What if I told you that the path toward healing our divides lies in peeling back our pain? Are you willing to go there? My guest this week on Our Voices Matter is more than willing. In fact, he uses his lived experience to help others navigate that treacherous, yet transformative path.

Aaron Layton is an educator and diversity consultant who holds a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. On August 9, 2014, the fatal shooting of 18 year old Michael Brown at the hands of a police officer ignited a firestorm of protests in Ferguson, Missouri. It also ignited something in Aaron Layton that led him on a journey to talk to his white brothers and sisters in a way that he never had before. They talked. They listened. They learned. Three years later Layton shared what he learned in a book entitled, “Dear White Christian.”

Regardless of your faith, don’t let the title scare you away from listening to its underlying message and call to action: “the most transformative work you can do is to begin to explore ‘who do I consider to be the other‘?”

In our wide ranging conversation, Layton and I explore the underbelly of this topic. From Michael Brown to George Floyd, how can we engage in courageous conversations that move us toward understanding, acceptance and healing? As Layton so beautifully lays out for us, it starts with peeling back the pain.