I walked to New Hope Baptist Church everyday. Because I love the community. I love the atmosphere. I love my job. I have been preaching at New Hope Baptist Church for decades. Even when it rain and even when it shines. I love working for the Lord. Because you see the Lord's been so good to me that he gave me a brand new mercy. The Lord's been so good to me that he woke me up this morning. The Lord's been so good to me that he started me on my way. I don't mind sweating to church. I don't mind feeling a little rain to church. I don't mind feeling a little cold to church. Because it is an honor to come before God another morning. God been mighty good and I am mighty glad to be at his service. He saw fit for me to live. He saw fit for me to be. He saw fit to bless me. As I stood before the church this Sunday and they sung Blessed it be the Rock, Blessed it be the Rock of my salvation. Hosanna Blessed it be the Rock. And mother was singing in the choir, you know under Dad she used to show out. Mom would sing that song like she was Miram, Moses' sister. And Dad would get happy and clap his hand and stand shouting. My siblings and I would get the Holy Ghost and shout in the front seat with our grandmother. Now my wife Joana and Jester and Phillipa were in the front row shouting and praising God. As church went out, we waited outside to greet everyone and shake their hand to give them fellowship. And one of the deacons pulled me aside and he said Pastor you know that they are talking about the Civil Rights. They are fighting for Civil Rights. And what are you gonna do about? And I said I will let the Lord lead me when it is time Deacon. And the Deacon presisted Pastor other churches are getting involved. You don't know what if your own flock may be getting involved. Some are going to jail and some are being beaten. And I said If the Lord is willing then I shall but I have not heard from him yet. And the Deacon left saying I am just trying to tell you something is happening in our community and New Hope Baptist Church should be apart of it. And my wife Joana came in and asked what the deacon wanted. And I slowly but surely broke it down to her. And she was worried about the community. She was concerned for our children and the future of the church. And I reassured my wife that I will see about this and will protect the flock of God by all means necessary. As the week progress, the protestors marched passed the church just before Bible Study and they were shouting and chanting. It disturbed Bible Study and I was concerned about moral upbringing of my congregation. And the people begin talking about the protest and demonstrations some were for it and some were against it. And the congregation asked me and I told them God will keep in perfect peace whose mind stayed on Him and I dismissed the congregation. And the police later on called me threatening that if my congregation get involved that there would be dire consequences. And I cried out that they are God's flock and you don't care. They are people. They are human beings. They have little children. I have never cause any trouble before. We don't do that at New Hope Baptist Church and never done it. And my mother came in my office at home and she overheard and she said, you know God respect courage son. Courage to say the right things. Courage to do the right things. And he accept nothing less. Speak those things that be not as though they were. Your father could not do it but now you can. And I hesitately agreed reasuring with a hug and kiss on the cheek. And my mother presented a new robe and I was shocked and said I never wore any robe except Dad's robe. She said he saved this one for you for this day. So the choir sung Let my people go. Pharoah Pharoah let my people go. You oppressed their backs you make life hard. Let my let my people go. Thus saith the Lord Let my people go. I said I come before you in a new robe. A new hope. A new faith. A new love. My eyes have been opened and my mind has been changed. We can no longer ignore the needs for justice. We can no longer be satisfied within ourselves. We all are Moses and we must go down down into Egypt down into that bitter land down into that heat of injustice and let God's people all God's people go. For the Lord cried out from the mountain Let my people go. Then I stretched forth my right hand over all the congregation, Let my people go.
About the Creator
Matthew Primous
I am a Black Scholar, International Scholar, & Google Scholar, & 3-Time Eber & Wein Best Poet., Nominee for Poet of the Year, 2020 Black Author Matters Winner, 2 time Akademia Excellence Essayists,& 2022 Honorary Muckrack Journalist.
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Keep reading
More stories from Matthew Primous and writers in Interview and other communities.
