#Black Lives Matter — Why You Can’t ‘Love and Light’ Your Way Out of This

Up until recently, I was very much part of the New Age ‘Love and Light’ community full of flowing robes, positivity, and ‘enlightenment’. It wasn’t until I raised the very real issue of white privilege in this community that I discovered how inauthentic and misguided it was.

When I first broached this subject last summer to my ‘spiritually enlightened’ white friends and colleagues, expecting wisdom and understanding, I was shocked by the spiritual gaslighting and bypassing. Comments such as, “You know I wasn’t always white; in another life, I was the same colour as you”, “I don’t see colour”, to, “We can’t be angry” abounded. Basically, I was judged, tried and found guilty for my ‘unspiritual’ views. I was sent packing with my tail between my legs. Move on to 2020 and what is currently unfolding and the ‘Love and Light’ brigade have been the first to criticize me for displaying the ‘Black Lives Matter’ slogan on my Facebook profile.

According to them, I need to go forward in ‘Love’ not ‘Hate’. Such a powerful term ‘Love’ and so easily manipulated too. It has been twisted and misinterpreted by a community who is deceived in believing that they are somehow above racism, prejudice, and being human.

Like everyone, I have been rocked by the murder of George Floyd and the protests against racism and white privilege. As a person of colour, I have found my voice to speak honestly. And I have this to say to those who preach about‘Love and Light’:

I know this is an uncomfortable conversation and that this is the last conversation you wish to have. I appreciate how it brings up shame and feelings you would rather not feel, but whether you are a person of colour or white, shame is part of the problem and part of the solution. I appreciate that it challenges everything you believed about spiritual growth and enlightenment. I appreciate it asks you to be vulnerable and human. But if you do not step out of the Maya of enlightenment, you will continue to help perpetuate a system that supports the repression of people of colour. It is not all ‘Love and Light’ and fluffy affirmations. You are very much part of this human story and therefore have the power to influence the next chapter.

‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ are two sides of the same coin. Love — true love is about honesty; speaking your truth; having the ability to hear what someone has to say without defending yourself, agreeing or disagreeing. It is the simple and profound act of true listening. Love involves anger, hate, rage, and sadness just as much as it involves joy. It is the grace of acceptance and the ‘isness’ of things. Love is a willingness to be open to different viewpoints, to embracing the fact that we don’t know it all and never will. Love is an acceptance of all of who you are, not cherry-picking the bits you feel are good. It is all good because it is all you — the good, the bad, and the bits you don’t want to see because you are ashamed.

Just because you can connect to ‘spirit’ does not give you all the answers and does not make you enlightened. You hide behind labels such as being ‘awakened’ and ‘lightworker’, yet you are so far from the truth because you are not willing to see the truth — it is far too painful.

I get it. For so long, the truth was far too painful for me because I judged myself and so desperately wanted to be good and accepted (I still do) — and in wanting to be good, I became dishonest; hiding behind ‘Love and Light’; unwilling to see that behind it was shame, self-loathing, insecurity and low self-worth.

If you really wish to be part of the healing of this planet, then it will take you to have the courage to walk where angels fear to tread. That place of darkness that exists in each and every one of us where our prejudices live. We are creatures of light and dark, love and hate, angel and devil and it is in embracing all of who we are that we will also discover our humanity and immense capacity for compassion. That is how we move forward.