By Angela Amos | FāVS News Columnist
Each autumn, I reread bell hooks. Something about the change of seasons, the meditations on letting go as a path to healing just begs for me to revisit hooks’ genius and artistry. This year, two quotes have resonated with me, and I have been mulling them over, like a smooth river stone, like a rediscovered map.
The first is, “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” And the second is, “Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.” They just stop me in my tracks, the way truth does, the way the important signs make themselves known.
Living the philosophy of beloved community
I think about Beloved Community as I participate in Matters of the Hearth meetings with participants. I think about it during staff meetings, as we seek to ensure we stay true to our organizational mission and values. I think about it as I am grabbing ingredients from the pantry for the morning’s meal at the Hearth. I think about it as I write a speech for the upcoming event to thank our volunteer of the year.
hooks’ beloved community requires those involved to show up as themselves and to make space for others to show up in the same manner. There is room for discomfort and there is room for disagreement. But there is no room for people to judge, hide or cultivate strife. hooks’ definition of healing within a community is deeply moving.
To hooks, healing together becomes a form of collective action, a “praxis” where people physically and emotionally come together to provide care, support and witness each other’s pain and joy. That witnessing is another way to come alongside each other, and it is such an important practice.
Autumn also brings our agency’s annual event called “People Who Care.” On Oct. 7, we will share our gratitude for the support of our community, celebrate our growth together and look toward the future. So much joy goes into creating the videos we share, the programming, the speeches. This year’s theme is community, which dovetailed nicely into my autumnal readings. I look forward to this event.
Honoring the heart of our work
One of my favorite parts of the event is the presentation of the Maria Pizelo Award for Volunteer of the Year. Volunteers are the blood cells of our organization. They make our operations operate. They make programming programmable. In short, there is no way we can be of service without our community volunteers. The volunteers’ joy and commitment remind participants that they are not forgotten by the community, that they are seen and valued.
As I type this, there is a volunteer in the main area of the Hearth, leading a freestyle dance class. The music is upbeat and joyful, the movement of those involved uninhibited. The dance gives way for us to occupy space in our bodies, to let feelings come and go. It is an act of joy and community. It is an act of love.
Please join us on Oct. 7 at the Davenport Hotel for our PWC event. We would love to see you all there. More information can be found online at https://transitionsspokane.org/pwc/.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
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