Shukrani Libation: A Prayer of Thanksgiving for People of African Descent
Shukrani Libation
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for People of African Descent
Along with speaking at the UN’s Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, I was asked to do a libation at the Forum’s launch event. Because this practice is done by Animistic faiths, some Christians believe it is unbiblical and should be avoided. Nevertheless, libation is found in the Bible, and Christians offer one each time they celebrate Communion. The only time it is forbidden is idolatry, where honor is given to things other than God.
Since the Forum had people of various backgrounds, I crafted a libation that is non-denominational. It focuses on thanksgiving and the celebration of Black joy throughout the ages. This libation is free for public use with the proper acknowledgement of its author [the Rev. Dr. Scotty J. Williams]. To access it click on the button below.
The images featured in this post is by Nathaniel Abadji of unsplash.com and is free for public use.
Look, Listen, and Learn: How To Better Honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Look, Listen, and Learn
How To Better Honor Martin Luther King Jr.
For many people MLK Day means hearing and thinking about the “I Have a Dream” speech. But here are three ways to better honor the man that this holiday is all about.
1. Look Beyond The Extraordinary
One major problem that arises when Dr. King is remembered is a focus on the extraordinary or the highlights of his life. Images of a Civil Rights champion are displayed with great nostalgia, while the images of an ordinary man go ignored and overlooked. Many people never get to see the young boy in Atlanta, or the student hearing lectures at Morehouse College. They never see the happy groom smiling at his wedding, or the father relaxing with his children at home.
As the highlights are displayed one must also see the ordinary, and look beyond the extraordinary Civil Rights Champion. Yes, he was a great man, but he was also a normal man. A man who faced the joys and cares of life that are common among all people. Additionally, the ordinary helped to make him who he was, and gave him the heart for justice that is admired by many today.
2. Listen To The Other Speeches
Though “I Have A Dream” is powerful, Dr. King gave other inspiring orations. Furthermore, he spoke on subjects of justice apart from race and the Black struggle. There is “Beyond Vietnam” where he engages the problems of war, or his “Statement Announcing the Poor People’s Campaign” where he calls for economic reforms. Then there are sermons, he was a pastor after all, such as “Paul’s Letter to American Christians” and “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution“.
By looking at these other speeches one can get a better understand of Dr. King’s message, which often is simplified to a palatable call for peace and unity. But the truth is that his message was and is an unsettling prophetic challenge. A challenge that exposes the brokenness of the world, and calls for leaving comfort to mend it.
3. Learn From The Mistakes
Along with great success Dr. King experienced failure, and this cannot be dismissed while celebrating his life. Like all other people he was imperfect and made mistakes, and there are claims of scandals that have made some question his legacy. He also questioned his efforts for racial unity, and feared that he had integrated Black people into a “burning house”.
Not only is wisdom found where Dr. King got things right; it is also found where he got things wrong. There are lessons that his mistakes can teach one for the better. Positives gleaned from negatives that can further the work of justice. When these lessons are learned Dr. King is rightly remembered for who he was. Not an icon with a flawless shine, but an ordinary man who, despite his flaws, did extraordinary things that changed the world.
One last thing……
Be sure to play Stevie Wonder’s birthday song for Dr. King and sing your heart out!
The images featured in this post are by Raffaele Nicolussi and Ryan Stone of unsplash.com, Scotty J. Williams, the US Embassy of Delhi (CC BY-ND 2.0), and Yoichi Okamoto of the LBJ Library (Public Domain Mark 1.0). To the author of this article’s knowledge each image is free for public use with a proper citation of their creators.
Remember Your Baptism Everyday! (A Prayer for Theophany)
Remember Your Baptism!
A word of encouragement for Theophany.
Last Sunday the Church celebrated a feast called Theophany, where Christians remember and give thanks for the baptism of Jesus. It is also a time where we remember and give thanks for our own baptisms, and take out gifts that we received to remind us of them.
