What are the joys and challenges of holding history?
History has many gifts to offer us. It can bring data, insight, and wisdom. It can also be difficult to hold, especially when it includes trauma, violence, or loss.
Why are some people drawn to history while others eschew it? What aspects of history call your name? Which would you rather avoid?
There’s a debate raging in our nation right now over how we teach and learn the racial history of the United States. Some people are opposed to learning how different racial groups have been treated differently during our history. I wonder what forces are at work in the energy of this resistance. Who does telling this history help and who does it harm? Who benefits from not knowing the fullness of history?
When you turn to your own history, and the history of your family, what do you notice? Are there stories you tell over and over? Are there silences? What do you know, and what do you wish you knew? What would you rather not hold?
Join us this November as our community wrestles with the joys and challenges of holding history: in our own lives, in our families, and in the life of our community.
With Love,
Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom, Senior Minister