Soul on Fire
The Burning of a Nation
The American Dream is the hope of freedom and justice for all, the land of possibility, a hospitable invitation of welcome to everyone, especially, according to Lady Liberty, the tired, poor, the homeless, and the huddled masses longing for freedom. It is, indeed, an aspirational dream, one that we have been told is grounded in Judeo Christian thought. Yet, a discerning heart and mind knows that this dream—a hope for a selective few— has been a fallacy, nightmare, and unfulfilled promise for too many. Yet, the false prophets, priests, and kings or ruling authorities of this land have continued to pursue their own idols while clinging to the dream.
So, I draw on the words of the prophet, Jeremiah (23:27-32 NIV), as he makes proclamations about lying prophets:
They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget [God’s] name, just as their ancestors forgot [God’s] name through [idol] worship. Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully…”Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, “The Lord declares.” Indeed, I am against those who prophecy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.
There is a Word from the Lord to the United States because of false declarations like these, because of our capitalistic greed, unrestrained violence, abuse of power, rejection of the poor and the stranger, and because our unwillingness to tell the truth, and because we don’t repent, repair, or turn from our wicked ways.
A few years ago, I wrote an essay entitled, “A Black Woman at War: Battling for God and a nation’s people” and reflected on the political, social, theological, and historical public wresting that I contextualized personally in my Black and feminine body. I began the essay with a quote, “We are in a battle for the soul of this nation,” as declared by Joseph Biden during the final phase of his race against Donald Trump. I shared then, what I still believe is true today: the enemy that we all ultimately face is not a president, political party, or any human, bur rather a principality and power, the spirit of the antichrist.
As we consider the American250 proclamation, I write because the nation is on fire and we are not paying attention or listening to the right people who can pour cooling water on our burning house. There was a dream given and then an invitation extended from Lady Liberty, but that dream was ignored and the invitation was revoked. As I continue the purposeful work that the Lord has given me, which includes, raising up the next generation of Black women as moral leaders and change makers, I remind them of the true prophets and catalytic leaders that have gone before us. We remember the Black women like Harriet Tubman who have always served as the moral conscious, true prophets, and catalytic leaders of this country, challenging us all to continue in the journey to freedom and live up to our highest ideals. Together, we are fighting for the soul of our nation.
As I write for this community, I promise to keep identifying the threats, speaking truth to power, and following in the footsteps of my ancestors, who worked tirelessly to pursue freedom and make a better country and world for all humanity. I will continue to appeal to the soul of America. Historically, this has been the work of Black women, advocates, and the Black preacher. However, we are at such a crisis point where this must become the work of any and every one of goodwill.
Specifically, preachers of predominately white churches or any white cultured or white dominate spaces must increase their learning, exposure, and courage in this moment. For, too often, their theology has focused exclusively or primarily on the soul of the individual. Saving souls and sharing good news is paramount. However, if we do not understand both the spiritual and physical implications of the gospel, then we have misunderstood the Sermon on the Mount. We have misunderstood Jesus’s proclamation of his own ministry. We have missed the entire message of the gospel of John. We have not yet understood the Lord’s prayer or Jesus’s high priestly prayer in John 17. The sermon, commentary, or book of the white preacher or theologian misses the mark when it is not large enough to speak to individuals as a part of a collective whole people group, nation, or tribe. All true prophets in the Bible demand that preachers and national leaders speak to the nations. So goes the king, so goes the people.
We must all get on this journey to pursue freedom and justice for all, unless we become consumed by the fire. I have been studying the minor prophets this quarter, and by all accounts, the United States has been found guilty of God’s judgments. We have found our feet slipping as Jonathan Edwards declared in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The fire is hot, and just because God’s grace and his appointed time of judgment has not yet come upon us in full form, we must not deceive ourselves into thinking that we are safe or that God is pleased.
We are delusional in all our dreaming, our wickedness, our greed, our self-flatter, and celebrations about our own “greatness” and blaming the pageantry on Christ. As Edwards states, “All wicked men’s pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself in what he has done, in what he has now doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives will for himself, and that his schemes will not fail.”[1] Do not be deceived. The United States of America is a young nation, and the American experiment is capable of failure. All the woes to us.
We need everyone to do a soul check now, and to stand guard over the house. How will you join the “Journey to Freedom” Movement?
Reflecting on the themes of this month’s writing, I am recommending the books Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya Miles and my Journey to Freedom: Discovering the God of Deliverance, Exodus Bible study.
After reading this month’s newsletter, some may be asking themselves, what can I do to join the “Journey to Freedom” movement? I will offer a few opportunities with you in the coming months. For now, you can take the following steps:
· Share what you have learned with your local community. This essay and the video are both great conversation starters.
· Financially support the work of Black women-led organizations or other organizations doing good justice work to support marginalized communities. Consider “Investing in a Girl” with my nonprofit, Leadership LINKS, Inc.
· Have a Bible study or a book club discussion using these resources:
Night Flyer is a faith biography of Harriet Tubman, which also includes the freedom stories of her contemporaries, Black women spiritual leaders: Jarena Lee, Zilpa Elaw, Old Elizabeth, and Julia A.J. Foote. Miles writes, “I offer a portrait of Harriet Tubman, the fierce dreamer and fragile leader of a people who refused to be ghosted. Called Moses by her followers, she was one among many wilderness walkers who crafted an epic, yet imperfect, culture of resilience (22).” By reading books like this in community, we collectively learn from true prophets and leaders who have sought and found a better way.
In keeping with the theme, my Journey to Freedom Bible study is written as a layperson’s community through the book of Exodus as God guided his people out of their enslavement and into a purposeful life that he promised.
Support Black-Owned Bookstores in America (listing by state) with your purchase.
This month, I am sharing an opportunity from one of my colleagues, Dr. Jeanne Porter King, President of the Transporter Consulting Group. Dr. King is offering a 4-week Leading Well Virtual Workshop on Stress Recovery, Resilience, and Sustainable Self-Caer for Leaders beginning this week. This workshop is educational and leadership-development focused and is not intended as therapy or mental health treatment.
Scan the QR Code above to register and pay. Price: The pilot rate is $40.00 per person, includes workshop materials. Act quickly!