Due to technical issues, I could not post a prayer for this year’s Theophany. So here is a prayer that can be used beyond this special feast. Baptism is about the faithfulness of God, and because He is faithful everyday we should remember our baptisms everyday!
Gracious Father, I thank You for the baptism of Jesus, where You revealed Who He was to the world and Your love for Him which knows no end. Like that moment You have done the same in our baptisms, and showed that we are more than worshipers serving a great deity. We are Your children in whom You are well pleased, and through our lives You offer all people a warm embrace of kinship. May we never see the waters as a monument to our faith and holy works, for they signify Your faithfulness and grace throughout the ages. Your faithfulness which is with us in every hour of the day, and Your grace which carries us until we breathe our final breath. In Your name we pray. Amen.
A Different Kwanzaa
A Quiet Kwanzaa
Stepping away. Focusing on joy. Leaning into rest.
Each year I have taken part in educating others about Kwanzaa. But this year I am stepping away from teaching to focus on joy and rest.
Stepping Away
Every Kwanzaa I take the task of teaching others about it, or explaining this young holiday created for my people. With care I spell out the meanings of its practices and symbols, and help outsiders to understand its terms like umoja and kujichagulia. Nevertheless, I have became weary of educating. So this year I am stepping away to and celebrating differently.
I would like for once to speak on things like happiness and love
Whenever Kwanzaa comes I am questioned about Black pain, which is often quite exhausting and I sometimes shy away from. Don’t get me wrong, it is important to speak about oppression, but I would like for once to speak on things like happiness and love. The Black experience, like any other human experience, is a mix of joy and sorrow. A mix that Tank and the Bangas show in their beautiful song called, “Black Folk“.
Black look like it’s a different world
Sound like a crawfish boil in New Orleans
Black folk joke around like Martin and got paintings from JJ in the living room
It sounds strong, look like sacrifice
It be, flowers blooming in the summertime
Black sound like old songs, smell like good food
And it tastes like heart disease
But it feel like maze at Jazz Fest
Focusing On Joy
Earlier this month I got to speak on Black joy in Geneva at the invitation of my good friend Apiyo Amolo. This was the first time I was asked to talk about this subject, and to do so before an audience that was mostly of African descent. In fact, the majority of the people were fellow African Americans, which enabled me to expound on joy with little mention of struggle and pain.
Contrary to common misconceptions, Black joy is not a feeling. It is the blessed parts of the unique mix that is the Black experience. Our joy is things like a game of Spades at a family gathering (I still cannot play this game), or the smell of baking sweet potato pie and a scorching hot comb on 4C hair. Furthermore, this joy is the speechways we use among ourselves, and not having to explain idioms or Code-switch for clarity.
What I loved the most about the gathering in Geneva, was that I did not have “break things down” for an audience of outsiders. I could focus on the blessings of my people in a dialect that everyone understood, and I could find an affirming solace that has been rare since moving abroad. It was enlivening to watch pain and oppression be removed from center stage, and to see the love and happiness of Black life have the spotlight for a moment.
Leaning Into Rest
After getting home from Geneva and thinking about this year’s Kwanzaa, I remembered a word that Teddy Reeves gave me back in June. At the time I was worn out from speaking engagements on Black pain, and after learning of this he replied:
God is inviting you to rest. You are being offered a gift for your good, so take it. Take the rest that God is giving to you and lean into it.
What made Geneva so wonderful was that I got to do as Teddy advised. I got to lean into a rest that I found while focusing on Black joy. While speaking I took up the blessings cherished by my people, from our loud laughter that some find distracting to our extended kin with play cousins. In these things I could lay down the burdens that come with educating, and relax in the replenishing solace that they bring.
Indeed, I had leaned into rest while in Geneva, and this is what I am doing for this year’s Kwanzaa. I am taking it easy in the good of the Black experience, and allowing it to refresh and recharge my spirit. Additionally, I will do this beyond Kwanzaa, and make it a daily practice for a seasons. This means that I will speak less about Black pain. and more about our happiness and joy.
