Divine From The Start

For me, Friday means, and I imagine for most of us, that we survived the week battling micro-aggressions that pretend not to exist, with smiles on our faces, grace in our disposition, and conviction in our hearts; all the while keeping our authentic selves intact!

And speaking of "authentic selves," during my walk last weekend, I passed by St Patrick's on 5th ave and decided to go in. It was the first time I saw the shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa, a revered icon of the Virgin Mary. According to legend, it was painted by the apostle Luke and set on a tabletop built by Jesus Himself in Luke’s family home.

This painting revealed to me what I had known all along, that it takes a divine people, despite everything we have been through, to love still, thrive still, and come out stronger even still. I mention this because the Holy Madonna in the painting is black or dark-skinned. So when I think about authenticity, I think of our original selves, our divine selves, and how we should walk in that divinity every day without apology.

Happy Friday and Black History i.e. Everybody’s History all year around!!!