Soul

SOUL

Spiritual Advocacy for Those Who Seem Different from Us

BY REV. DONNA DAVIS, RN (YP i R)

In today’s day and age, people appear to be on one side or the other: the left versus the right, Republican versus Democrat, straight versus gay. All of these seemingly opposites, can make it very hard to be your brother’s keeper.

In the Bible, God asked Cain where Abel was and he replied, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The truth is, no one can exist in the world without the help of someone else. We are born vulnerable and small, completely entrusted to the arms of others. Without other human beings, we would not survive as babies and as children.

This means we need each other. At some point in our life, we are taught we don’t need anybody else. Occasionally some of us, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, have been pushed to the wayside by those who should have kept us safe and who should’ve been our keeper.

Some have even been ostracized by the very parents who are responsible for them and their emotional well-being. We harden our hearts to others because we have been hurt by others. However, even when someone is different from us, we can show up and advocate for our neighbors.

We usually do this when a great tragedy hits. What if we were to do it, even when they are different from us or when they appear to be on the other side of the fence? Without the push of a great disaster? The only way to bridge the gap, is for someone to take the first step.

Those of us who have been hurt in the past, know what it’s like to be in pain. So, let us soften our hearts and take the first step. If we take the first step then maybe, just maybe, it would show that there is still humanity and love in the world, leading others to take a step as well.

Eventually, we may meet in the middle. After all, as long as someone takes the first step and advocates for those different from us, we can start the long journey into forgiveness and also into unification with our fellow human beings. An interfaith minister and life coach,

DONNA DAVIS

utilizes her life experiences to empower other people to overcome their struggles. Together with her wife, Norma, they manage Your Phoenix is Rising, a transformation coaching service focused on helping others rise from the darkness of despair and embrace their true Light Nature. Donna and Norma raised three biological children and served as legal guardians to several teenaged friends of their children during their time of need. Donna is a Registered Nurse at Parralion HCA Shared Services and Performance Director at Centers for Spiritual Living Ocala. She studied RN at Rasmussen College and psychology at Florida Atlantic University