Dan Berry • February 18, 2025
I’m not sure how many of you have ever been interested in putting puzzles together, but if you have, you know how frustrating it is to reach the end of a puzzle only to find that some pieces are missing. You could have 998 pieces of a 1,000-piece puzzle, but if even a couple are missing, it can take away from the enjoyment of the experience.
Recently, we had some friends over at the house, and there happened to be a puzzle in progress. One of our friends sat down, worked on the puzzle for a few minutes, and then—unbeknownst to us—took a piece of the puzzle and put it in his pocket. Later, when we completed the puzzle, a piece was, of course, missing. Frustrated by its absence, we picked up the puzzle and put it away, left with the dissatisfaction of an incomplete picture.
A week or so later, we received a letter from our friend with the missing puzzle piece enclosed. He meant it as a joke, but his prank caused some unnecessary angst and frustration.
Whether you are putting a puzzle together, tracing your family tree, or simply trying to understand how your past has shaped the world you live in, it’s important to have a complete understanding—without missing pieces.
Some question the importance and relevance of what we call Black History, specifically Black History Month. I would argue that Black History is a missing piece that was stolen from our life puzzle—not as a joke, but as a deliberate attempt to cover up injustices beyond imagination.
Perhaps one day, when Black History is fully restored to its rightful place, it will once again be recognized as part of our collective history. But until then, we must do our part to understand and celebrate the piece that has been missing for far too long.
Black History Month allows us to help others see that the missing piece has been found. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate the contributions and sacrifices that have shaped who we are, ultimately completing the picture for us all to appreciate.
Let’s celebrate the lost piece and rejoice when it finally takes its place in the big picture. Until then, let your curiosity make room for all the things that have been missing for too long. Let’s learn together how Black History has shaped us into who we are.
Dan Berry is the author of Navigating Diversity In Our Most Segregated Hour, a Certified Instructor for the What LIES Between Us and Confronting Whiteness courses, and advises individuals and organizations on how to take first steps toward racial healing through Bridge Building Solutions.
He has pastored for forty years in Iowa. After pastoring in predominantly white spaces for several years, he began to realize the need to bring about racial healing in the body of Christ. For the last 30 years he has worked to bridge ethnic and cultural divides, a work that has led him into confronting the churches complicity in upholding systems of racism.
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