To be clear, I will still teach on racism and oppression, but there are lessons with better stories that I wish to tell. Stories about the things I am enjoying as I light the kinara with my family.
The images featured in this post is are by Scotty J. Williams, Alyssa Sieb of nappy.co, and Kim Moir of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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Hope+Peace+Joy+Love=CHRISTMAS
Hope+Peace+Joy+Love=CHRISTMAS
Reflections for the Holiday season.
For this year’s Advent season I wrote a series of reflections on the four candles and their themes. Together these themes show what the Christmas season is all about, which is more than gifts, decorations, and special gatherings. As we remember the manger in Bethlehem we celebrate the hope, peace, joy, and love of God in Jesus.
You can read the reflections by clicking on the links below.
Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!
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The image featured in this post is by Scotty J. Williams.
Fourth Candle: LOVE
LOVE
Advent 2022
Fourth Candle
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. (John 3:16)
More Than Feelings
Out of all the Sundays of Advent the last one is my favorite, for it focuses on the main reason that Jesus came to earth. He did not come like some demigod in the annals of mythology, and He was not the result of a tryst between divine and mortal beings. Furthermore, He was not just sent for God to receive glory. Christ incarnated Himself in human flesh and came because of love.
Love is a steadfast commitment to the well-being of others.
Contrary to popular belief, love is not feeling. Rather it is, as Cornel West often says, being dedicated to something. It is dedication to the good of those around you, and in Christianity it is not momentary and goes beyond those that we deem worthy. Love, like marriage, is a continuous life-long commitment that extends to all persons no matter where they stand. They can be close relatives and friends that we deeply cherish, or strangers with no connection to us and enemies seeking our downfall.
Love is a way of life that is meant for every moment, and rejects partiality for the sake of all people.
More Than Words
In addition to a feeling, love is not just words. It is something that must be expressed through visible ways that are tangible. To be clear, words are important and a way of showing love, but actions make it more than a dream or a nice idea that is comforting. For example, throughout these Advent reflections I have mentioned my daughter Hope, and what got me through her death was works of compassion from others. People did more than talk to show a commitment to my well-being. They went beyond words through visits, meals, walks, phone calls, and sending cards.
Love unexpressed is meaningless.
St. James writes in his Epistle that faith without works is dead, and the same is true for love that is void of action. I would even go as far to say that love without action is not love at all. In fact, it is a selfish lovelessness that leaves things the same. As St. James asks, what good is it to say, “be fed” without feeding the hungry? Or what benefit is to say “keep warm” without clothing and housing the cold?
Love seeks to be made real through actions done with a selfless heart. A heart that beats for the sake of others and wants things to change for their good.
More Than Expected
In Louisiana, my home state, there is a tradition called lagniappe, which comes from an old Spanish term that means something free or extra. Lagniappe is a small gift that is given to a customer by a merchant as a way of showing gratitude for supporting their business. In short, one could say that it means “a little extra” or “going beyond what is expected”. And the same is true for love, which surpasses our expectations.
During Advent we celebrate this dimension of love, where God excels our wildest dreams through sending His one and only Son. We expect forgiveness of sin, but in Christ there is a plethora of blessed gifts. Through Him we also receive peace, hope, joy, grace, mercy, truth, and endless life. Do we deserve these things? Of course not, and we never will. But, as was said earlier, love is for and about all people no matter where they stand.
Indeed, God has given us more than we expect through Jesus, and His generosity is rooted in more than receiving glory. Though His glory is important, His generosity is rooted in His love, which began long before Israel and the manger in Bethlehem. St. Paul writes that God loved us before the foundation of the world. He has been committed to our well-being since the moment before He said, “Let there be light”. And this commitment is at the heart of Advent traditions, from the candles, prayers, and calendars to the carols and hymns of wonder.
