Harmony & Why I’m a Part of the Harmony CORE-alition
People are different. You know that. We have different personalities, different opinions, different life experiences, different family cultures, different views on politics and religion, & different heartaches and wounds. Despite these differences, harmony in a group of people can be achieved if they desire to value and affirm each other as they unite for a common goal. Harmony doesn’t mean that we will always agree and think alike, but it does mean that we commit to listen and learn from each other, believing that we are equally loved by God, created to be unique individuals with gifts and talents.
In 2020 my husband, Wade, and I were invited by Lamont and Lovie Lester to meet on a regular basis with a group of people who had attended several racially diverse Harmony Worship services. In our first meeting, Lamont explained their vision; the Harmony CORE-alition would be “…a group of individuals who understand the importance of unification, reconciliation, family, and community…work[ing] diligently…to understand and appreciate their differences, backgrounds, and experiences.”
We’ve spent the last two years with the Harmony CORE-alition: reading, watching, learning, listening, and developing beautiful friendships. I didn’t realize how much black history I had never heard. I also didn’t understand how our desire to “just put the past behind us” can cause us to be blind to the biases that many of us still have not overcome. I know I still have much to learn, so I’m still reading and listening. We grew up singing, “Jesus loves the little children [adults too], all the children of the world…, they are precious in His sight…” We believed it, but we didn’t realize way back then how important it was (or would still be now this many years later) for white people to look beyond themselves and see the challenges others face just because of the color of their skin. Now, in a biracial family, it is even more important for Wade and me to understand the challenges people of color face, how to be advocates for them, and ultimately, how to love them better.
I want to be a harmony-seeking peacemaker and ally. Don’t you? If you have not already found a place to start seeking, I challenge you to consider doing as we did. Begin with Brant Hansen’s book, Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better. Then, make more friends who are different from you, while reading or listening to all that you have missed: black history, African American authored books, podcasts, music, and more. (Let me know if you would like our reading list.) May God bless your journey.
Leda Turner