Has the Black church lost its moral compass? Maybe even a different question, what is the role of the Black church in setting the moral compass within the Black community, locally and globally?
For a few years, I have pondered these questions in light of several critical issues, such as the unfettered legalization of marijuana, the fact that one in every three persons of color voted for Donald J. Trump, the crisis of urban education, health care, and yes PALISTINE. All of these issues, at least as I see it, fall under morality. Our moral compass is off! There appears to be a moral compass guide controlled by someone or something outside the Black community.
Historically, Black American leaders, mainly pastors, have been at the forefront of advocating for justice and calling out individuals, systems, and behaviors that harm the Black community. From the days of enslavement to the civil rights movement, the tradition of accountability has been a cornerstone of Black progress. Our global presence in the Black Christian church community had value to the world. Several years ago, our pastor (Rosedale Park Baptist Church) was contacted by a group of Gypsies from Romania to come to their country to discuss reconciliation as they admired the progress of Black Americans as a sign of progress. Our story of resilience in the face of racism was revered, respected, and celebrated by other marginalized ethnic groups worldwide.
Our struggle and our voice mattered! During slavery, abolitionist pastors such as Henry Highland Garnet boldly used their pulpits to denounce not only the horrors of slavery but also the complicity of White Christians and institutions perpetuating it. Garnet’s famous 1843 “Call to Rebellion” sermon challenged enslaved people to resist their oppressions, marking one of the first examples of Black pastors directly confronting both internal and external challenges of Black liberation. A model championed by Christ ( read Luke 4: 18-19 Matthew 10:34).
During the Reconstruction era, where men and women like Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells were unrelenting in exposing the betrayals of political leaders, bible-based churches, and other institutions that claimed to support Black progress while enabling racial violence and disenfranchisement.
The Civil Rights Movement in the mid-20th century embodied Christians, setting a moral compass for not just the United States but also the world. Even though many of the old guard associated with the National Baptist Convention didn’t join the movement at first, eventually, they jumped on board. They followed in the leadership example of Christian leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called out structural racism embedded in American society and church.
In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King emphasized the danger of inaction, criticizing white moderates and complacent Black Christian leaders alike for their unwillingness to confront injustice. But it wasn’t just Christian faith leaders who followed a moral compass; men like Malcolm X (a Black Muslim) challenged Black Americans to reject self-destructive behaviors and embrace empowerment.
One of my favorite stories from the Civil Rights Movement is the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott. In his compilation of sermons, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr talks about the struggle of preaching every Sunday to encourage Montgomery residents to boycott and walk or rideshare. For 52 Sundays, Black church leaders throughout Montgomery used every Sunday to preach a message of encouragement and a biblically centered sermon for justice.
I can only imagine what the state of Black children and youth in America would be if we took 52 Sundays across every urban city to emphasize education, loving our neighbor, and encouraging the congregants to mentor and adopt children who are orphaned because of circumstances outside of their doing or tutor a Black child.
But today, another force is at play, guiding the moral compass and setting the agenda and, ultimately, the course of action for our prophetic community. They are outsiders who beat us over the head with spiritual concepts on being biblically centered or adhering to a moral majority. Unfortunately, we have fallen prey to their demagoguery and are now victims of their version of truth and their moral compasses. There are even some who have discounted the legacy of our faith giants like Richard Allen, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Frederick Douglass for a new framework labeled evangelical. Can’t we decide what the moral code is or should be for our neighborhoods and community and follow a compass to discover our Northstar?
We have made their truth the definitive truth without other options. This is why we need Black theology, Black critical thinking, or what I am now labeling Black Christian excellence (You will hear more about the concept of Black Christian Excellence in my future blogs, magazine, and newspaper articles, and potentially a book).
As a community, we can’t allow our sacred institutions, biblical scholars, families, and moral compass to be driven by outside perspectives, including capitalism and the evangelical church. At some point, we must tell ourselves it’s not working or beneficial to our community. I’m concerned about urban youth development when we’ve made it our number one goal to produce entrepreneurs and career-based servants, not scholars, thinkers, and influencers. What we are perpetuating is pure self-centered trash that is both an impediment and disgraceful to our progress as a people, locally and globally.
We need our prophetic voices. I can truly appreciate those prophetic voices who were willing to call out the destructive elements of our society and resolve not to be conformists. Sisters like Dr. Helen Moore, JD, one of Detroit’s greatest champions for Black education, and C. Delores Tucker, former Pennsylvania Secretary of State who called out gangster rap before it was popular. Each of these sisters led by example.
We’ve got to rediscover our Moral Compass quickly, or we will become like the other lost tribes that are extinct, and we will be a few hundred years from now. I’m Just Saying….
I'm Just Saying 