Trauma Symposium Panel Discussion
The panels began with the Eastern Orthodox and interestingly, the practice of breathing and reading an invocation to the Holy Spirit by St. Symeon the New Theologian who lived between 949 and 1022. This group also included Anabaptist, and Feminist theology studies. The Feminist used to images of the crucifixion in comparing the ideas of witness that I found particularly powerful — where in Procaccini’s “The Raising of the Cross” it is highlighted that the men are all looking away, whereas in the “Crucifixion #1” by He Qi, the women were looking into the face of Jesus, bearing witness. The discussion was even more fascinating, as the Feminist and Eastern Orthodox looked to the Anabaptist as a sort of bridge of sorts to help find the way between what many felt was a patriarchal, rigid structure in Eastern Orthodoxy compared to the ‘spunky’ but potentially off-putting Feminists. I’m not sure one was found reasonably, but the call to community and non-confrontational ways was a reasonable beginning.
I, as much of the class, was completely affected by R. Young’s sharing his personal impact of being in the group and public apology to his thinking about the dominance of men. This came from the “Womanist/Mujerista/Post-Colonial Theologies” discussion with the class and their take that there is egalitarianism to be found in the Womanist perspective.
The other 2 panel discussions outside of our own of note for the author included the African American Liberation Theology and the beautiful discussion around his life, death and memorial as pictured here.
It was sadly set back to back with another of a 1920’s church setting with the KKK and a broad banner bearing “Jesus Saves” in the background demonstrating the use and abuse of Jesus death on the cross and what salvation truly means. The black and white views and power remain entrenched today.
This group also had a Bey spotting with a discussion by the Feminists of what women are still held to be in this society, to have it all and look good doing it.
Our groups panel discussion focused on the question of what is a wound, and what is recovery? The discussion was rich and multi-faceted as connections to trauma and the body is made, both with Shelly Rambo in her writing as well as within Bessel Van Der Kolk in their recognition of trauma being carried in the body across individuals, cultures and even non-human life. The often unrecognized silence of trauma was acknowledged across groups.
The personal story of a recent visit of pastors to Cheasty Greenspace shared by Mary DeJong powerfully connected the cultural challenges and need to seek to find a shared understanding, as the African American female pastor saw the violence of ropes in the trees reminding her of lynching trees, whereas without this view, it was seen as simply an absence of care and presence. The richer context helped give the sense of what death in the created world around us may mean once all perspectives are taken into account.
Common ground was found in the “middle space” Rambo brings to bear between the space we are in eco-theology between the original creation and what the “new heaven and earth” may be envisioned to be. This “middle space” was echoed in the Kathryn Tanner group discussion.
Recovery and healing was discussed in the hope carried in the church community that isn’t being born today, the multi-sensorial experience
Bringing in the Asian contextual, Albert Wang shared a quote and piece from artist Trung Phan, “I believe that vulnerability has the power of transformation”. This was a powerful connector for all of us as we embarked upon the remaining moments in connecting each of our groups significance of wounds and recovery.
We, as a large group, connected on the need to wait, to sit in the wound and not jumping to resurrection quickly. And our desire to recover, but the need to recognize and sit with the wound, the trauma. Rambo was echoed in her mention of Hurricane Katrina in chapter 1, and the need to remain that is imperative. Brynn Fitzer shared a personal story of how a fatal accident was cleared off the road, with no reminder of the life that existed that no longer did as an example of our shared calling to be in the remembering together and not just “clean up the mess”.
Eco-theology built upon this with the oppression and suppression of the truth of causes and consequences of trauma with regards to the ongoing impact of the atomic testing on the Marshall Islands and how intimately tied together we are with our environments.
Finally, we each shared how we were personally impacted by our time together over the past year (our group spent the entire year together, and it was such a gift)…
- Authentic, deep friendship formed out of the readings and discussions; we are going to continue to meet monthly around the themes of trauma and ecotheology. Sherri Hainje
- I (lara long) felt that we were able to be vulnerable and witness the trauma we have experienced in one another’s lives that as VDK has said is healing through attachment and Rambo speaks of bearing witness. It has been beautiful, healing and so very needed.
- (Mary DeJong) As a result of my readings for this particular pod and research papers, specifically eco-feminist food culture, which links the objectification and oppression of women’s bodies, animal bodies, and the suffering of the earth, I have decided to become a vegetarian (3 months into the journey at this point!). **Mary — awesome!**
- For me (Joy Hilliker) our texts have reminded me of both the church and our culture’s desire to rush trauma survivors to a place of hope. The bloody, messy and extremely lengthy process of integration cannot be rushed. This is important to admit collectively with our planet in mind as well. If we understand the vast imprint of trauma both on body and earth, we will be much more aware of our impact knowing that repair is lengthy and arduous.
- Mary’s story of the walk through the forest and the woman seeing ropes from lynching trees is powerful. An extremely important reminder to read text and stay in conversations involving varying cultures and forms of thought. It is important to hold all of our varying grief collectively if we are to hear. We were born to be interconnect, land, body, and soul. Joy Hilliker
- (lara long) In the end of it all, I realize my God is so much bigger than the box / text we try to put Him/Her into. His Creation is bigger. His Love is bigger. His plans are bigger. I live so often in a mindset of scarcity, rather than out of an abundance and full understanding of the life and kingdom I’ve been giving a chance to participate in and care for and heal. I see God’s life and provision in all living things. Especially the dirt :)
