I haven’t posted here the last few weeks because I wanted to take a step back and listen. As an educator, we teach students the importance of listening to others and knowing when it is an appropriate time to speak. Listening is a skill that does not necessarily come naturally to all, and it is something that can actually be practiced in order to improve, much like a sport. And while there are no points to be scored or trophies to be won, the wins and losses of listening hold a much larger importance in life.
Something I was reminded over the past few weeks of listening to our broken world is that we all have a role in this world to bring about hope and healing, and that each person’s role will look different. For some, they are the agents of change, leading the fight against injustices of the world. For some, they have a breadth of influence through networks to spread awareness. For some, they are the prayer warrior, on their knees in their bedroom each night tearfully praying. For some, they are in classrooms, teaching the future of our communities and instilling in them lessons that can be taken beyond our four cinderblock walls.
It is this last category where my heart longs to be again. It feels like a lifetime since I have been in a room filled with students, and I long to see their faces again. But until then, I will spend the rest of my summer playing the role of the student instead of the teacher, continuing to learn from the things I read and the voices I listen to.
I wanted to share a few people and resources that I have been drawn to this past month. One thing I’ll go ahead and point out about the majority of these people is that they are religious. I am drawn to listening to people who love Jesus and are showing that love to those around them. It is my hope and prayer that the world will come out of 2020 seeing each other and loving each other as the image bearers of Christ that we all are.
Danielle Coke (@ohhappydani on instagram)
^Even if you don’t know her name, you probably know her work. Danielle created and shared a graphic on instagram that quickly went viral. The caption of the graphic reads, “performance won’t end racism. change your heart. change your home. change humanity.” And while her post went viral around the world, Dani was taking her art one step further and creating three lessons to share with others. 1) UPWARD: The Sin of Silence and God’sHeart for Justice. 2) INWARD: Taking Inventory and Assessing Implicit Bias. 3) OUTWARD: Starting Conversations and Making Real Change. Danielle’s art and words focus on “loving God & neighbor well,” and her heart clearly shines through her work. (P.S. She is only 25 and changing the world, y’all.)
EJ Gaines (@ejgaines on instagram)
^EJ Gaines is an executive at Capitol CMG and Motown Gospel, where it appears that his love for music, law, and Jesus have all perfectly combined. Mr. Gaines shares beautiful messages on his instagram and twitter accounts that filter today’s circumstances through a biblical worldview, and I always feel like I learn from his words. His transparency of sharing what God is teaching him is so genuine and is a great picture of what trusting the Lord looks like in times of trouble.
Morgan Harper Nichols (@morganharpernichols on instagram)
^Morgan has been one of my favorite poets for quite some time now because her words always hold such power and truth. Morgan Harper Nichols is another artist who you would likely recognize her work even if you don’t recognize her name. One thing I find beautiful about Morgan’s work is that it is inspired by real life experiences and stories. Back in2017, Morgan invited people to share their hearts and stories with her, and she then used her gift to create art for them. Morgan keeps all the names and personal details private, but the comfort and encouragement of her words are shared and felt publicly and globally. You can find more of her work on her website morganharpernichols.com where I highly suggest you sign up for her daily art and poems to come to your inbox.
Jennifer Borget (@jenniferborget on instagram)
^Jennifer is a former journalist and current digital creator who now runs her blog cherish365.com where she shares her love of life with people and encourages people to find joy and make a difference each day. On both her website and her instagram, Jennifer has been sharing about her life as a multicultural family. Jennifer has three beautiful children with her husband, who is a white officer. As a law enforcement family raising children, Jennifer has written about her longing for a society that supports both her cop husband and her Black son in this post, as well as sharing her research on organizations to donate to in her post “18 Organizations Uplifting Black Lives and Bridging the Police Divide.” Oh, and did I mention she loves Disney and gardening? She shares some great Disney checklists for the family as well as a hilarious saga about getting hornworms out of the garden.
