Pastor's Column 2/9/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders.”

Psalm 78:4, NLT                                   

 “No Hiding Place!”   

The brutal suppression or elimination of anyone’s history and heritage is an act that is intolerant before God. We see in the Scripture the strong admonition of God to His people to not allow the destruction of the truths that form their history and heritage. We are required to possess and live a strong sense of identity; because for one thing, our very existence, hopes, and aspirations are tethered to God’s sovereignty and care for us.   The urgency of this was not lost on a Jewish captive in Babylonian exile when he rather would have died, than to “forget” his God and his homeland. The persuasive, yet unknown exile bluntly said, “May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you…” (Ps. 137:6a, NLT).  The “tongue wedged to the mouth” long has been a symbol of death. History has proven that one of the factors in “ethnic cleansing,” the elimination of a group of people in a society; is to degrade, deny, and destroy their history and way of life. When the young men from Jerusalem were sent to serve at the court of the king in Babylon, the officials first changed their names which was a source of identity; then they were forced to abandon their Hebrew language in favor of Babylon’s Akkadian-Persian language. God forbid if this were to happen in our country; but it is wise and cautionary to obey God’s instructions to teach our children and grandchildren the true history, heritage, and faith of our ancestors. The current assault against so much of who we are and what our true narrative is in America, is wrong, sinful, and deeply disturbing. As a people whose ancestors were from the African continent and diaspora, we must continue to “lift every voice and sing, till earth and heaven rings - ring with the harmonies of liberty…” We must never be silent, and we will not “hide” the truths from our children and the generation going forward. We will not suppress or abandon the truth of our glorious history!