In August 1963 I turned 15. When President Kennedy was assassinated, I was the only student in my class who cried.But some of the boys were cheering so the teacher told all of us to be quiet and get back to work. In our Southern White school she was afraid that my emotions could provoke a backlash. Now I am 76 and I am tired. But for the sake of my grandchildren and all grandchildren, we cannot lose hope.
The difference between 1963 and now is that I am not alone. I again live in the Southern city, but we of like mind are somehow finding each other. Quietly, we meet one on one or two on two and affirm that hate is powerless to destroy love. Just this week I have sat in fellowship with a woman from Jordan, another from Pakistan, and one from Sudan. I have been with older White women who don’t speak out publicly and lesbians who do.
I have a thought about tonight’s conversation “ speaking from your scars and not your wounds”. At first I assumed that meant to wait until the pain isn’t acute in order to speak more carefully. But there is a flip side. Sometimes immediately after an injury we are in denial. Or we are embarrassed that we have been victimized. It is only much later than we admit to ourselves how deep the wound was and how it changed us. That can motivate us to share our humiliation , grief and progress toward healing in order to encourage others on their journeys.
I'm new here. I subscribed last week after realizing that online communities such as this share my values more than my own church. I share your grief Jemar (and fellow commenters). I have grieved alone in church before, but never in the presence of those who were actively celebrating that which I was grieving, so I haven't been back to church since the election. I know that I need like-minded believers in my real life, and I am trusting that God will lead and strengthen me.
Jemar, as to "How could man living under the daily threat of death have such an attitude?" I think it was a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway: by abiding in the one who walked in perfect peace (and even joy) knowing the cross awaited him. It is that peace that passes understanding, and as my husband says, if you can understand it, it's not that true peace of God. In my 60 years, I have enjoyed peace by virtue of the country and ethnicity I was born into. In God's sovereignty, he is allowing those things to be shaken, and I expect really bad things ahead. Consequently, I expect my faith and courage to be tested, and if I do this right, the Lord's peace will more than compensate for the comfort I will have lost. I'm not that strong in the Lord, to be honest, but maybe in this community, we can draw a little bit of strength from each other to endure. Praying for you all today...
As an historian, it must be a great experience to review this history of Rev. Dr. King's acceptance of the Nobel peace prize and be inspired by the words of his acceptance speech.
Being inspired has been my recent experience with studying history, including the historical narratives from your book The Spirit of Justice.
While our present situation is disturbing, and the prospect of the next four years is discouraging, I look to victories in history to inspired my outlook for our future.
I have been writing on my blog and posting to social media perspectives on our times, including trying to encourage people to have zero-tolerance for racism and nonsense within their circles of influence.
For the past couple of weeks, we've been preparing for our annual Christmas outreach through the church I pastor. I've been reviewing requests for help, talking with people who have made inquiry on the telephone, working with my team to purchase gifts and doing all the things involved with trying to help people.
We will be delivering food boxes and gifts to individuals in their homes, as well as supporting children and youth in crisis situations. We will also be supporting 700 incarcerated women through a prison ministry, and their partners, whose director is a member of our church.
Yesterday my 88-year-old father, who is also a minister, accompanied me to a local men's shelter to do a chapel service. I spoke to about 75 men, prayed with about 10 men who chose Christ as Savior, and give them a copy of one of my devotional books.
So these activities have helped to refocus me on the power I have to make a difference in people's lives. This is where I choose to expend my energy.
Thanks for sharing these words from MLK. I’ve been resting in those of Jeremiah. “This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.’ “ Blessings.
Thank you for these words. I went through my period of anger and I'm sure that grief isn't totally resolved. However, the only way to work through it is to show up every day and keep working towards the beloved fellowship that Dr. King envisioned. As you may know, my "grandmother" and visionary for our farm is Dr. Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth". I've spent the last six years of my life learning from this amazing woman, the importance of hope and living as what we hope for is true. Thank you again for your message of hope.
You posting MLK's words may be helping to decode my dismal state. I reached out to you during DBB's Cottage Q&A time last week, sort of feeling like a wild Cassandra as i replayed it. Your mention of Caleb Campbell's example helped. I do feel that calling to put myself b/n the vulnerable and those intending harm. Most of that prospect is scary and uninviting to me. Could it be that I'm mourning what may be the end of my white, comfortable life as I've come to understand it to be, having only just recently awakened to racial reality within the past ten years. Something about Dr. King's speech is reaching down deep inside of me ... and also called to mind yet another stanza of Lowell's poem: "Hast thou chosen, O my people, on whose party thou shalt stand, ere the doom from its worn sandals shakes its dust against our land? Though the cause of evil prosper, yet Truth alone 'tis strong, and albeit she wander outcast now, I see around her throng, Troops of beautiful tall angels to enshield her from all wrong." Thank you, Dr. Jemar Tisby, once again.
In August 1963 I turned 15. When President Kennedy was assassinated, I was the only student in my class who cried.But some of the boys were cheering so the teacher told all of us to be quiet and get back to work. In our Southern White school she was afraid that my emotions could provoke a backlash. Now I am 76 and I am tired. But for the sake of my grandchildren and all grandchildren, we cannot lose hope.
