Healing Injustice through Right Action

As I mentioned in my last article, These are the Times…, our global collective is in an intense awakening, and I continue to see that we are going to experience a series of “situations” as many of our wounds and shadows and misaligned beliefs rise to the surface to be seen, heard, and, hopefully, healed. What I didn’t realize in March is how soon, or what kind of “event” would influence so many people around the world. The murder, captured on camera, of George Floyd has sparked worldwide protests in response to the disproportionate killings of black people by America’s police force.
 
For those unfamiliar with my biography, you may not know that I've had two family members shot and killed by police.

For perspective, let me give you the circumstances of each:
My uncle, my dad’s youngest brother (2004) – He left a house, then was suddenly chased by a plain clothes officer (never identified himself), first by vehicle, then by foot until he was trapped in an alley and then shot five times in the back. Unarmed, innocent, father of five, including a newborn. After being shot, he was left to bleed out as the EMTs were prohibited from aiding him. OOPS… the narcotics officer was looking for a different Mexican-American with dark skin; a parolee who also had a mustache, but was about five inches in height-difference than my uncle. My uncle's immediate family was mercilessly harassed by law enforcement after the shooting. Though indicted, the officer was acquitted.

My cousin, my mom’s sister’s son (2006) – He showed up at an Army Reserve office with a gun  as he was distraught and threatening his ex-girlfriend. Cops called his cell phone and spoke to him for a while, asking him to "please leave, sir." He did... but returned a little later, and was subsequently shot once he pointed his gun directly at the officer. He actually only pulled his trigger once it was against his own head, as he wanted a guaranteed death. He was very fair-skinned, and was definitely threatening. His family was not harassed. And, as this was a suicide-by-cop, the situation was evaluated but the officer was not charged.
 
This are just two stories, of course, but the systemic racism is clear when you compare the danger-to-cop (or others) circumstances along with the skin tones.

For the past few weeks, I have been diligently speaking out on my social media accounts, signing petitions, and helping people understand the unconsciousness we are prone to when living – submerged – in a racist culture. Though I have yet to get out myself, all three of my daughters have participated in peaceful protests in Sacramento and San Francisco, standing in solidarity of justice. I am incredibly proud of all my young adult children, who’ve worked tirelessly in the name of equal rights. Just as I do in individual readings, and in my Sacred Offerings newsletters and articles, I continue to shine the light into the shadows that hold us back, whether individually or collectively. It's part of what I do; bringing forth that which we cannot see so well, as awareness is the first step to transformation, so we can love those mis-aligned aspects back to wholeness.

We are in a massive transformation, which will likely cause us unprecedented feelings of discomfort for the next several years. As difficult or painful as it may be, we are more than ready to evolve.

A world where any human is made to live in fear of being targeted simply for being who s/he is – whether race, skin tone, sexual orientation, religion, gender, disability, etc. – is a world in need of profound healing from fear and hate, and beliefs rooted in unworthiness. As uncomfortable as this is to see, to understand that we all have been programmed to be racist, sexist, OTHER-ist in a purposefully suppressive system, it is NOW TIME (far past, actually) to notice, to name and unpack what is unconscious, fear-based, holding us back, and undermining and hurting ourselves, crippling our humanity.

Doing a spiritual bypass and emphatically claiming "We are One" without doing the inner work to heal our own systemic (unconscious) programming of hate, fear and separation is not truly transformational; it's avoidance.

Yes, we are one, but that "one" has been fragmented with many aspects, the wounded and fearful, hiding for "safety" in the shadows. We must acknowledge our shortcomings, or they will continue to operate in unconscious, often hurtful, ways. Every day we can see this pattern of our unresolved wounds affecting our relationships, our finances, our health, and our general happiness. This is why we do "inner work" for wellness.

When it comes to racism, or any other 'ism, I invite you to go into a meditative state and ask yourself, "What am I not seeing here? What makes me uncomfortable around this? What's triggering to me? Where am I complacent? Where can I heal? What is my part in our collective transformation?" Journaling your insights can be a powerful way to bring wisdom, wounds, and wonderings to the surface.

There is a new-age belief to “focus on what you want, not what you don’t want.” Yet, there is also the third-dimensional matter of transformation and healing the areas in our lives that are out-of-balance. As much as we would rather focus on what's going right, the "unloved" aspects that are ignored (that which we don't like dealing with/seeing and usually deeply buried by the ego) will begin to form a "cancer" - if necessary - to get our attention, begging loudly for healing. How one deals with cancer is a choice, of course. Since most (if not all) imbalances and dis-ease have emotional, worth-based aspects and beliefs underlying them, it’s important to recognize the unconscious role they play in supporting/feeding a dis-ease so that they can be “uprooted” for transformation, if true healing is to take place.

Global healing – just as personal healing – begins with recognizing what needs to be healed, understanding there is dis-ease in the whole (not ignoring it), unearthing the “root causes” or underlying beliefs that supported its growth, then taking "right action" toward transformation. Typically, “right action” for something significantly out-of-balance (like cancer or systemic racism) must happen in a multitude of realms – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – simultaneously and immediately to be most effective. In other words, prayer or affirmations alone are rarely enough for the "big stuff."

At this time, with the masses awakening so quickly, we can focus on strengthening our will to act, as well as to trust in our abilities and true nature. We can know that as we face this painful unearthing of our shadows in the months and years to come – whatever they may be – we will have the courage and fortitude to transform them “for good.”

As an intrinsic part of the whole, each of us is being challenged to face our own egos, our own fears, our shadows and shortcomings – not for self-shame or judgment – so we may transform them through the power of Love… in action.

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