The Underground
Like that old spiritual "The underground says so the underground is where to go the underground frees the soul." My grandmother used to talk about a conductor named Sarah. She would sing this song whenever she was near by the slaves on the plantation. She would wait in the woods, wait in the forest till the slavedrivers went away. She would walk out of the woods fearless and brave. She would sing this song for the slaves to hear from their cabin. She knew if she get caught they would hang her but she believed that nobody should be bound and that everybody should be freed. She believed with all her heart, with all her mind, and with all her soul that freedom should be for everyone. Now some of the slaves thought they were having church at night because they were forbidden to have church during the day because sometimes masters were just paranoid and despiteful of rights. They did not like their slaves enjoying themselves and they thought if they taste freedom then they will never stop till they got it. Anyway Sarah would call to them make a bird noise after singing making a sound like a cooing near the cabin. It was rumored that conductors on the Underground were coming to free slaves. The Masters warn if any slave caught they might be put in chains where one move wrong would snap their necks or be branded like a cow. If they continue to fight then they would be hang from the highest tree. So some of the slaves came out worried and fearful to Sarah, she reassured them like a minister and said she was sought from heaven to guide them to freedom. And the slaves were convinced and quietly took themselves because they did not have much being locked within a no window cabin with no fire and hay for beds. As they moved further and somehow escaped their Masters, the slaves that Sarah carried with her wanted to learn the song she sang. Sarah promised to teach them as soon as they reached a stopping point. Sarah carried that old rifle which she said was for everyone protection. Just when Sarah was about to teach the slaves the song. She saw light from fire coming miles away and hearing distancely dogs and horses and bounty hunters. Sarah distracted almost miss the stopping point where there was a wagon with some folks to carry them to the next stopping point. The slaves rechanted for the song but saw that they were in danger and they waited with bags of grain on top of them with bags of black pepper spice. The chase was on on the underground and the bounty hunters reached around the stopping point and they relied on their dogs but the dogs cried from the black pepper left on the ground, it burned their noses and killed the sense of smell temporarily delaying the bounty hunters for days and setting them back because their dogs were their best friend and they relied heavily upon their smell which was very accurate and acute. Sarah and the slaves was dropped to another State almost to safety and they stopped at a church to see if it was in the North. The church was another stopping point, where they could rest for weeks, heal their wounds, and clean themselves and learn about freedom from the Quakers. And the slaves begged Sarah to teach them that song and she said I will teach you but you got to follow. So she sung the words, tell all my friends that I got to go. Tell Momma I love her but this ain't a home. Tell father I will be waiting but I gotta go. And after three time they got the song joining, Cause I got to go on the underground. The underground is where I must be. I must be away away away. Cause I gotta go. Must go to the underground where freedom is home. And so the bounty hunters had the press to distributed an article about the slaves all over the States where they estimated the slaves to be around as the bounty hunters' dogs and horses regain strength. And after weeks, the Quakers quietly assemble in Upper-South secretly told the slaves to move out. Sarah and the slaves refreshed took the last wagon out of town this one was much bigger than the last one. The slaves hid with the bags of grain and they held on tight underneath with hay and much comfortable than the last one. Sarah rode besides her Quaker friends till she reached the North with enough food to last for a couple of months. Sarah guided by her Quaker friends thought for sure the bounty hunters would not get them now that they are up North. But with rage the bounty hunters offered a huge reward for the slaves and even Sarah if caught alive. Sarah and the slaves and the Quakers parted ways but not without telling them how to get to Canada. Some of the slaves went with the Quakers and the rest followed Sarah to Canada. The bounty hunters were losing on the trail they came up very behind after weeks and weeks decided to spread a lie to protect their jobs. They called Sarah a witch and voodoo mistress and they paid people to turn freed men into slaves. They paid others to pretend to be Sarah. They were desperate and enrage. And the story of Sarah and the slaves she freed is still a mystery.
By Matthew Primousabout a year ago in Interview
Dhawy Febrianti
Matching wisdom with emotion is the purpose behind the work of Dhawy Febrianti. Inspired to write from the perspective of healing through the process her bigger discovery is in the sharing of attributes to substantiate self and livelihood. What better way to stand for the arts than to be an example, it is in that effort that her blog grows with advice fulfilling to others.
By Canuck Scriber L.Lachapelle Author23 days ago in Interview
About Nikolas Velikopoljski: Professional Journey
Nikolas Velikopoljski is an entrepreneur in Miami with fresh business ideas who actively participates in various community projects. Through The Benefitted, a luxury apparel and accessories company, Nikolas has become an entrepreneur with an appropriate identity in the fashion market. He targets solving specific market problems through innovations.
By Nikolas Velikopoljski4 days ago in Interview
Confessions of an Empath
The birds are chirping, and the sun is shining in a cloudless July sky. The vibrancy promises a beautiful day, but the cooing of the Mourning Dove perched on the powerlines seems to be more fitting than the lively songs of the robin flitting through the trees. The melancholic calls of the dove cloak the world in a sadness that hangs like tattered drapes.
By Alyssa Nicole4 days ago in Confessions
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.