The difference between 1963 and now is that I am not alone. I again live in the Southern city, but we of like mind are somehow finding each other. Quietly, we meet one on one or two on two and affirm that hate is powerless to destroy love. Just this week I have sat in fellowship with a woman from Jordan, another from Pakistan, and one from Sudan. I have been with older White women who don’t speak out publicly and lesbians who do.
I have a thought about tonight’s conversation “ speaking from your scars and not your wounds”. At first I assumed that meant to wait until the pain isn’t acute in order to speak more carefully. But there is a flip side. Sometimes immediately after an injury we are in denial. Or we are embarrassed that we have been victimized. It is only much later than we admit to ourselves how deep the wound was and how it changed us. That can motivate us to share our humiliation , grief and progress toward healing in order to encourage others on their journeys.
I'm new here. I subscribed last week after realizing that online communities such as this share my values more than my own church. I share your grief Jemar (and fellow commenters). I have grieved alone in church before, but never in the presence of those who were actively celebrating that which I was grieving, so I haven't been back to church since the election. I know that I need like-minded believers in my real life, and I am trusting that God will lead and strengthen me.
Jemar, as to "How could man living under the daily threat of death have such an attitude?" I think it was a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway: by abiding in the one who walked in perfect peace (and even joy) knowing the cross awaited him. It is that peace that passes understanding, and as my husband says, if you can understand it, it's not that true peace of God. In my 60 years, I have enjoyed peace by virtue of the country and ethnicity I was born into. In God's sovereignty, he is allowing those things to be shaken, and I expect really bad things ahead. Consequently, I expect my faith and courage to be tested, and if I do this right, the Lord's peace will more than compensate for the comfort I will have lost. I'm not that strong in the Lord, to be honest, but maybe in this community, we can draw a little bit of strength from each other to endure. Praying for you all today...
Thanks for writing and sharing this!
As an historian, it must be a great experience to review this history of Rev. Dr. King's acceptance of the Nobel peace prize and be inspired by the words of his acceptance speech.
Being inspired has been my recent experience with studying history, including the historical narratives from your book The Spirit of Justice.
While our present situation is disturbing, and the prospect of the next four years is discouraging, I look to victories in history to inspired my outlook for our future.
I have been writing on my blog and posting to social media perspectives on our times, including trying to encourage people to have zero-tolerance for racism and nonsense within their circles of influence.
Ok Ignorance and enablers have put us in the current situation where a liar, criminal, and insurrectionist was elected to the highest office in our land. (https://www.bryanhudson.com/2024/12/racism-matter-of-tolerance-or-zero.html)
For the past couple of weeks, we've been preparing for our annual Christmas outreach through the church I pastor. I've been reviewing requests for help, talking with people who have made inquiry on the telephone, working with my team to purchase gifts and doing all the things involved with trying to help people.
We will be delivering food boxes and gifts to individuals in their homes, as well as supporting children and youth in crisis situations. We will also be supporting 700 incarcerated women through a prison ministry, and their partners, whose director is a member of our church.
Yesterday my 88-year-old father, who is also a minister, accompanied me to a local men's shelter to do a chapel service. I spoke to about 75 men, prayed with about 10 men who chose Christ as Savior, and give them a copy of one of my devotional books.
So these activities have helped to refocus me on the power I have to make a difference in people's lives. This is where I choose to expend my energy.
Thank you for sharing MLKs words and your own. This is good solid food for our souls at this time.
Thanks for sharing these words from MLK. I’ve been resting in those of Jeremiah. “This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.’ “ Blessings.
Thank you for these words. I went through my period of anger and I'm sure that grief isn't totally resolved. However, the only way to work through it is to show up every day and keep working towards the beloved fellowship that Dr. King envisioned. As you may know, my "grandmother" and visionary for our farm is Dr. Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth". I've spent the last six years of my life learning from this amazing woman, the importance of hope and living as what we hope for is true. Thank you again for your message of hope.
You posting MLK's words may be helping to decode my dismal state. I reached out to you during DBB's Cottage Q&A time last week, sort of feeling like a wild Cassandra as i replayed it. Your mention of Caleb Campbell's example helped. I do feel that calling to put myself b/n the vulnerable and those intending harm. Most of that prospect is scary and uninviting to me. Could it be that I'm mourning what may be the end of my white, comfortable life as I've come to understand it to be, having only just recently awakened to racial reality within the past ten years. Something about Dr. King's speech is reaching down deep inside of me ... and also called to mind yet another stanza of Lowell's poem: "Hast thou chosen, O my people, on whose party thou shalt stand, ere the doom from its worn sandals shakes its dust against our land? Though the cause of evil prosper, yet Truth alone 'tis strong, and albeit she wander outcast now, I see around her throng, Troops of beautiful tall angels to enshield her from all wrong." Thank you, Dr. Jemar Tisby, once again.
Thank you for sharing the words of MLK Jr. we need to hear it now more than ever. ‘Audacious faith’ are words to ponder and look to as a goal🙏
Thank you for your honesty Jemar. And thank you for sharing these inspiring words of MLK. Much appreciated.!
Thank you. 🙏🏻