On January 21, 2019 we will once again recognize and celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy. Dr. King fought for the rights of black Americans who were experiencing discrimination and segregation. However, prior to Dr. King's achievements there were many others who fought for the rights and freedoms of black Americans. Among them were many notable women. Sojourner Truth who was born a slave in Hurley, New York and worked as a servant, became a powerful voice against slavery. She felt God's call to a greater mission as an abolitionist. As a result she began a ministry as an itinerant preacher delivering God's judgment against the evils of slavery and in time she joined this theme with a commitment to women's rights. Sojourner Truth, like Dr. King faced great opposition and at times violent mobs. Yet she never doubted slavery would end and was present in the capital in 1865 when Congress ratified the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery. Her struggle for freedom and equality continued until the day she died on November 26, 1883 at the age of 86 years.
"Black Moses"
Similarly, Harriet Tubman who was often referred to as the black "Moses" of her time was the "conductor" hero of the Underground Railroad. She, like Sojourner Truth was also born a slave. In December 1849, she escaped from slavery and began rescuing slaves in 1850. She helped lead dozens of runaway black slaves to freedom, including her own parents who were led to freedom in 1857. In April 1858 she was introduced to abolitionist John Brown, who unlike Dr. King, advocated the use of violence to destroy slavery in the United States. When the war ended, Harriet Tubman retired to her family home and like Sojourner Truth became active in the women's suffrage movement. In January 1863 shortly after the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation, she became the commander of the team in charge of espionage. In March 1913, Harriet Tubman died at the age of 93 of pneumonia in the Home for Aged Colored People that she helped found. The home was later renamed in her honor."Sanctuary"
When we look at the church today, some still question why black people form separate congregations. Hated for their skin color, black people rarely found love, acceptance, and safety outside family except in one place: the Black church. At Sunday worship, Wednesday prayer meetings, Friday youth nights, summer day camps--the historically Black church was a true sanctuary from a time of terror and rejection. As a black woman pastor, I can understand the feelings of rejection. It is difficult to find true sanctuary when color, gender, and/or giftedness becomes a barrier to ministry. Yet like, my abolitionist sisters before me, I seek the only sanctuary and shelter that sees me as a daughter of the King. In Psalm 27, David declares three promises from the Lord in times of trouble. He will keep me safe in His dwelling, He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent, and He will set me high upon a rock. (verse 5) It's a comfort to know that like the church which sheltered the black slaves, the Lord is a sheltering God. He is, was, and will always be a sanctuary to all needing refuge.Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
Pastor Sheree