Love is the first gift that God gave to humanity. Therefore, let us be like Him and freely give it to all people.
The images featured in this post are by Scotty J. Williams.
Third Candle: JOY
JOY
Advent 2022
Third Candle
Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. (1 Samuel 1:2)
Unfair
Though motherhood and the longing for it are central to Hannah’s story, its focal point is something that all people can relate to. At the heart of her story is the question of joy, and how to find it in a world where things are unfair. Let’s face it, no one deserved a child more than Hannah, for she was the first wife and the one her husband wanted. But sadly, after a long stretch of barrenness, a second wife, named Peninnah, was brought in to fill the house with children.
Hannah was the most beloved while her co-wife was the baby machine and, just like Rachel and Leah, things ended up in rivalry. Peninnah would laugh and mock surrounded by sons and daughters, while Hannah would be showered with gifts and comfort from their husband. Then the rivalry spilled over into the worship place; the space where Hannah looked for strength to bear the weight of childlessness.
Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
Truly, things were not fair for Hannah, and they were also not fair for the co-wife who mocked her. After all, who wants to be married just for their fertility? Peninnah also wanted acceptance, and was working hard to get it. Each, despite their rivalry, was looking for joy, and wondered if it was possible should fairness not come. Could one still have joy if the childlessness continued? And could the other still have joy if the lovelessness would never end?
Despair
While on the road to parenthood my wife and I wondered how we could find joy, and especially after experiencing the unfairness of child loss. We also wrestled with fears that our desire would not be fulfilled, and the questions of joy being possible should childlessness be our fate. Perhaps we could find it by doting more on our pets and renovating a house? Or perhaps we could find it by changing professions and getting new hobbies?
With all of these questions in mind we came to the realization that while knowing its name we could not really define joy. In other words, we did know what we were really searching for. Was it a feeling, a state of mind, or a mystical thing that came from God?
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.
Van Jones once said that joy is a decision, while happiness is the byproduct of good circumstances. This decision is choosing to face life with a radical hope that says, “No matter how things turn out for me, what brings despair is not the final word.” For Hannah despair was being childless and barren, which brought women guilt and shame and burdened them with worry. While for Peninnah despair was being unloved and tolerated, which made women work to prove themselves and compete with one another.
Nevertheless, Hannah decided that no matter what the outcome, the things that brought her trouble were not the final word. So after being mocked once more she went back to the sanctuary, and made a vow while sending up a prayer unanswered many times:
Lord Almighty, if you give me a son, then I will give him to You for all the days of his life.
Hallelujah
From the outside joy can seem like a coping mechanism, but it is really a bold declaration in a world that is unfair. It is saying, as Van Jones puts it, “Hallelujah Anyhow!”, with the knowledge that good things and better times will come. Centuries before Christ’ birth, many people did the same, and especially in the times when Israel was conquered. Life was not fair as they faced oppressors like the Babylonians, and the temptation was to give up and live with faithlessness. Nevertheless, there were those such as the prophet Daniel who spoke against despair with a radical hope. These people boldly cried, “Hallelujah Anyhow!”, and declared that captivity was not the final word. Better times were coming with peace and restoration, and out of this they looked forward despite the troubles around them.
During Advent we do like Daniel, Hannah, and others in Israel’s past, and make a bold declaration in an unfair world. There is so much around us today that tempts us to lose heart, but in the beautiful traditions of this season we show a radical hope. Through the candles we light each Sunday we say, “Hallelujah Anyhow!”. Through the calendars with chocolates we say, “Hallelujah Anyhow!” Through songs and carols as say “Hallelujah Anyhow!”
We are looking forward to better things despite the troubles around us. And the greatest of these things is the second coming of Jesus, whose first coming we remember and cherish with joy.
The images featured in this post are by Scotty J. Williams.
