.png)
Exploring "Heaux Tales" Truths for Teaching Life and Ministry (part 1)
“[The “D”] spoke life into me. Invigoration. Blessings. Soul. Turmoil. But, Heaven, Jesus, Allah… sorry; please, God, understand, this is just my truth. This is just my truth. This is just my truth.” -Ari’s Tale
The above lines are perhaps the most heartbreaking lines in the whole project for me. And it’s not just because Ari is essentially attributing “out of this world” sex to that which gives her life and that which gives meaning to her life; and it’s not because she included the whole pantheon of the major religions in her apology (God, Jesus, Heaven and Allah). These lines evoked a heartfelt sadness in me because of the prayer at the end, “understand this is just my truth.” She didn’t pray for The Divine to understand her experience, her inexperience (immaturity), or even her mindset —she pleaded that GOD understand her truth—and for some reason that both touched and bothered me.
On one hand, Jasmine Sullivan’s latest project exposes some of the innermost sentiments of women around sex and sexual expression. Using vulnerability and storytelling, she manages to capture many women’s perspectives related to dealing with toxic relationships; what women inwardly desire from the men they relate to; the internal conflicts arising from social norms that women must resolve; and ultimately what women are willing to do for reciprocated love and mutually desired companionship. On the other hand, this project raises widespread concerns about cultural stances on the nature of romantic relationships, the role of intimacy within (or without) the context of romantic relationships, and the overall value of women (assigned by women personally and society generally).
It is not my intent to critique the project. Rather, I want to add to the conversation—and even help communities curate much needed conversations around these critical yet sensitive topics. What does gender equality really mean on a spiritual level? How does culture’s view of sex differ, if at all, from esoteric and metaphysical views? Can/should marked distinctions change behavior around sex individually? Culturally? Just how profound is a woman’s worth?
As we forge farther into the Age of Aquarius, it will become increasingly more important to distinguish between the different levels of truth. One of society’s biggest mistakes, in my judgment, is forgetting the weaknesses of the English language; namely knowing words have multiple definitions but using them as if there is only one. Truth is one of those words. There are many kinds of truth. Here is my surface take on categorizing them.
1. Historical/ Mathematical/ Scientific Truth (empirical): these truths are based on substantiated evidence or dependable patterns. [e.g. Dr. Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia; 6+4 =10; plants make food using the process of photosynthesis.] We typically call verifiable truths in these categories facts. This is the default definition of truth for most people.
2. Personal Truth: this truth is based on lessons from personal experiences that, though they hold significant value in the life and mind of the person expressing them, may not be deemed as valid or even sound by others. [e.g. My mom is the best mom on Earth... My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world; Working a 9 to 5 is a distraction to you fulfilling your dreams.] Each of these statements carry a very personal significance to the one who believes them. Stronger than mere opinions, personal truths become guiding principles that can shape and define a person's mental and emotional makeup.
3. Religious/ Philosophical Truth: these truths are based on conceptual ideas that have been through generations of observations, contemplations, (inductive and deductive) reasoning, inspiration and revelation. In many cases, one has to be on a certain frequency to accept these truths as truth, but everybody will not. Those who do not accept these truths as truth will probably categorize them as theories. These truths are often debatable and most times have an antithesis which forms a diametrically opposing truth and an opposing school of thought. [e.g. The end justifies the means -vs- the means justifies the end; Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God and whosoever believeth in Him shall have everlasting life -vs- There are many ways to skin a cat and therefore many ways to God. Historical evidence that substantiates the Biblical stories of Jesus is lacking- His whole life was a parable. If He did exist, it is heavy conjecture, at best, that He is raised from the dead.]
4. Absolute Truth: This truth at the highest level. It is so high, it often has multiple layers of meaning which can seem to contradict itself from layer to layer. For these and other reasons, this truth it is either taken for granted, taken as a given, ignored, overlooked, mistaken, misinterpreted, or rejected completely. Despite how humans handle absolute truth, it is irrefutable [e.g. masculine and feminine principles must both be present in order for creation of any kind to occur].
So when it comes to addressing the aforementioned questions about gender equity, sex, and a woman’s worth, the conversation will look, sound, and even feel different from level to level. Most miscommunication happens when people are talking from different levels without knowing it.
In this series, I intend to explore the truths of Jasmine Sullivan’s latest project containing the personal and experiential truths of women and contribute to the conversation with some philosophical and metaphysical truths I have encountered on my journey. It is my hope that such an exchange will add some balance and insight to meaningful topics at a transitional time to a powerful generation at a crucial crossroads.
By the end of this series, I will release a Bible Study tool ministry leaders can use to have engaging conversations in their ministries.
Using Heaux Tales Truths for Teaching Ministry | A Topical Bible Study for Honest Adults (On or before Sunday, March 27, 2021)
