Say It Loud

By Rev. Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., Contributing Writer

Psalm 31:23 says, “Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.” It is great to be a member of a race of people who have, despite incredible obstacles, accomplished so much. I am indebted to my great-grandfather who was an astute businessman, my grandfather who had an incredible work ethic, my grandmother who had a tremendous sense of family, and my mother who had “Job-like” faith. I am blessed to be a descendant of faithful and proud doers. 

I am reminded, in this time set aside to celebrate our heritage and highlight our accomplishments, of the old James Brown song, “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud!” It is a song written and performed by Brother Brown at a time when we were struggling to establish our self-worth in every walk of life.

We must, however, remember that pride can very well produce a dangerous outcome. Satan, our adversary, is well-acquainted with the power of pride and uses it against us daily.

We must periodically pause and examine the subject of our pride. A quick analysis will confirm that we cannot be proud of the rampant sin that runs through our communities. We must be concerned that county and state jails are jammed with disenchanted, disillusioned, and disconnected brothers and sisters who, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud,” but seem unable, unwilling, or unchallenged to look beyond the superficial image of blackness they see in the mirror and put substance behind their pride. 

Can we “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud,” when our neighborhoods are filled with so many of our sisters, whose pride has been crushed as a result of being abandoned by brothers who have used them and then kicked them to the curb? Many of our neighborhoods are filled with our young brothers and sisters who appear to be satisfied expressing black pride in repugnant gyrations and profane lyrics in the musical genre of hip-hop and rap. We must periodically assess the subject of our pride.

African Americans certainly do have those events in our heritage that we can look back on with pride. We can proudly reminisce about the peaceful marches for freedom in Birmingham, Selma, Memphis, and Washington, D.C. that forced this country to look in the mirror and change the error of its ways. We proudly remember the courage and tenacity of our enslaved ancestors who lived out the true meaning of tolerance long before it was a politically en vogue concept.

We can cite much in our past in which to be proud but we must be reminded that those events are in the past. We have certainly come very far but there is a way yet to go. We still have a long journey ahead of us. The question is, “What are we doing now that will move us forward in this century as a progressive people?” The world is watching intently and wondering if we will and can forge ahead pulling ourselves out of the cultural depository of our enslaved mentality.  

We are cautioned to avoid the danger that is a result of our failure to remember who it was that gave us our victories. Our churches are declining as our people seem to forget the God who delivered us out of our calamities. It appears that we have, in too many instances, allowed our successes to inflate our egos and move us on to a self-righteous and counterfeit holiness. It has gotten to the point where our greatest menace is no longer the Pharisee beside us who loathes us. Presently, our most critical danger is the Pharisee in us who causes us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and applauds our pompous spirit. 

Our text is a reminder to those who would fall into the trap of self-reliance and self-pride. It challenges us to “Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.” In other words, we can look back with pride on our accomplishments as long as what we have accomplished is a demonstration of our faith in God. We can rest assured that if we follow in the path of righteousness, God will not only protect and preserve us, God will reward us. If we humble ourselves before the Lord, He promises to lead us to higher heights.

Let us “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud.” Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Jesus is the resurrection and the life. If we want to raise a standard for those who come after us, we need to first seek Jesus. We are challenged to turn to the One who raised a widow’s son, reflect on the One who raised Jairus’ daughter, and trust the One who raised Lazarus from the dead.

If we follow Jesus, we will be proud of all He instills in us, performs with us, and accomplishes. “Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.”

The Rev. Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr. is the pastor of Pine Grove AME Church in Columbia, South Carolina.