The
Value of Tribulation
“Wise
are they who have learned these truths: Trouble is temporary. Time is
tonic. Tribulation is a test tube.”
William
Arthur Ward
Did
you know that among prematurely born babies, little black girls have
the best chance for survival? And the least chance of survival goes to
little white boys. I'm sure there are many reasons for this beyond my
knowing, but my personal theory says that a long history of
overcoming the odds produced stronger genes among females of African
descent. Tribulation can destroy, but sometimes it strengthens.
This
weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the brutal
confrontation on the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the 1965 voting
rights march from Selma to Montgomery. One of the ironies of that
pivotal civil rights landmark is that Edmund Pettus, for whom the
famous bridge is named, was a general in the Confederate Army, and
after the war, became Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Today, to
honor of those who died there, African Americans and others who love
freedom and equality, will plant their feet firmly upon his legacy.
Time is tonic. It changes everything.
Yesterday,
my friend, Renae, and I went downtown to walk through Kelly Ingram
Park, which sits across the street from the Civil Rights Institute
and the 16th Street Baptist Church. Elaborate sculptures
commemorating the events of the civil rights era stand throughout the
park. Two city blocks were cordoned off with orange cones and
motorcycle police. About a dozen tour buses parked outside the church
with security posted at the entrance. Renae, who is from Nebraska,
wanted to step inside the church to pray for a friend back home, and
for the funeral she's conducting here today. We were told we could
not enter, could not even walk up the steps. People of importance
were inside—and that did not include us. Irony is a great teacher.
Trouble,
while it's happening, seems to stretch on forever; but in reality is
only temporary. This too shall pass. Hopefully, change will move in the direction of greater openness, freedom and genuine respect for all
God's children.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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