At The Crossroads With Rev. Luke Powery

We have a choice to make. As Americans, as humans, there is no doubt we are at the crossroads. Which way will we go? I asked that question of the Rev. Dr. Luke Powery, desperately wanting an answer that will make me want to get out of bed in the morning. Of course, nothing is that easy, but through the twists and turns of our conversation, I came out on the other side with a sense of optimism. And yes, hope.

Powery is an author, singer, renowned preacher and the first Black Dean of The Duke University Chapel. So much of what he had to say resonated with me, but one statement in particular stood out: “Our technology has outpaced our humanity. We can go to space, but we can’t make space for one another.”

That statement and many others took my breath away. He quoted W.E.B. Du Bois and Emily Dickinson. He shared jaw dropping experiences of how he’s perceived as a Black man in America, despite his Stanford, Princeton and Duke credentials. And he framed it all in the context of confronting our pain on a path that leads to hope.

It’s the holiday season and we all want to feel that familiar sense of wonder and hope. But it’s 2020. If you are struggling with the chaos and division that define this year, give yourself the gift of Dr. Powery’s perspective and words of wisdom. You deserve it.

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