“In Jesus, God was given a face and a heart. God became someone we could love” (Rohr, 2018, Essential Teachings on Love, p. 19).
“When the face of the other (especially the suffering face) is received and empathized with, it leads to transformation of our whole being” (Rohr, 2018, Essential Teachings on Love,p. 19).
Life is filled with hard experiences and encounters. I recently had to renew my car license plate. I expected it to be difficult as I had recently moved and I didn’t think I had good proof of address if it was needed. Most things had been difficult for quite a while, maybe as far back as three or four years ago. I did not realize how much I had grown to expect hardness to always be present.
In less than 5 minutes, my address was changed, I paid a discounted amount for the tags, and I was getting into my car. I felt relief come sit with me. My next thought was that as difficult as life had felt the last few years, people of color can experience this hardness their whole lives. This isn’t a new thought, but what was new for me is recognizing the relief I felt may never be felt by a person of color? How could people live in such suffering year after year? Living in that space that says whatever you do, it will be difficult and cost more than what you have. Think back to a hard time in your own life and remember what that did to your hope and the expectations of the future. Remember the relief you may have experienced in a hardship. Allow yourself to see faces and hearts of others. Allow transformation to grip you.
To be received and have empathy extended happens when we see the face of the other. We also need awareness of God’s face and heart in order to sit with others whether close or afar.
Be transformed.
-Dianne Morgan