The spirituals embody the faith and heritage of a people who have encountered the dehumanizing effects of slavery and racism. Enslaved for nearly three hundred years, the collective creators of these songs sang about the suffering they endured: “Nobody knows the trouble I see, nobody knows my sorrow; nobody knows the trouble I see, Glory, Hallelujah!”
Despite the overwhelming despair, they never lost sight of their faith. As preservers of this dynamic faith and heritage, the spirituals helped sustain the enslaved community. They served not only as a means of education and worship. They gave the community a way to express its deepest aspirations for freedom and social change. As a form of covert communication in the resistance struggle for liberation, the spirituals often signaled impending escapes or secret gatherings. (The Bible in Song, Yolanda Y.Smith, Yale Divinity School)
I have over the years gained the utmost respect and been so humbled by the things I have read and heard about the experiences of the African American. I have grown to love the songs as well. To me, they embody the faith, hope, assurance, strength, and confidence in the most challenging of situations. Faith in a God who can overcome. Hope in the Words of a conquering King. Assurance that God indeed knows and hears and will fight with us. Confidence in the worst of conditions. Life when all life seems lost. Tremendous strength, when all physical strength had been drained.
Looking back with admiration and even pride, but also real shame on the part of people who look like me as well, the words of Paul seem even more real today . . .
I can do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Yes, WE can and WILL overcome one day!
No comments:
Post a Comment