The Night Is Long but Light Comes in the Morning: Meditations on Racial Healing

Meeks (Living into God’s Dream), executive director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, challenges readers to better understand racial healing in this standout guide. American society has reached an inflection point as false racial narratives threaten groups’ ability to coexist, Meeks argues, and the work of racial healing is more pressing than ever. She encourages readers to look inward and ask: “Do [I] really want to be well?” In the 48 brief meditations that follow, Meeks helps readers tackle this question by examining different aspects of racism and paths to healing. Weaving together history, spirituality, and current culture, Meeks touches on police brutality, gun violence, lynching, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Meditations discuss the abstract (how fear keeps racial divides in place) and the concrete (reparations), often concluding with questions (“What circumstances need to change in order for you to open your heart to someone in a group that differs from your[s]?”) or calls to action (“Try being half a shade braver and say yes to all... invitations to engage in... healing work”). Meeks offers eye-opening lessons that are practical without being overly prescriptive; her focus on deep spiritual truths ensures readers can return to her words at various stages of their racial healing process. Readers will be challenged and changed by this moving work. (Nov.)