Black Liberation Theology

I remember back when I was freelancing in NE Ohio, playing Principal Horn with the Akron Symphony. We did this annual outreach benefit concert that was an outrageous success every year. It was called "Gospel Meets Symphony." I remember being completely blown away by the incredible power of the energy onstage.

I was raised Methodist in a wonderful church in Cincinnati. It was a great church to grow up in, and I'll always be thankful for my roots there. As I've grown spiritually through the years, I've delved into many versions of Christianity: UCC, Presbyterian, non-denominational fundamentalist (yes, it's true!) and Pentecostal, in reverse order. After much angst-filled soul searching, I happily came home to the Unitarians - a place that embraces and freely welcomes anything and everything.

Okay, so, back to the Gospel concert. I remember being there on that stage, feeling the pulse and vibrancy of the 300+ voice gospel choir, witnessing the unfettered joy of its members as they cried out and sang with spinetingling resonance. The choir's irrepressable joy, the gorgeously rich jazz chords from the Steinway grand, the unmistakeable texture added by the Hammond organ, the rhythmic explosion of the drum set (played by a ridiculously hot brother who I had a mini-crush on), and the synergy of the whole 85 piece orchestra - what a synthesis of talent. It was overwhelmingly powerful.

I remember being so blown away by this particular version of Christianity, very unlike many of the others I had experienced. The emotions weren't based on fear (believe or you'll go to hell), guilt (you're a sinner, so you'd better be grateful for Jesus's ransom), superiority (God only accepts Christians into heaven, so obviously it's the best religion), or intolerance (of homosexuality, feminism, interracism, sexuality in general, etc.).

The focus was very simple, and very different. The message was about healing, of defying convention and expressing your joy and energy and letting it all out unselfconsciously. About finding strength in the midst of oppression. Of sadness, of trials and tribulations, of immense suffering, slavery and bondage. These are issues which much of the black community knows all too intimately. When you consider that it's been less than 60 years since the shameful Jim Crow laws were in effect - that there are still human beings walking this earth who remember legalized segregation - it makes logical sense that this group would still be feeling the impact of such treatment. I cringe whenever I hear my white peers say things like, "why should they get special treatment?" How about retributive treatment? Affirmative action can't logically be "special" or seen as an "advantage over" another race unless everyone has, at the very least, adequate resources, educative opportunities, well-funded schools, low-crime living environments, and role models to burgeon aspirations for better lives. How can you achieve it if you can't even envision it?

I remember feeling so incredibly lucky to be on that stage, with all of these new people, experiencing all of these new (to me) feelings and approaches to religion. I learned by listening to this great story on Terry Gross's Fresh Air (NPR) that such a Christianity that focuses on empowerment, reversing oppression, and finding strength in the midst of intense difficulty is called Black Liberation Theology.

Now that is a cause I can get behind.

Judging others as bad, going to hell, or otherwise religiously/politically inferior does not ultimately uplift the spirit or do much good for anyone. Much of what is in the Bible doesn't really do it for me either most of the time. But focusing on Jesus's radical message, his persistence in saying it even when the majority didn't want to hear it, his persecution and suffering at the hands of those who didn't want the oppressed to be empowered, and how his message of acceptance, love, and compassion transcends even his brutal murder...that makes sense to me. That is relevant.

While I would never try to claim kinship with the experiences of African Americans (I acknowledge that I grew up with white privilege), I find the concepts of healing suffering, overcoming adversity, social justice, compassion and acceptance, and equality to be incredibly relevant and compelling. If I had to pick a church that had a specifically Christian focus, one that celebrates Black Liberation Theology might be it.

But as it stands, I'm perfectly at home with the Unitarians! ;)