart seem to flitter in different directions as do dragonflies changing course in midflight. I will begin by stating what many may not know. November is Black Catholic History Month. Even that simple statement guides my words onto disparate paths. Instead of raising the names of individual Catholics with Black bodies, I want to speak of the collective.
The traditions of our universal Catholic faith arise from the ancient practices of our spiritual fathers and mothers on other lands, many known only by God. Grammatically, using “universal” and “Catholic” in the same sentence is intentionally redundant so as to underscore the inclusive and far-reaching universality of the Catholic Church and the Gospel of Christ. Collectively we ponder the piercing of the hearts of Jesus and Mary. We empathize with their pain as our hearts desire not to further wound them. In simple terms, it seems repulsive to intentionally inflict pain on another.
Similarly, we have the capacity to question and learn from the lived experiences of our spiritual ancestors and the desires of their hearts. What pierced their hearts? Mindful of the past while living in the present, we are capable also of developing the skills of reasoning and critical thinking. Through them we can gain insight on effective ways to address today’s deeply rooted and complex problems that pierce the hearts of Black Catholics.
The significance of our sacred texts is their revelation of God working within the context of space and time through the lives of ordinary people. They tell stories of ordinary people living ordinary lives while in and out of right relationship with God and others. Our personal and cultural histories complement the biblical narrative. When contemplated together, they can provide insightful lessons for us should we encounter them with humility and openness.
History invites us into the lives of people and the unfolding of events in the past. History is constantly being written and, hopefully, expanded. As soon as this moment passes it belongs to yesterday and contributes to tomorrow’s history. When we learn more about history we can deepen our understanding of the world in which we dwell and our place in it through new insights that feed and stir our curiosity.
Like so many other aspects of our lives, history does not unfold in isolation. Unfortunately, the dominant group often generates the primary narrative to their advantage, defining themselves as normative while continuing to erase or minimize those who have been historically marginalized or maligned.
Practices and policies to deny our dignity may pierce our hearts, but they are incapable of obliterating our pathway to the Divine. The experiences that shape our history also contribute to our legacy and are shared across generations. The stories of Abel and Cain, Hagar and Sarah, the exodus of the Hebrew people, and the Incarnation reveal God’s presence and mercy even amidst challenges. We learn to breathe even when our hearts are pierced.
The Bible is not a celebration of a normative history of dominance. The people who fill its pages lived millenia before today’s construct of race was developed. As a reflection of salvation history, the Bible reveals the challenges and struggles of people in relationship with God. Through our lived experience, we come to know the same God as this God sustains us through our challenges and struggles and provides a balm for wounded hearts and weary souls.
As we prepare to enter a new liturgical year, 2020 will be remembered as a most challenging one for the Body of Christ on this land. We have witnessed and are struggling with the convergence of a flawed ideology of white body supremacy with an equally flawed sense of Christian nationalism. Both are threats to the Body of Christ and especially to those of us who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).
A Catholic with a white body recently asked me what she could do to dissuade the anger and hurt of those of us with Black bodies. Our anger and hurt are warranted in all aspects of society including our beloved Church. My guidance is to learn and to listen so that when the Spirit provides an opportunity, you may respond accordingly. Learn about the lived experience of Catholics with Black bodies. Listen to that which brings you discomfort. Begin to see what you have been socialized not to see.
Mark Black Catholic History Month 2020 as a new beginning for you and your family. Contemplate our 400-year old journey. Hear our litany. Allow this cry to accompany you and pierce your heart’s desire.
(This was first published as Pierce Your Heart’s Desire in Black Catholic History Month by Aquinas Emory Thinks, the blog of the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University.)