Free At Last Pt. 3
The day had finally arrived. A little more than a week ago the President of the United States called a special joint session of Congress and the Supreme Court. The President gave no indication of the reason for such a rare meeting and though sources said that Congress and the Supreme Court have an idea of what’s going on they’ve kept it to themselves.
Upon arriving at the Capital the President, his cabinet, Congress and Supreme Court were joined by hundreds of business leaders along with several dozen prominent members of Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy. Joining them was the world’s press who literally waited with baited breath for this most momentous announcement.
As the Capital chamber began to fill a number of reporters noticed something a tad out of place. At first it seemed just a bit odd, but then grew to be somewhat disconcerting. While this was to be a special joint session involving all of Congress, not one member of the Congressional Black Caucus was present. While murmurs began to fill the room about this the press also noticed that among the prominent members of the clergy not one African-American minister, pastor, bishop or priest was present. This really got the press going. Obviously what the President had to say concerned African-Americans and was so clearly onerous that once they got wind of it all of them in a striking show of ethnic unity decided to boycott the session. In fact, the gathered press broke out in a chorus of oohs and ahhs when the Supreme Court took their seats without Justice Thomas!
The tension grew during the seating of Congress, the joint chiefs, the cabinet, the Supreme Court and several world leaders (though none from African). After a few more moments the sergeant at arms announced: ladies and gentlemen, elected officials, members of the Supreme Court and honored world leaders I present to you the President of the United States of America. The President entered the room though without the usual joviality that accompanied the state of the union address. In keeping with the President’s demeanor the chamber was bereft of the usual applause and cheering.
Standing at the front of the chamber the President in a calm but firm voice asked the sergeant of arms to open the doors for the special invited guests. The doors swung open and in streamed a flood of some of the most prominent and not so prominent black people in America and the world. Completely befuddled at this point many in the press actually dropped pens, tape recorders and stood slack jawed at the awe-inspiring sight.
After they were seated the President thanked them and all who were gathered for their attendance and assured them that this would not take long. The President remained standing while recalling the nations involvement in slavery, segregation and other racial sins. Speaking of how past injustice still affects present circumstances the President began to walk slowly from the front of the hall moving directly toward the hundreds of seated African-Americans. Though this action was not required or even on the official agenda the President, now standing directly in front of them said that the United States of America had lived like a country within a country for far too long. And that as the nation’s leader this was not the time to stand idly by while millions of Americans faced lives of despair with no real hope of ever participating in the promise of this country. Perhaps one small gesture will mean little in the greater scheme of things and yet maybe, just maybe one small gesture could be the start a new, brighter chapter in race relations for our land.
Then, with a voice that was not much more than a whisper the President of the United States of America, the leader of the free world, the most powerful official on the planet stood right in front of an elderly black woman whom no one could readily identify and said ‘on the behalf of the office of the President, the Congress, the Supreme Court and the institutions of this nation past and present I do humbly and sincerely apologize and ask your forgiveness for the sins of slavery and segregation.
There was an audible gasp as everyone in the room felt the weight of that last sentence. The President stood as if not knowing what was to happen next at the mercy as it were of a small, black elderly woman. Then looking into her leader’s eyes the woman her voice strong and full of compassion embraced the President and said ‘all is forgiven, let’s begin now to walk together’. The crowd watched in shocked and utter silence for a few moment before breaking out into thunderous, sustained applause.
Sheer fantasy you say? Probably. The fact is however that many African-Americans wonder why the country has never officially apologized for its role in slavery. Personally, I believe that the country would have some good biblical grounds for issuing such an apology. But even if it did, even if the President called a special join session of the government and officially apologized for the sins of slavery would we truly be healed and made whole?
Though slavery officially ended over hundred and forty years ago and legalized segregation has been gone for about forty years many African-Americans still struggle to grab hold of the elusive state of true freedom. Moreover, many would say that we cannot begin to realize authentic liberation until we’ve been healed and made whole. That won’t occur unless the country owns up to its racial sins and officially apologizes to us. While that scenario has its appeal there are two main reasons we cannot pin our hopes on it.
First of all, it’s unlikely that the nation will ever officially apologize. Thus for us to hold our breaths while waiting for an official declaration of forgiveness is to put off healing until the 4th of never. Additionally even if the President did apologize it’s unlikely that everyone or even a significant portion of the country would be of like mind. How disappointing would it be to hear a presidential apology only to come to realize that our everyday racial situation pretty much remained the same?
Second, waiting for an apology from the government continues to lock us into a mindset of depending on people (however good there intentions) for true healing. This prevents us from looking to the Lord for true, substantive and lasting healing. I’m sure there are many black folks who would welcome an apology from the President of the United States. Many might even experience a measure of healing should the President stand and say ‘on the behalf of my country I do sincerely apologize for the sins of slavery and segregation’. As much as those words might mean to us however our true healing and therefore first step on the path of freedom begins with the words ‘"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery“.
For Christ, the Church, and the Truth
Pastor Lance