Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, 3. Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, 4. That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. 5. They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?” 6. They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. 7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. 8. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. 9. All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory (Psalm 64).
Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Eric Garner. Sandra Bland. Alton Sterling. Ahmaud Arbery. Atatiana Jefferson. Freddie Gray. George Floyd. I offer this psalm in lament on behalf of these and the many more unarmed black men and women whose lives have been senselessly taken by those who were called to serve and protect. How many more? When will I truly feel safe and accepted as a young black man in America? I hesitated in writing this article, in part because I have struggled to find the appropriate words to adequately articulate my thoughts, but also because in many ways I feel helpless and inconsequential. We have all seen the images, heard the sounds, and read the words outlining the history of racial bias and injustice in this country, and yet here we are. The problems seem to persist on end. What is it about my appearance that is so fear-inducing and threatening? Will I ever be fully accepted as a truly equal member of society?
In times like these, when eloquent words escape me, I turn to music. As I contemplated the most recent act of injustice in Minneapolis, a musical setting of Psalm 64, written by the gospel artist, Smokie Norful, came to mind. It is a beautifully serene and moving arrangement that quotes directly from the biblical text, “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.” Fear is certainly an emotion with which that I can currently relate. And not just fear, but also anger, sadness, confusion, and disappointment. Is there no end to the violence and oppression that ravage our land?
Most, if not all of us, are familiar with the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These words, written in a Birmingham jail cell in 1963, ring as true now as they did then, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly…Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
People of God, the time is ripe to do right. As our world continues to be devastated by this global pandemic, it’s people yearn for healing and comfort in a time filled with pain and sadness. God calls us to serve the least of these as if we were serving the King himself. Let us redouble our efforts to serve and fight for all those who suffer injustice with renewed energy and vitality, for the world needs a church that is committed wholeheartedly to being God’s hands and feet for a dying people.
I close in hope with a few words from Dr. King: “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”