We must pay attention to the history we have overlooked. Our stories did not begin with us. They are shaped by the lives of those who came before—by the households that raised us and the lessons passed down. Naming where we come from is not nostalgia; it is the foundation of understanding who we are. We do not walk this path alone. The search for truth requires listening to voices unlike our own. Some must confront the privileges they assumed were natural. Others must reclaim the dignity that was denied them. None of us are free until we see our lives as interconnected. The other half of history doesn’t erase everything we ever thought we knew about ourselves and our God, but it does invite us to see all things in a new light. The journey is not easy, but it is necessary. Truth-telling is the first step toward real freedom.
May we embrace the other half of history,
seeing all things in a new light and walking together
in truth toward real freedom.
(inspired by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Reconstructing the Gospel)