Test Your Mama

Someone once said something like this: “If your mama says she loves you, check it out.”

your mama

your mama


This is the reason why I posted the Alice Walker quotation on Monday and will post other poets’ thoughts, too. Alice Walker is considered a mother of black feminism. I want you to check out even what your mothers say. You might not consider Walker a mother, but many in our American and Christian cultures do; she is an icon. Often we take the words of icons as pure gospel just because we love the people. Let’s scrutinize and never be hoodwinked from sweet sounding words that move our hearts. Let’s also scrutinize so we can give credit where credit is due. Someone may not be a Christian, but they can speak truth, and all truth comes from God.

The Alice Walker quotation was provocative to me because at first reading it seemed anti-biblical. I agree that animals exist for reasons apart from for humans; they help to balance the world’s ecosystem, but it’s arguable whether or not animals were created for humans. After God created animals he placed humans (Adam and Eve) in charge of them (Genesis 1:28). Walker was right about black people not being created for white people. God created us all in His image for His good pleasure not for one race to demand pleasure from another (Revelation 4:11).

Finally, Walker was right in one sense about women not being created for men. All women weren’t created for all men; in other words, women weren’t created so men could dominate them, but women were created for men to have as wives. So the woman who becomes a wife was created for the man who becomes her husband, and vice versa (see 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 and 11:11-12). Man was created first but men cannot continue to be created without a woman. There is definite interdependence with a man and woman, the husband and wife. So you can see I didn’t totally disagreed with Walker, but I just wanted to get you to think without inserting my opinion. Thanks to the many of you who read the previous post and the brave one who responded. I always want to hear from you so tell me what you think of this post or any other one. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Woman Created for Man?

Alice Walker

Alice Walker

    The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men”–Alice Walker (taken from About.com; emphasis mine).

Many of you may know that April is National Poetry Month. This is the reason behind my posting audios of my poems the last two Fridays. I plan to do the same for the next two Fridays. But I also thought it would be interesting to take quotations from some famous (and not so famous) poets to examine their thoughts in light of what I believe God’s Woman (what I am temporarily calling the recreated strong black woman who is a Christian) should be considering. So consider the above quotation from womanist (black feminist) poet, novelist and essayist Alice Walker, particularly the part I’ve emphasized. What are your personal thoughts about it? What are your thoughts about it when considering Genesis 2:18 and 1 Corinthians 11:8-9. I’ll tell you what I think, but you first.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Power to the People

I spit on Jesus before, just like those who hated and crucified Him more than 2,000 years ago. I didn’t understand who He was and the fact that He came to earth to die for the sins of humanity. Today I, like millions of others around the world, celebrate Jesus Christ’s journey to the cross on Calvary. I celebrate Him today, not just because He was willing to die but that He showed His power over death by being resurrected after three days in the grave. This is the savior, my savior, that I celebrate after rejecting for so many years. Listen to the following poem that tells of my journey.
Power to the People

Silence for Survival

Silent Voices by Josephine Carson

Silent Voices by Josephine Carson

Silence for survival is a strategy for sickness. Shout to the Right(eous) One; he’ll send you to the right ones to speak.—Luke 12:11-12

Who do you shout to when you want to get something off your chest, when you want something to change? Who has tried to keep you silent for your or their so-called survival? Talk to me. Let me know.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

God's Strength

Saturday was a true display for me of black Christian women who find their strength in the Lord. This was during the prayer luncheon of Ebenezer AME Church in Detroit, where my sister, the Rev. Sharon D. Moore, is the assistant pastor. The prayer luncheon was one of the first events leading to Ebenezer’s women’s month, whose theme is “Pursuing His Presence.” The standout prayer for me was by Dr. Valerie Abbott, general practitioner and pediatrician.

Before she prayed, Dr. Abbott told the women not to rely on doctors and nurses but on God because it is He who uses them as instruments of His healing. Her prayer went on to ask God for healing in the lives of women with various health issues and was a great foundation for the keynote speaker, the Rev. Dr. Velva Burley, minister of community relations at Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit.
burley
Rev. Burley seemed to epitomize the woman I have been challenging us to be: one whose priorities and strength come from God, and she challenged us to be the same. In her introduction, Rev. Moore told how Rev. Burley felt compelled to and did cancel a speaking engagement to be with her young son on an out of town sports championship trip; when she made the speaking commitment, her son hadn’t yet had his engagement. Though she had given the name of a replacement, the group didn’t understand why she cancelled. But this was the sacrifice of this single mother, who raised her son while completing seminary; it took her eight years because of her son being her priority. She was able to succeed because of God’s strength.

So she challenged us to remember that God has called us to be His witnesses and that we have resurrection power inside of us to be able to proclaim His mighty works (Acts 1:8). The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that each believer in Jesus Christ has and that is the Holy Spirit. As I reflect on what our priorities should be and how we can accomplish those priorities (which should be God-given), I am assured that what I set my mind on will be accomplished if I put my faith and trust in Him: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith