Actually, any relationship comes all the way down to figuring out you’re heard and understood—whether or not it’s between mom and baby, father and son, trainer and pupil, coach and participant, mayor and metropolis and even two nations.
I nonetheless keep in mind standing within the auditorium of our Church’s non secular headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, over 15 years in the past, proper after an occasion we had held. There, I noticed the ecclesiastical chief of my faith, David Miscavige. He was talking with a bunch of about 5 folks, a few of whom I knew.
Truly, he was principally listening.
One girl within the group who was talking on to Mr. Miscavige was a good friend of mine who had taken on the duty of opening a Scientology Mission in Harlem. As an African American, I’m at all times seeking to introduce my group to L. Ron Hubbard’s extremely workable non secular expertise, and I beloved what she was doing. In spite of everything, what higher place to have a Church of Scientology than proper within the cultural capital of Black America, Harlem?
I’ve different pals who’ve informed me how a lot David Miscavige listened carefully when it got here to Harlem.
From what I might inform from the place I used to be standing, my good friend seemed like she was “downloading” on to our ecclesiastical chief about Scientology in Harlem, and he was intently listening for over half an hour.
New Ideally suited Church buildings of Scientology had been opening with higher and higher frequency across the globe, and Mr. Miscavige was greater than busy with these and lots of different priorities. However right here he was taking the time to essentially take heed to my good friend about Harlem.
I’ve different pals who’ve informed me how a lot David Miscavige listened carefully when it got here to Harlem.
Quickly after, it was determined that our Church in Harlem was a Church of such significance that its transformation to an Ideally suited Church could be sponsored by the Worldwide Affiliation of Scientologists, reasonably than the native congregation. David Miscavige, the chief of our complete faith, even got here to Harlem, boots on the bottom, to see for himself what we had been engaged on and to assist guarantee we had discovered the best new dwelling for our Church.
Quick-forward to July 31, 2016, and we held the grand opening of the Ideally suited Church of Scientology Harlem and Group Heart. Ours is one in every of only some Church buildings of Scientology on Earth which have a full Group Heart along with the Church itself.
On the time, there was no place on one hundred and twenty fifth Road that provided areas for group teams to come back collectively and meet, not to mention one which opened their doorways to all totally free, like our Group Heart. Mr. Miscavige knew we wanted this in Harlem.
Within the eight years since our opening, now we have hosted many, many, many native occasions, movie festivals, United Nations human rights teams, trend reveals and civic membership conferences with native leaders, legislation enforcement teams, worldwide cultural our bodies, in addition to world-renowned musicians like Stanley Clarke. The record of celebrations and partnerships and initiatives to uplift the group goes on and on. We’re working day by day towards a drug-free, crime-free Harlem, the place the ready can prosper and trustworthy beings can have rights, and the place Man is free to rise to higher heights, precisely per the Goals of Scientology.
Many occasions, watching all of it unfold, I’ve thought again to one thing L. Ron Hubbard wrote on the top of the civil rights period—a letter addressed to Black People and dated January 3, 1961. It’s only eight paragraphs lengthy, however what it makes clear is that L. Ron Hubbard needed us as a folks, right here on this nation, to know that he heard us and our cries for equality and human rights.
L. Ron Hubbard wrote the message when Scientology was lower than a decade previous. We had been a brand new Church, nonetheless present process our personal “rising pains,” and but Mr. Hubbard prolonged an open door to Black People particularly, in order that they’d really feel welcome to review Dianetics and Scientology.
The final paragraph of his message is my private favourite: “Look into Scientology and use it to assist your personal folks. Allow them to actually stroll within the solar and take their place among the many most good folks of Earth.”
L. Ron Hubbard’s invitation to Black communities to review this new faith so that each one may gain advantage from it’s one thing David Miscavige clearly by no means forgot.
So when the ribbon fell on our lovely new Church in Harlem, it was particularly emotional for me as I watched the imaginative and prescient of my faith’s Founder being fulfilled, due to David Miscavige. I watched as throngs of individuals of all races entered our Church on one hundred and twenty fifth Road, the enduring avenue that is Harlem, and knew they’d discover assist there.
As somebody who has been a Scientologist for greater than 50 years now, David Miscavige’s dedication to guaranteeing that Mr. Hubbard’s dream got here true for the Black group impressed me to return to my hometown of New York Metropolis and grow to be an government on the Church of Scientology Harlem.
The identical curiosity and the identical care that I witnessed Mr. Miscavige show with a small group of Black Scientologists after a Church occasion is what every group that has struggled to be heard and understood seeks. It’s what calms turbulent occasions and strikes a tradition ahead.
Mr. Miscavige actually will get what we as a folks want—and he continues to hear. I’ve letters from him responding to my private wins as a Scientologist they usually actually converse to his curiosity in others and his willingness to grant significance to everybody who he meets.
That is one thing I attempt to emulate as I look after and introduce members of my group to the Scientology faith right here in Harlem. And as I take heed to their wants, I understand how to direct them to the solutions they’ve been in search of.
However first I allow them to know that they’re heard and understood, identical to our chief, David Miscavige, does.
By Caralyn Percy, initially revealed by STAND. Caralyn Percy has 4 main abilities which she combines as president of a global nonprofit—singing, writing, public talking and gross sales. Married for 43 years (to this point) and with 3 extremely skilled and exquisite daughters and their husbands, she is proud to weblog for STAND.
