From The Pastor’s Desk 

By Rev. Andre P. Jefferson, Jr., 2nd Episcopal District

“Don’t hurt me.” “Why would we hurt you; you called us.” That was part of the exchange between Sonya Massey and Deputy Sean Grayson in her home. She had called because of a suspicious prowler around her home in Illinois. This news is troubling, especially in this political season. We have the opportunity to elect the first Black Woman to the highest office in the land. Many people have been excited about Kamala Harris, but this recent shooting has placed on display the full breadth of the experience of Black Women.

Now, I as a black heterosexual man who has not lived in the shoes of a black woman cannot possibly fathom the full complexities of this moment. However, I see a lack of reassurance within the highs and lows of this moment. There are great heights at this moment when a woman has the chance to see herself seated in the highest office in the land. Where she can imagine herself positioned to make the greatest change. Yet in conjunction, there is a great low when a Black woman whose simple call for help was met with violence, vitriol, and villainization. It’s almost as if this recent police shooting is a reminder to black women to “know their place.” Not to mention Ms. Massey said something that all of us who have grown up in any kind of black church have heard or said our own selves. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”  We have said these words when facing real and present evils in our lives. The question for many of us then becomes “How can one hope through the duality of this moment?” We can do so by doing the very thing that Black Women have been doing for centuries: grab hold of the God who sees.

Hagar lived in this dualistic type of experience (Read Gen.16 for context). She was both celebrating a pregnancy and being forced out of her home all at once and wrestling with being good enough for a man to lay with while not being good enough for that man to claim you. She is being told that her child is celebrated and her pregnancy should be protected, yet she is watching as Sarai changes the policies that govern her life. The only thing that brought her comfort was “El Roi” the God who sees.  God is the only one who sees us through this moment and through the uniqueness of our experiences. God is truly the only one who we know to call when problems and persecution have been persistently present in our lives, and we need to be saved from it. However, we don’t just call on God to save us; we also call on God’s son Jesus as well. (Read Acts 4:12 for context).When we combine “El Roi” the God who sees with Jesus “The one who will save us.” We encounter a God who sees us and acts upon the real evils in our lives. That is what we hang our hope on—a God who sees and acts on the evils in our lives. So, as we continue to move forward let us hold our heads up high. Let us keep your faith alive and don’t allow anyone to cause you to believe that your belief in the power of the name of Jesus is a fallacy. This name Jesus contains real power. Be confident in the power that is found in the name of Jesus.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Andre (AJ) Jefferson Jr.