AFRICAN AMERICAN PASSOVER

“AFRICAN AMERICAN PASSOVER” God, give us the vision to see, the faith to believe, and the courage to do, your will. Amen. Conceived by the Holy Spirit & Presented by Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman Pastor, Brooks Chapel A.M.E. Church, Butler, Missouri (816) 561-6699; fax: (816) 561-0895; E-mail lcole81937@ aol.com Presented at St. John A.M.E. Church, Kansas City, Missouri Rev. Ronnie McCowan, Pastor April 19, 2000, a/k/a 14 Nisan 5760 1. What Is the “African American Passover?” African American Passover is a religious celebration of the “passing over” of people of African descent from slavery to freedom, and from “Jim Crow” to desegregation. In short, it is a memorial to our corporate deliverance, as a peculiar people, with no citizenship to second class citizenship, and finally after the shedding of blood and sowing of tears, to full citizenship. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”( Psalms 126:5) 2. How Does the “African American Passover” Relate to the Passover of Exodus? In Exodus, God intervened to effect the deliverance of the Hebrew Children from Egyptian oppression through the instrumentality of Moses and Aaron. In America, God intervened to effect the deliverance of African children from American oppression through the instrumentality of the Civil War. In the former case, God divided the Red Sea. In our case, God divided a nation. While the Hebrew Children were able to walk across on dry land, through a divided Red Sea, over 250,000 black soldiers were blessed to fight and to win our freedom, by fighting with the North, against the South, in what our people called “The Freedom War.” The Confederate General Robert E. Lee was forced to surrender to the Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox, Virginia. 3. Why Is African American Passover Being Held Now? African American Passover is being held now to fulfill Exodus 12:14, “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.” April 9, 1865, the date of the “African American Passover,” has never been formally celebrated or recognized, heretofore. Thus, this celebration is being held now to correct this 135 year old lag, omission, sin. By celebrating this Passover, we show our gratitude to God, even as we identify ourselves, as our slave forebears correctly did, with the Hebrew Children of the Old Testament, archetypally. The closest we have come, as a people, to celebrating our freedom is the Juneteenth Celebration. This celebration was initiated when the General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to let the Texas slaves know that they were free. 2 4. How Does the Church Profit from “African American Passover?” The Church profits when its people profit. The church is glorified, when its people are glorified. When the people of God are glorified, God is more so glorified. African American Passover can serve as a missing link between the Word of God, and the day-to-day lives of certain African American people. Some may be won to Christ without such a celebration, but others may be won to Christ, because of such a celebration. Thus, as a missionary tool, as a historical tool, as an inspirational tool, African American Passover can prove profitable to the Church. But, most of all, African American Passover, is sound doctrine and scripture for a people who have been “scattered and peeled, from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled....” Isaiah 18:7 African American Passover brings about closure and a new beginning for a people created in Christ 5. What Is Meant by African American People Are “Created in Christ.” In his book, The Negro Church in American, (Schocken Books, NY: 1972) Dr. E. Franklin Frazier, the great sociologist, explained that the Christian religion provided a new basis of social cohesion among the slaves, whose former culture was obliterated. He states on page 6, “It is our position that it was not what remained of African culture or African religious experience but the Christian religion that provided the new basis of social cohesion. It follows then that in order to understand the religion of the slaves, one must study the influence of Christianity in creating solidarity among a people who lacked social cohesion and a structured social life.” In short, without Christ, we were not a people. Otherwise stated, because of Christ, we became a people. “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10) The Lord has stated, “This people have I formed for myself that they may show forth my praise.” (Isaiah 43:21). “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” (Psalms 22:31) “This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.” (Psalm 102:18) 6. How Does the “African American Passover” Relate to A.M.E. Discipline? The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church makes no specific provision for “African American Passover.” No such celebration has existed previously. However, the Articles of Religion, section 22 states, “It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or exactly alike; for they have been always different, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men’s manners, so that nothing be ordained against God’s Word.” Thus, nothing in the A.M.E. Discipline proscribes or prohibits the African American Passover celebration. 3 7. Is the African American Passover Only for African Americans? No. The triumph of African American people is a story of human triumph. It is one of the greatest epochs of triumph in human history, possibly the greatest. It is the stuff of universal legend. Thus, everyone can delight in it. It shows what is possible for any people to achieve through faith and work. Thus, as Jesus was not only for the Jews, even though he was a Jew, African American Passover is not only for African Americans, even though it is celebration of African American history and spirituality. 8. Will Not the Emphasis on History Overshadow Faith? No. History is the stage upon which God operates. It is the framework in which God works His will. Hebrews 11 is a beautiful example of how history and faith interrelate and reinforce each other, and how each can be reconciled in Christ. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” 9. Are Broader Spiritual Themes Implicit in African American Passover? Absolutely. In the ultimate sense “Passover” connotes a spiritual transcendency from corruption to incorruption, from dishonor to glory, from weakness to power, from a natural body to the spiritual body, from a living soul, to a quickening spirit. Passover, in the final sense, is all about the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) It is about victory over the grave and death. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory.” Passover on an individual level is about choices. None of us had a choice in our sex, in our race, in our place of birth, in our physical characteristics. However, each of us can choose our spiritual characteristics. “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) 10. How Was “The African American Passover” Concept Created and by Whom? “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” (Hebrews 12:2) operating through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, utilized the instrumentality of Rev. Dr. Larry D. Coleman, pastor of Brooks Chapel A.M.E. Church, Butler, Missouri, who is also a Kansas City attorney, to proclaim and to implement the African American Passover. Truly, “Every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:52)