“I am at a point in my life where I am learning to relate to the Divine differently and it is a work in progress, because at times, I do not know where to begin. My spiritual life up until this point has consisted of faithful Bible reading, prayer, tithing, and abstaining from alcohol (and pork). I now realize how much deeper and expansive my connection to the Divine must be, but initially, I didn’t know how to get there. To help, I added rituals that connect me to my African roots including art, movement, the pouring of libation, and burning incense. The practice of pouring libation causes me to pause and slow down as I give honor to my ancestors, the unborn, the land I stand upon, as well the Divine.

Yet still, it goes deeper than rituals. I seek a relationship that is not based on fear, a relationship that actually gives me the space to truly love the Spirit of God in the world, and the Spirit that dwells in me. I feel the Spirit of the Divine asking this of me, and more specifically, I feel the Spirit asking me to do the deep work to untangle my understanding from the image of the white male God. I must abandon the paranoid-based approach to spirituality along with its list of rules and regulations, in exchange for true intimacy.”

Excerpt, Trading Fear for Intimacy. In Let the Black Women Say Ase’ (2022).