Radically Simple

Our Sunday school class has been having some fatiguing conversation about racial reconciliation and radical hospitality. As the only black woman and voice of “diversity” in the group, I often say racial reconciliation begins with the relationships in which we invest. The simplicity of this statement is often overlooked and sometimes feel as if I am speaking into an echo chamber. At the end of class, Nancy leaned over and offered to do something radically simple. She offered to plant a flower garden.

Two days later Nancy stopped by to look at my yard, and before I knew it, we were outside for more than two hours. She brought me a yellow tulip, Nestarium seeds, and gloves. She asked how my backyard received morning and afternoon sun, and with each new detail, we moved a plant into its new home.

We moved the potato, pineapple, oregano, rosemary, and purple basil to one side; the saber palm, aloes and succulents to another; and the Hydrangeas beside the fence – away from direct sunlight. We stationed a few plants in macrame and hung them on the fence. My backyard had a new story to tell, and so did we.

In between moving pots, hanging macrame, and positioning chairs, we shared personal stories.
Each story shared, conjured a memory or a thought for the other – and like my new backyard, we created a foundation on which we can hang future moments. The rain began to fall, and Nancy and I stood beneath an awning and admired our work. Everything had a new home and Nancy had a new place in my heart.

Racial reconciliation begins with something radically simple: our relationships.