FOUR YEARS of verbal abuse. Four years of draconian policies that eviscerated the dignity of people who were not white, Christian, male, or citizens; of police-involved fatal shootings of Black men, women, and children with impunity; increasing climate disasters; government corruption; Russian bots and “fake news”; “very fine people on both sides”; families ripped apart; the white church’s loyalty to whiteness, not Brown Jesus. Four years of betrayal. Four years.
And one year of COVID-19, of disaster coupled with a disastrous response, of hibernation. One year of death.
We are a traumatized nation. As the U.S. enters the next era with a new administration, it is tempting to do as our foremothers and forefathers were taught: When they returned home from a war or survived domestic abuse, they were counseled to put it behind them. They didn’t talk about it, and the wounds grew scars, and the scars took over the bodies of our family systems.
But there is another way. We don’t have to stuff down our pain this time. We can lean into the next year of promise with the kind of expectation that fuels our healing. Dr. James S. Gordon, author of The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma , offers several practices that victims of trauma can do to forward their healing. Besides typical trauma therapies such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which deal directly with trauma-induced thought patterns, Gordon recommends several structures and practices to which we people of faith have ready access. Here are my top three:
1. Befriend your body.
For nearly a year, I hovered within 10 pounds of my all-time highest weight. As we entered 2020, I had a revelation: I was living as if I had no body, ordering out every meal, always traveling, in the air more than on the ground. I decided to do a healing fast and cleanse to reconnect myself to my body. Turns out there’s science behind this. Gordon explains that trauma produces chemicals that damage the digestive track. Getting rid of toxic foods and replacing them with proteins and vegetables can make a world of difference. That’s exactly what I did. I also sought somatic therapy—therapy that helps us reconnect with, listen to, and understand our bodies. Eleven months and 53 pounds later, I have a new relationship with my body, one grounded in the call to care.
2. Shake and dance.
Grey’s Anatomy is still my favorite show. Drs. Christina Yang and Meredith Grey used to dance and shake their bodies to release the stress of their days as surgeons. Turns out, there’s science to that, too! According to Gordon, shaking and dancing releases energy stored in our bodies during periods of trauma. So let’s heal from 2020 by shaking it off—literally!
3. The healing circle.
Every Friday evening, I log onto Instagram to host a #KitchenTableConvo with whoever joins me. I’m amazed how that group of a few thousand fellow travelers comes together every week. We check in with each other, process the week, and reflect on one deep thought together. Gordon says small groups can serve as spaces where we are safe to be as we are, in the moment, without judgement. That alone can advance healing.
As we enter the hope of 2021, let’s meet our bodies again. Let’s dance and shake 2020 out of our systems. Let’s heal together.
Lisa Sharon Harper, a former Sojourners columnist, is the founder and president of Freedom Road and author of Fortune and The Very Good Gospel. You can follow her work at lisasharonharper.com.
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