Not the end, but the beginning

by Quanta Dawn Light

On the first day of our unforgettable journey with 54 wonderful souls, we were asked what led us to partake of this trip.  I was thinking way back  while I lived in Germany. It was 1969 when I became aware of the racial issues in the USA while living in an apartment complex with GI American families.  But, now I realized that it is my current life here in the USA is more important to share.

Although, we the immigrants came here by our own choice and our  daily struggles living in this society that is suffering from all sorts of prejudices against "others", our issues seem to pale into insignificance, when compared to what The African-Americans have suffered for centuries. The past is not so far away from those times of horrific abuses, inflicted upon them.

​I believe strongly that the souls of those who have subjected their fellowmen, must be spiritually suffering throughout eternity. Perhaps, that is the definition of being in eternal fire. The soul being in despair and filled with regrets for leaving such legacy of racism, behind and not being able to erase those actions that has caused millions,  long lasting pain.

I can relate in different but less malign ways , to being alienated, ignored, patronized, denied work and treated as less than and being followed with suspicion in supermarkets and the list goes on. Sometimes being looked at with resentments by those who suffered in building this nation. Now, us the immigrants, taking jobs and having better lives than those who were treated with such malice and oppression. This is not a contests of who suffer the most, or a self-pity for being subjected to discrimination and prejudicial treatment by the native public. Now, we must do our best to be bridge builders, even if we are all injured in different ways.

This is why I am deeply indebted to Myers Park Baptist Church and Mayfield Missionary Baptist church in making efforts to make the prophecies in The Holy Bible a reality. In Revelation 22 John's vision states the following

"The River and the Tree of Life
22 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, [a]clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of [b]the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve [c]kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

My subjective understanding of this verse is what Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" and both verses when synthesized, tells me that the wonderful people who are committed to bring peace and brotherhood in the world are "the healing leaves of the nations".  So, this trip was not the end, but first beginning in the process of healing our city and spreading love and unity in our nation and the world. Life is a workshop and not a showcase and the process of healing can be painful sometimes, like a bitter pill, injection with needles or getting surgeries, not fun, but it is all about becoming a healthy society. In this workshop, we must endure and overcome and be patient with each other's failures and keep on going with honesty, candor, and authenticity of our feelings.

Again, I am deeply grateful and humbled to have been included in this amazing journey and feel committed towards our personal and community healing. Recognition of the darkness of the past will help us  build bright futures for the generations to come. God bless you all.