Witness
Witnessing is the subtlest force of intervention.
Witnessing is at first something quiet and seemingly inactive, and one might think that nothing is happening. But when suddenly there is real deep listening and presence in the room, it changes the field of communication and togetherness. The effect is subtle and can be very powerful.
Thomas Huebl
Through my study and group experiments in healing collective trauma, I’ve watched myself and others increase our capacity to hold some of the collective harm that lives on in our bodies and repeats in harmful ways in our personal lives and on the world stage. It is the most hopeful work I know of because it goes to the heart of what ails us and what is beginning to shift.
To bear witness is not necessarily about travel. I can and do bear witness at home in my own community. For me, it is a spiritual practice—a deeper way of taking into the body and the spirit, both the joys and the sorrows of the people around me—as well as our greater than human kin and the Earth, this circle of life we are all part of.
Bearing witness puts me in touch with the lived experience of my sisters and brothers whose path, culture, and history is different from my own. This practice is important in building both local and global solidarity and a commitment to the well-being of the entire human project. It invites us to engage in a greater adventure called life.
I see life as an interdependent web of relationships. A theme of my life has been crossing borders and boundaries to celebrate the richness and challenges of difference. Our cultures and traditions, part of a larger desire among us to “quilt” fragments back together that reveals something beautiful and harmonious.
Here are a few examples of my experiences as a witness. A small photo gallery follows each experience.
Palestine-Israel
During the fall of 2024, I was part of a multi-faith delegation of solidarity and accompaniment to Palestine - Israel organized by Sabeel in partnership with Rabbis for Ceasefire and Christians for Ceasefire. The level of violence in the occupied West Bank and southern Lebanon was increasing to the point where I wondered if our trip would be canceled.
Each day our schedule changed, depending on circumstances. It was a life-changing experience seeing apartheid up close along with the violence it brings. We met with both Palestinians and Israelis working to build relationships of trust. It was not about taking sides, but rather about coming back together and healing divides.
Deb leading lament in a prayer circle at the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza.
Road signs with Arabic effaced.
Blood on our hands. Protest at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.
Separation wall.
Cooking class at Noor Weg, an organization that supports kids with disabilities in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem.
Peaceful protest with Sheikh Hassan and other interfaith leaders.
U.S./Mexico Border
I’ve been volunteering in a network of shelters known as Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas for the past five winters. Living and working side-by-side with those who left their homes behind to find safety and economic and political stability – and to be reunited with family has offered a lived experience that challenged my thinking about many things, including the history of this land.
For more information, please click here to read about my book, Borderlands: Stories from an El Paso Shelter , or click on the Book tab above.
The border wall, as seen from El Paso.
Relaunching the Poor People’s Campaign:
A National Call for Moral Revival
The five days of non-violent direct action that relaunched Martin Luther King, Jr.’s campaign under the leadership of William Barber and Liz Theoharris were formative for me. Each day was focused on one of the five evils that capture the struggles of the poor and dispossessed: systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the war economy, and a distorted moral narrative.
I participated each day, spoke on the steps of Michigan’s capitol in Lansing, risked arrest three times, and was successful twice. I never realized that these actions could be choreographed to be both beautiful and impactful. I had the experience of helping our attorneys prepare for trial based on a necessity defense. The charges were dropped by the prosecutor days before our court date, “in the interest of justice.” We would have preferred to have won in court to have another win to be an example for future cases.
I learned how difficult it is to get coverage of things that trouble power dynamics from mainstream media. And how important it is to center the voice of people directly impacted by inequities.
