Long Way Here

I’ve been thinking of Oscar Romero and Dietrich Bonhoeffer all day, two different men who share one Christ, one gospel, and similar convictions. Convictions like this:

“Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong.”

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from his sermon on 2 Corinthians 12:9 in London, 1934 in Works, Vol. 13.402-403

The loud will shout, while the committed do the work with a steady voice.

The prideful will grasp for platforms, while the faithful do the work and rejoice.

The critic will judge motives and out of jealously spread mistruths, while the God of Heaven and earth will sort it out and with divine grace, cover you.

Selah.

~ Written February 19, 2022

In the Hebrew Scriptures we see, “Remember, you were slaves in Egypt once…” over and again, followed by a summons to live a just and faithful life. God reminds generation after generation of an accurate and humble remembrance of their past to fund their imagination to the new possibilities of a better future. When they failed to remember, they closed their eyes to a clear view of their present and disabled their future.

People of the Christian faith are supposed to be unafraid to remember and unafraid of the feelings stirred by the past. Because people of the Christian faith are a people of a story, mixed with rebellion and obedience, unfaithfulness and faithfulness. Their dependency on God’s grace, mercy and faithful love is no surprise. People of the Christian faith know that an accurate remembrance of the past can open their eyes to join God in working toward a just and faithful future.

Unless they trade in their Christian faith for American civil religion, then we see a different reaction.

Do good and trust God with the consequences. Do mercy and trust God with the consequences. Pursue social justice and trust God with the consequences. Tell the truth and trust God with the consequences.

Let the labels come. Let the lambasting come. Let those who reach back to their party-political ideological language house and let them baptize it in their Christian “one-nation-under-God” nationalism mistaken as patriotism, and let them throw it on you so they can feel better about their idolotry. As for you, trust God with the consequences. Out of the mouth the abundance of the heart speaks, beloved. By their fruits you’ll know, beloved. Hold on to that.

They may say you’re too political, but it may be because they don’t want to wrestle with their own politics. They may say you’re too conservative, but it may be because they don’t want to wrestle with their own relativism. They may say you’re too liberal, but it may be because they don’t want to wrestle with their own discomfort. They may say you’re unAmerican, but it may be because they can’t see their idolatrous syncretism. As for you, follow all the teachings of Jesus, from his summons to self-emptying love of neighbor to the non-violent way of loving enemies, and trust God with the consequences. You’ve pledged allegiance to King Jesus in your baptism. You have no allegiances left to share. Trust God with the consequences.

Be free, beloved. Love your neighbors. All of them. Love your enemies. All of them. It’s hard for sure. But you can trust God with the consequences.

Lately I cannot get enough of the haunting melodies and harmonies of the song, “Poor Wayfaring Stranger.” Many think it’s a folk song. But historical record shows that it’s a reworked Black spiritual song. W.E.B. Du Bois calls them “Sorrow Songs,” and talks about how this song in particular, like many of that genre, has a double meaning. It speaks of heaven and eternal hope for sure, but also of the hope of liberty now. When the singer identifies as being a “poor wayfaring stranger while traveling through this world of woe,” and “going to that bright world” and “going over Jordan,” the poor wayfaring stranger is also singing of going North where liberty is possible. The way will be” rough and steep” while “dark clouds surround” the poor wayfaring stranger, but the promise of God both now and forever, is sure, even if the stranger doesn’t make it. 

What can’t be lost is the obvious feeling of displacement of the singer. The singer isn’t just a “stranger,” but a “poor wayfaring stranger.” It is clear that the singer doesn’t feel a sense of belonging and welcome here, but believes it’s possible and rests assured that even if they do not find it here, they will find it with the Savior.

As I’ve researched this song throughout the week I find it ironic that it’s been co-opted largely by County music and Folk music, and mostly White musicians. It’s as if the double meaning has been lost and it’s interpreted as a song only about heaven. But it isn’t a song *for* me (or them), but is a song *about* our collective history and the suffering my ancestors caused, even my Christian ones, to make Black and Brown skinned brothers and sisters feel so isolated and excluded, even our Christian ones. We should sing it, in my opinion, but with its full meaning in mind.

It is a song that teaches me what *hope* looks like in the midst of the reign of sin and death. It is a song that moves me to *humility* as it tells me the truth. In that way, sets me free from myself and my tendency to look passed the past and look toward the present and future with clearer eyes. 

In the first post I reflected on Poor Wayfaring Stranger and the story it tells. In this post I reflect on the impact of the story.

It all so disheartening to think of how we receive this part of history today. I’m reminded of the likes of Gov. DeSantis and those who promote the agenda of controlling the truth of history, if not outright deny it, to protect White comfort and a preferred sentimentality for an optimistic “unifying” narrative. It’s sad that I and my White brothers and sisters are being presented as so fragile that the discomfort the truth of history brings is just too much to bear. Many of us can not seem to grasp that it’s our denial that holds us captive and discomforts our soul with anxiety, fear, and avoidance. But it is the truth that will set us free and bring us peace, even if at first it must discomfort. It seems we may just be that fragile.

So, for White pastors supporting this agenda, it’s a tragedy and a terrible precedent that, if held with consistency, will compromise the gospel. Speaking of sin and calling congregations to repentance must now be set aside lest they make their congregants uncomfortable. No longer will they be able to promote “color blindness” when a policy they support that explicitly protects a “race” does so on the basis of racilaization. Gone will be the days of “comforting the afflicted” and “afflicting the comfortable” because we will raise up a form of real-world discipleship that more concerned with being coddled than confronted. Humbly, pastorally and prophetically shatter the fragility with the truth and trust God with the consequences.

As to my reflection of the song, I owe Dr. Arthur Sutherland for pointing me Du Bois’ work on Sorrow Songs.