Tuesday, April 12, 2011

On Forgiveness…

Open Letter to Black People

Dear Black People Living in the United States of America,

Do me a favor. At least consider doing me a favor. Please stop saying that “Black people are the most forgiving people.” That is so untrue. So far from the truth. We have not forgiven the white slave master ancestors for their brutality. How can we claim that we have extended that MASSIVE level of forgiveness when we have yet to self-recover from the brutality? Look around…In many ways, we have not changed. We display our brokenness constantly. Consequently, what we have done is adapted, assimilated, and emulated. Even with our Eurocentric change we are still acting and behaving with brutality towards each other. One does not forgive the brute and then begin to behave like the brute. The interesting development in all this brutality is that black people brutalize each other like the slave masters did – but fail and have failed to respond in a demanding and collective way that indicates that we are Anew. That we are washed clean. Sanitized. Forgiveness brings a different mindset. It literally creates a new person. It produces a new human that has released the past. It brings peace within. We are a long way from being at peace with ourselves and with our brothers/sisters. So, please stop saying that “Black people are the most forgiving people.” If we were, we would not have become the Brute. And, just to entice the emotion and intellect of the Believers in the Jesus story – and to utilize my non-belief of Jesus’ divinity theology; consider this: Jesus forgave. He actually became what he was not before. He became an example of what forgiveness can do. During this Easter season, let’s try to be more than what we were a minute ago. Let’s try to love each other then institute a genuine love with all of humanity. Let’s try to view the biblical stories in a humanistic domain. Let’s make the story real by becoming Anew. Forgiveness demands a change. A radical change! Actually, as I conclude and shut off my brain for a moment I remembered that Easter is ALL ABOUT CHANGE.

Sincerely,

Muata Nowe

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