Empathy
The other day I had the most beautiful conversation in The Rolling Shack. 2 beautiful African American ladies came on the shack. How the conversation turned to this I will never know but somehow I found out one of the ladies was from Ghana. I told her I was there in 2011 and they both said they were too! We began to share stories. I said I went to the slave castle and they both said they were there too! How could a place so beautiful be full of such hatred? On the top floor of the castle I remembered seeing the Psalms 23 on the wall while down below slaves would have been stuffed to full capacity in cells. Then there was the door of no return. Slaves were marched out on a plank from the castle onto a waiting ship to make the long journey to the Americas never to see their home country again. As we were each reflecting on our time at the slave castle, we all got quiet. Each lost in our own personal memory. For me, I will never know the horrors that were experienced there but my heart breaks when there is a breakdown in humanity. I left that castle changed. As they were leaving, I said thanks for a great conversation you never know what happens when you come in the shack. One of the women looked back at me and said, “I bet a lot of really great conversations happen here.” This morning I was reflecting on her statement and I realized how true that is. When we open ourselves up to hear each other, really hear each other, then we begin to understand each other more. For us at The Marketplace, we have heard so many horrible stories that we have sat and cried together. But we have also heard stories of transformation that make us want to stand up and cheer. Our conversation on the shack was beautiful because we each shared our heart and heard each other. We stood back and agreed there are horrors in the world today with human trafficking. Yet another breakdown in humanity. As you head into your week, slow down a bit, and take time to hear each other. You might be surprised how you can leave changed.
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