Truth will spring from the earth

By Sr. Shingai Chigwedere

Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.  (Ps 85:11-12) 

One of the reasons the Dominican charism appeals to me is the journey of seeking Truth, Veritas, through the four pillars of prayer, study, community, and ministry. I love to learn and am used to be an avid reader (less free time right now 😊). Study is not simply academic it is more so being aware of what is happening in the world and how God is calling us to respond. As the saying goes, Dominicans walk with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. In other words, as one Sister explained to me, “To be preachers of good news and calling one another to our best selves for the life of the world!” Here are a few ways, I have been graced so far with living the pillar of study.

Uncomfortable Truth

I love living in Hyde Park, a historically significant and diverse part of metropolitan Chicago. It has been a good cultural reconnection for me and a change from the homogenous suburban neighborhoods where I primarily lived in the past. I am in a place with lots of Black people and while not the majority, I don’t have to flex all the time to fit into a world of whiteness.

One way I have enjoyed getting to know my neighbors and surrounding neighborhoods is by riding public transportation. I take the bus to ministry to Cook County Jail where I co-facilitate a men’s faith sharing class using the TV series The Chosen, about the life of Jesus and his disciples. I am reminded each time I ride the bus, of the privilege I have to opt to drive a novice car to ministry during inclement weather. The privilege of not lugging my groceries and shopping supplies on multiple buses to get home. The privilege of not worrying about the balance on my  bus pass as it automatically gets reloaded when it reaches a certain amount. Riding the bus also keeps me connected to what neighbors are experiencing and thinking. Recently, I overheard the following conversation between two African Americans who were complaining that government officials “are trying to force Chicagoans to welcome migrants and refugees. They even want to shelter these migrants in Black communities” and frustratedly stated, “they don’t even care about us, yet they want us to house these people in our neighborhoods?” I was saddened to hear this from a group whose ancestors were enslaved and unwelcome in the US. Yet at the same time, I understood their frustration of not being seen and respected enough to receive adequate funding to address violent crime, provide affordable housing, and address food insecurity in Black neighborhoods. This is an uncomfortable truth I am confronted with daily as Chicago continues to grapple with how to welcome and provide shelter and safety for our new neighbors.

Painful Truth

I am taking a class at Catholic Theological Union (CTU)  called Reconciling Narratives: Racialization and the Theology of Robert J. Schreiter, C.PP.S. In simple terms, racialization means how people are defined by their race. In this class, we explore the theological anthropology of the social construct “race” and the interconnectedness to colonization, chattel slavery, white supremacy, and Christianity. We discuss truth, healing, and accountability in reconciling narratives, and ways of developing resources for a spirituality of reconciliation and restorative justice towards eradicating racism. It’s a fascinating class taught by a student and mentee of Schreiter. In addition to Schreiter’s books, we read books and articles by Willie James Jennings, Brian Bantum, James Cone, Kelly Brown Douglas, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Fr. Virgilio Elizondo, M. Shawn Copeland, Eleazar Fernandez, and others. We have been graced on two separate occasions with guest speakers Maka Black Elk, Executive Director for Truth and Healing at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota and Dr. Marvin Wickware, a former student of Willie James Jennings. This is heavy and important content in the long history of the Catholic Church and of the United States. The class is challenging my prejudices, teaching me new vocabulary, and requires me to be merciful as we dig through this messy and enormously complex painful truth of a racialized world.

(Sr. Julie, Dr. Shannen Dee Williams, Sr. Shingai, and Sr. Terri) 

Difficult Truth

CTU’s center for the Study of Consecrated Life hosted a talk by Dr. Shannen Dee Williams entitled “Reckoning with Dangerous Memories in the History of US Catholic Women’s Religious Life.” Dr. Williams shared the mostly unreconciled histories of slavery and segregation in U.S. women’s religious life as well as some notable attempts to make reparation for the enduring sin of anti-Black racism and exclusion within Catholic boundaries. It brough to life for me the history of women religious congregations who owned slaves and denied entry to Black women because of race. It was interesting to hear how many congregations opened up their archives to Dr. Williams for her research that led to her book Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle. On the other hand, to hear that some have refused and the various reasons for this reluctance. It was good to hear about the various apologies, healing ceremonies, and ongoing dialogue some of the congregations have engaged in to work through this difficult truth.

Healing Truth

As part of the inter-community novitiate (ICN), we spent three days of intense study on family of origin. We created genograms, discussed our family structures, birth order, the stories we’ve heard and legacies we want to continue. One of the most enlightening exercises we completed was to create a timeline of significant events in our family (moves, deaths, births, divorces, wars, the great depression, pandemic, etc.). When I overlayed these dates with the genogram I had a new perspective on why my siblings and I experienced or seem to remember events differently. It was a fascinating and very helpful exercise to visually help make connections and see familial patterns. During the session we discussed ways to work on forgiveness and reconciliation (if needed) with our families, who did the best they could with what they knew. Having taken the time to understand significant events gave us a new perspective on our childhood experiences. It allowed us to understand our current situation better and how that informs the selves we bring to our religious communities - the gifts and the growing edges.

All of this learning so far is encouraging me to move through uncomfortable truths, painful truths, difficult truths, to transforming them into healing truths. I am grateful for this consecrated and concentrated Canonical year of prayer, study, and reflection.

I will end with this quote from Robert J. Schreiter, “Reconciliation is not about going back. It is about addressing the past adequately so that we can go forward.” (Schreiter, The Ministry of Reconciliation: Spirituality and Strategies, 18). 

Thank you for surrounding us with your ongoing prayers!