S3 | E8 – It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping: A Conversation on Painful Heritage & Learning to Love

Lisa-Jo was born White in the heart of Zululand during the racial apartheid, and talks about her longing for new future for her children which sent her on a journey to understand where she fit into a story of violence and faith, history and race. 

In this episode, we explore what happened when Lisa-Jo naïvely walked right into America’s own turbulent racial landscape when she came to the United States to study to become a human rights advocate, and experienced the kind of painful awakening that is both individual and universal, personal and social. Yet, years went by before she traced this American trauma back to her own South African past. After marriage and motherhood, old wounds reopened and she found herself spiraling into a terrifying version of her father, screaming herself hoarse at her son. 

Tune in to hear how Lisa-Jo realized that to go forward—to refuse to repeat the sins of our fathers—we must first go back.  

Her story proves it’s never too late to be free.

Sarah asks Lisa-Jo:

1. Tell me about the origin story for It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping. What happened in your life that led you to write about this topic in this way?

2. Where do you see past pain and sin intersecting with our present health and wellness?

3. Talk to the person experiencing pain or rage that could be connected to their past but they have yet to face it. And how do you hope It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping can help them?

4. What is currently in your "bedside book stack" that you're loving or being inspired by these days?

Visit www.coveywellnesscentre.com for support and resources.

*This episode is intended for mental health education purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek a mental health professional or other qualified health provider regarding your mental health for personal advice and care.