#Freedom moses returns free#

Moses says to Pharoah at God’s command and on behalf of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness” (Exodus 5:1).

#Freedom moses returns free#

We must remember that God wanted to free the Hebrew people so that they could worship in freedom. This connection is most evident in the story of Moses entreating Pharoah to release the Hebrews from slavery so that they can go and worship God (Exodus 5). But even before the Civil Rights Movement, Black Christians saw a connection between justice and revival. During the Civil Rights Movement, ministers like Shuttlesworth and King mobilized their church congregations to participate in direct action. spread the good news of Christ while also laboring for racial justice. For instance, Black faith leaders and civil rights advocates like Fred Shuttlesworth and Rev. In the United States, Black Christians have historically understood spiritual awakenings - or revivals - to be of one piece with social justice movements.īlack faith leaders throughout American history have combined the message of justice and Jesus.

But many may fail to remember that racial integration was a major motivator behind the gatherings. The Azusa Street Revival, which started in 1906 and was led by Black pastor William J. In the United States, Black Christians have historically understood spiritual awakenings - or revivals - to be of one piece with social justice movements. In February, Feucht tweeted that Christians shouldn’t be quick to dismiss the Asbury revival “just because it doesn’t fit what YOU THINK a revival should look like.” What I want to say to Feucht and other Christians who agree with him is this: Justice advocacy, whether you agree with the tactics or not, is a form of worship and revival. In a Facebook post, he referred to his concerts as revivals and “genuine racial reconciliation” while labeling Black Lives Matter protesters as violent. that lasted for 16 daysįor example, Sean Feucht, a far-right Christian singer, politician, and former worship leader at Bethel Church hosted unmasked concerts just blocks away from Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Rather than seeing their advocacy work as an integral part of their faith and a sign of revival, their work is understood to be at odds with their love for Christ and is met with calls for silence and false unity.įollowing the killings of Arbery, Taylor, and Floyd, young Black Christians’ continuous demand for justice was mislabeled or completely overlooked by the same individuals who were quick to draw our attention to and encourage support of the Asbury revival, the spontaneous, student-led gathering in Wilmore, Ky. More specifically, the white evangelical church has a habit of excluding Christians dedicated to social justice. READ MORE: ‘Until We Are All Free’: Learning From Tubman, King, and Stevenson Being in this space has affirmed my belief that worshiping Christ and fighting for a more just world go hand in hand. After the harm and reprimand I experienced in the white evangelical church for my dedication to social justice, I have returned to the Black church tradition in which I was raised. I’m not looking to label others’ revival experiences as “true” or “false.” Instead, I’m hoping that Christians in general - but white Christians specifically - learn to expand their understanding of what a revival entails. have yet to be radically transformed when it comes to justice advocacy. Until recently, I attended a predominantly white-led church where the prevailing belief was that God was less concerned about marginalized groups’ current sufferings and more focused on where our souls would spend eternity.ĭespite the many revival services and conferences held every year across the country, it seems white Christians in the U.S. Each of these stories emphasizes aspects of what is typically understood to be a revival: a gathering of people that leads to repentance.īut what role does justice play in revivals? This is a question I’ve asked myself for the past few years as I’ve been untangling how the white church tends to define revival. Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on his disciples in the upper room and the early days of the church during Pentecost are two biblical examples of revival (John 20:22-23 Acts 2). Though you won’t find the word “revival” used in the Bible, its likeness is seen all throughout scripture. A Christian revival is typically defined as a continuous gathering that leads to an act of mass repentance.