God Is the Potter
Today’s Bible Reading: Colossians 2:8–12
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. -Isaiah 64:8
When I was a little girl, I loved playing with dolls. My dolls did not share my skin tone or hair texture. Recognizing this, my dad encouraged my mom to give me dolls with hair…
Climbing Towards Freedom
Today’s Bible Reading: Genesis 28:10–15
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:14
Slaves had many reasons to feel hopeless, yet they persevered in hope for freedom. Despite enduring horrid mental and physical abuse, family members being sold and stripped of all identity, slaves believed God had a better plan for them.…
Free to Rise
Today’s Bible Reading: John 20:11–18
“I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” -John 20:17
A church should be a sanctuary. Thus, I was shocked, as a child, when our small church—in a humble Black part of our town—was vandalized; the altar, pews, and walls defaced with spray paint and food, the stain-glassed windows broken. I can…
Empty Me
Today’s Bible Reading: Philippians 2:1–11
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. -Philippians 2:3
In the press for freedom, children have borne many costs. Children joined marches, sang Freedom Songs, and ended up in jails during protests for human rights. As an adult, Linda Brown Thompson recalled how her father, a minister in Topeka,…
Shine
Today’s Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1–16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. -Matthew 5:16
“This Little Light of Mine . . . I’m gonna’ let it shine,” written in the 1920s as a gospel song for children, transformed into an iconic freedom song. Activists, including Fannie Lou Hamer,…
Sing Anyhow
Today’s Bible Reading: Psalm 34:1–15
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. -Psalm 22:3
The choir members’ harmonies rang through the church as they recorded an iconic gospel song: “I don’t feel no ways tired . . .” Sitting with my mother amid hundreds of church members, I marveled at the beautiful Black faces all around, stretching…
Heavenly Freedom
Today’s Bible Reading: Exodus 3:7–9
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. -Galatians 5:13
In 1753, at age seven, she was taken from West Africa, brought to Boston, and sold as a slave to John Wheatley for his wife, Susanna. They named the child…
A Melody of Love
Today's Bible Reading: Psalm 118:21–23
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. -Psalm 118:22
Her stirring voice brought contralto Marian Anderson worldwide acclaim. Her race, however, meant the African American singer often faced hurtful disrespect. One of the worst public rejections was a denial to perform at the famed Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. With help from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt,…
