The Negro National Anthem & other Epistemological and Ontological Thoughts

The Negro National Anthem
"Lift Every Voice and Sing"
By: James Weldon Johnson

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Lift Every Voice and sing till earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of liberty
Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song, full of the faith that the dark past has taught us
Sing a song, full of the hope that the present has brought us
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod
felt in the days when hope unborn had died
yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet
come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come, over a way that which tears has been watered
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered
Out of the gloomy past, till now we stand at last,
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast

GOD of our weary years, GOD of our silent tears
Thou Who has brought us thus far on the way
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light
Keep us for-e-ver in the path we pray

Lest our feet, stray from the places our GOD where me met thee
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world we forget Thee
Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand
TRUE TO OUR GOD, TRUE TO OUR NATIVE LAND

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"...we were to affirm the principle on which the country was built and not the men, or at least not the men who did the violence." "Epilogue" The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison.

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the dark night of the soul’s despair will eventually give way to the glorious morn of hope, prosperity and liberty—the pastoral elegy "In Memoriam" by 19^th century poet Lord Tennyson.

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William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The Oxford Shakespeare. 1914.

: As You Like It

: Act II. Scene I.

:
: The Forest of Arden.
:
: Enter DUKE Senior, AMIENS, and other Lords, like Foresters.

: Duke S. Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile,
: Hath not old custom made this life more sweet
: Than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods
: More free from peril than the envious court?
: Here feel we but the penalty of Adam,
: The seasons' difference; as, the icy fang
: And churlish chiding of the winter's wind,
: Which, when it bites and blows upon my body,
: Even till I shrink with cold, I smile and say
: 'This is no flattery: these are counsellors
: That feelingly persuade me what I am.'
: Sweet are the uses of adversity,
: Which like the toad, ugly and venomous,
: Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
: And this our life exempt from public haunt,
: Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
: Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.
: I would not change it.

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Matthew 5

Common English Bible (CEB)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment. ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. ²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. ²⁸ But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. ³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ ³² But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. ³⁴ But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. ³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. ³⁹ But I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well. ⁴⁰ When they wish to haul you to court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. ⁴¹ When they force you to go one mile, go with them two. ⁴² Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you. ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you ⁴⁵ so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.

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How does the assumed universality of the Savour’s extraordinary sermon in a first-century Mediterranean worldview inform our twenty-first century postindustrial society? How do most of us who read with twenty-first century eyes [accurately] interpret the message of Christ’s first-century values? How do we bridge this sociocultural epistemological and ontological divide?

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fear not... rather love!

try not to hate...

it robs you of precious years!

kindness can be effortless...

anger is always painful!

be free...

it is priceless!

try...

it!

OOW

2013