Keep
Your Eyes on the Prize
“Don’t
get weary children, keep your hand on the plow and your eyes on the prize.”
African
American Spiritual quoted by W. Nicholas Knisley, Episcopal Bishop of Rhode
Island
Bishop Knisley
goes on to say, “That is as powerful a word from those who have gone before us
as I can think of today.” The African slaves sang spirituals to keep up
their courage, to support one another, and to send messages in code. They never
gave up their quest for freedom. Their songs remind me now of the people of
Ukraine in their determination not to go back under soviet rule. Fortunately,
they have a leader who stands beside them and speaks truth to power—it’s a
David and Goliath moment if we’ve ever seen one. Yesterday, I almost thought I saw John Lewis marching with them. All people everywhere desire
freedom.
We white
westerners take freedom for granted simply because we have never known
captivity. My grandmother grew up as close to it as possible on a
cotton-growing tenant farm in northwest Alabama. Most likely her forebears were
indentured people from Wales. The eldest of nine children, she knew hard work
and how it felt to see your crops go to people who had not worked for them. Even
so, she was white, had the privilege of going to school, and when she married,
left the farm, and moved away. In other words, she was free to go.
Yesterday,
there was footage on the nightly news of a bombed apartment building in Ukraine—the
side of the building was blown off and all the windows just gaping holes. A
young man walked to one of those windows from inside the building and planted a
small Ukrainian flag in the rubble. “Don’t get weary children, keep your
hand on the plow and your eyes on the prize.” Unbeaten, unbroken,
determined people will achieve their freedom. Their courage is heartrending.
Let us pray for their success.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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