Last summer I went to Alabama to visit the National Lynching Memorial. I thought I knew enough about American lynching history so I just wanted to see and experience that powerful art. I can confirm it is indeed powerful art and it did to me what true art, and only true art can do. It transformed me from within, it grabbed me by throat and showed me the difference between intellectual and visceral knowledge.
American history of slavery, lynching and racism are different permutations of the American society’s original sin. And such deep historical sin, just like any other deep trauma, cannot be forgotten no matter what you do. Silence will not help and pretensions will do no good. Unconfessed, hidden sin just like personal or family trauma will always find its way to come up and haunt us.
Theology and psychology are strangely unanimous – the only way forward is confession, repentance and forgiveness. That is when I speak theologically. Psychology has different lingo but follows the same course - bringing the trauma to the surface, owning the wrongs, dealing with them openly and honestly, changing our ways and seeking forgiveness from those harmed. That is the way to be liberated from the dark past.
The National Lynching Memorial is in fact like a helping hand offered to all of us by our black brothers and sisters to finally deal honestly with our history and to get freed from those brutal daemons of our collective past. I think this generous and kind offer is a marvelous theme for our celebration of Black History Month. So come and join us in this deeply meaningful celebration.
American history of slavery, lynching and racism are different permutations of the American society’s original sin. And such deep historical sin, just like any other deep trauma, cannot be forgotten no matter what you do. Silence will not help and pretensions will do no good. Unconfessed, hidden sin just like personal or family trauma will always find its way to come up and haunt us.
Theology and psychology are strangely unanimous – the only way forward is confession, repentance and forgiveness. That is when I speak theologically. Psychology has different lingo but follows the same course - bringing the trauma to the surface, owning the wrongs, dealing with them openly and honestly, changing our ways and seeking forgiveness from those harmed. That is the way to be liberated from the dark past.
The National Lynching Memorial is in fact like a helping hand offered to all of us by our black brothers and sisters to finally deal honestly with our history and to get freed from those brutal daemons of our collective past. I think this generous and kind offer is a marvelous theme for our celebration of Black History Month. So come and join us in this deeply meaningful celebration.
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