We Have Better Stories To Tell: Revitalizing Black Religion
We Have Better Stories To Tell: Revitalizing Black Religion
A talk for the United Nations' Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
Geneva, Switzerland - December 4, 2022
On December 4th of 2022, I spoke at the launch of the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. The subject was revitalizing religion in Africa and its Diaspora by getting away from narratives that only focus on pain and oppression. To read this talk, click on the button below.
The image featured in this post is by Scotty J. Williams.
Second Candle: PEACE
PEACE
Advent 2022
Second Candle
Seeking Peace
In my home there are icons of several great believers, and one of them is the Desert Father Moses the Strong. Moses was an Ethiopian who was born into slavery, and before embracing Christianity he lived a ruthless life. Upon getting his freedom he started a gang of seventy thieves who robbed, raped, killed, and built an awful reputation. In fact, they came to be called the, “Terror of the Nile”, and authorities across Egypt set great bounties for their capture.
Peace is not the absence of trouble.
One day as Moses was on the run from a failed robbery, he hopped the wall of a monastery and hid within a cell. When the monk who lived there found him he welcomed him with blessings, and showed the notorious bandit an open hospitality. Overtime, Moses was touched by the life of the monastery, where everyone seemed to have a purpose and belonged. The monks possessed something that he had been longing and searching for. They had peace, which is more than the absence of trouble.
Finding Peace
Some Christians define peace as the presence of God, but I have learned through my own trials that it is something more earthly. For example, with the loss of my daughter Hope, which I mentioned in the first reflection, God’s presence alone brought little comfort to my wife and I. Don’t get me wrong, the truth of God being with us was a great aid, but it did not take away our feelings of being lost and alone. What took these things away was what Moses saw in the monastery; community and fellowship with the people of God.
Peace is no longer feeling lost and alone.
Community and fellowship gave us a sense of purpose and belonging, and, with the truth of God’s presence, calmed our fears and moved us forward. They also reminded us that trouble doesn’t last always, and that our pain was not permanent and perpetually unbearable. Through community we met fellow believers who had experienced our suffering, and showed us by example that there is life after loss. And through fellowship we experienced tangible support, or works of compassion by fellow believers who wept and mourned with us. Like Moses, we found peace among the people of God, and were able to weather the storm and come out on the other side.
Giving Peace
Along with “Emmanuel”, the presence of God through Jesus, peace is an integral theme at the heart of Advent. Its fingerprints are all over the moments just before Christ’ birth, and moments centuries before it in the days of ancient prophets. Mary and Joseph found community through a family in Bethlehem, who offered them the warmest room, the stable, in their home. Then Isaiah spoke of broken fellowship restored, and people having communion with one another and God.
Indeed, the fingerprints of peace cover the moments leading to Jesus’ birth, and during Advent we are invited by God to let them cover our lives. We are joyfully beckoned to offer community and fellowship to all people, and this includes those that we dislike and deem unworthy. Looking back to the story of Moses, who rightly deserved punishment, the monk saw his need for peace and did not hesitate to meet it. He did not push the robber out and close the door of his cell. Instead, he opened the door of community and with compassion pushed him into fellowship.
What people need and long for the most in our world is peace, and Advent calls us to meet this need whenever we see it. I pray that we would give it to all people as best we can, and in so doing reveal to them the One Whom we await. The One heralded by the Heavenly host that sang,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…
The images featured in this post are by Scotty J. Williams.
Upcoming Event: Permanent Forum of People of African Descent
Permanent Forum of People of African Descent
United Nations
Geneva-December 4, 2022
On December 4th I will be speaking at an event for the United Nation’s Permanent Forum of People of African Descent. This event is in partnership with the Pan African Women’s Association of Switzerland and focuses on strengthening the link between Africa and its Diaspora. I will be leading a time of prayer and talking to attendees about improving Black religion by moving from it a discourse of pain to a discourse of joy.
To learn more about this even and register, one can attend in person or online, click on the button below.
The image featured in this post is by Mathias Reding of unsplash.com and is free for public use.