The last shall be first.
It’s a scripture from the Bible, words spoken by Jesus “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”(Matthew 19:30). There are a lot of ways to interpret the statement. It’s been on my spirit this year, thinking about how many people and lives have been affected by recent world events. And while I didn’t make a specific new year resolution, the last couple of months for me have mostly been about setting and re-aligning intentions.
It’s a time of uncertainty and transition for a lot of people. I am a lot of people. The moment and its gravity is palpable. And it’s taking everything for some of us just to push through.
We’re living in a time when true intention is becoming exposed. Right (or left) or wrong it is in our faces. It’s a moment in America, where blatant displays of racism, fascism, and disregard for basic human life have become our daily reality. The experience of being denied access and opportunity is becoming all too real. It’s terrifying.
What we know is that we’ve been here before. As a human race, we’ve seen this. We know the experience of our ancestors and the truth of who we are and whose we are.
I’m also reminded of another verse “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19). In times of uncertainty, I’m always reminded of the opportunity to chart a new course. God’s will is my highest truth and north star. It’s been feeling more urgent, now more than ever, to expose our individual truths of why and how we approach our work. And our lives. It’s not what we do but what’s driving us. I always wonder what “one nation, under God” actually means in our national pledge. What does God mean across the diversity of races, creeds and cultures in America? What does God mean to us collectively? And, if we do believe, how does He inspire our actions?
On this last day of Black History Month, I’m re-energized by black American history and contributions from the diaspora. Even though we’ve been put last, somehow we always end in first.
Always forward with love,
Roslyn
