The Change Must Come From Within

The author of the following article, Anna Marion, is an advisor to leaders who wish to incorporate wholeness and healing into their decision making. Anna is trained in the Theophostic method of inner-healing, has an extensive background in media and communication, as well as a life of participation in the ministry of the Christian Church.

THE CHANGE MUST COME FROM WITHIN
RESPONSE TO ‘JONATHAN’S’ VIDEO ON THE REACTION BY BLACK PEOPLE IN FERGUSON, MO

In his viral video ‘Jonathan’ is clear in his opinion black people must change. Reacting to the events in Ferguson, MO, Jonathan has taken a look at how blacks perceive themselves or have been taught to perceive themselves, and his solution is, “It’s time for us to change as black people.” He asserts rioting, looting and violence are not helping. He also admits it is embarrassing. Watch the video. Jonathan’s comments are insightful, and he delivers his tough message with seriousness and humor too.

In 2Thessalonians 3:16 Paul prays,

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” (NIV)

That means peace at all times in every situation is possible!

Jonathan talks about why, but never says how. So how can that change happen? First, understand anger is actually false power. The visceral response by the Ferguson community reflects woundedness.

The problem isn’t about white police and a black man, just like it wasn’t really about a black cop and a white man in 2013. The problem is perception of self or one’s past circumstances. The angry emotional response can be resolved. It is time to get past perception by dealing with the root. Anytime a situation evokes emotional hurt, it is a signal that change must come from within. The internal struggle is not specific to any race or socio-economic group. It affects the individual in the slum as well as the CEO in the Board Room. No one is excluded. It is a human-condition. All of us should take steps to deal with our own woundedness: addressing our pain and its source first, and then advancing the community and helping others as a positive outcome.

Emotions happen in an instant, a split-second. Someone says something or does something that triggers us, and we are flooded with emotion. Jonathan is pointing out that emotions are fueled by false beliefs when he mocks, “Blame the police, and white folks for our actions; ‘slavery still exists.’” What happens is, in a flash, our mind connects us with a similar past bad experience and attaches an emotion to the present situation based on past experiences. We act on that emotion.Jonathan is correct in “Change is not going to come until we change it.” But HOW? When we are ready to be rid of our pain and the negative emotions they evoke, there is a proven method to resolve it. One recognized way is found in inner-healing, tracing the negative and vulnerable emotions through your personal history to a memory where the emotion matches, then uncovering the root of the pain. The solution is to resolve it in that memory.

We make a decision. Often, the initial emotion is so painful we can’t linger there, so we jump to anger to gain control of the situation. What we see in Ferguson is the protective emotion of anger.

Anger is actually false power.
True power comes from healing and wholeness,
from a place of inner peace.

When blame is placed outside (on others), it is an opportunity to look within, at our own stuff. It is a prompt to seek inner healing and emotional healing, for ourselves.

Jonathan asks repeatedly, “What shall we do?” Well, what are individuals and communities to do? First, individuals can work on themselves. There are many approaches to this, including acknowledging one’s negative emotion and allowing it to be the bridge to the memory where it resides, usually a childhood memory. Uncover the belief that ‘fuels’ that emotion. Uncovering why one feels that emotion in the memory – a belief about self or about one’s situation – puts us on a path to replace lie-based belief with Truth, dispelling the lie and removing the negative emotion associated with that belief. The Truth does not come from talking ourselves out of it with our logical thinking; it comes directly from the Lord, through the Holy Spirit. This process can be facilitated with the help of a professional adept at inner-healing, a counselor or therapist, and, with enough training, can be done individually.

For Help With Inner Healing

St. Louis:

Archdiocese of St. Louis
Anne Hruz: 314-437-7788
[email protected]

Houston:

Serenity Retreat for Healing and Spiritual Renewal (also offers training in inner healing)
DiscoverSerenityRetreat.org
[email protected]

Omaha:

Christ Community Church (also offers training in inner healing)
cccomaha.org
[email protected]

Communities, civic leaders, local businesses and churches can start by recognizing the distress among the population and taking steps to build morale, camaraderie and relationships, thereby strengthening inner-personal relationships and the community. Leaders are especially encouraged to ‘work on their stuff’ and set an example for others.

Romans 12:2 instructs us:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

God gave us a way out through His grace. Although He gas given us many ways in which to heal, by using the Theophostic™ model, I’ve personally experienced and witnessed the healing power of God in action over and over again.

There are resources (see chart above) to help facilitate this powerful method of transformation. Imagine the positive change in the community when leaders are consistently making decisions, not from a place of woundedness, but are making decisions from a place of personal healing – a place of peace. The trickle-down effect of those decisions is widespread. The first step is acknowledging our humanness, in so, doing our woundedness. Then, seek Truth.

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