Do you still not understand him?

Author Series – Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library

April 7, 2014 Time: 6-8 pm

An Evening of Poetry, Music, Story-Telling, and Refreshments

Featuring: Orville Springs, Author of Remember When, the Autobiography of the Poet

8          Going

5          Maybe

379      Invited

Matthew 22:14 (King James Version)

¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.

God is here. God Himself, and in the highest. He enters the scene, as I may express it, when darkness covers all the land. That was His acceptance of the offer of the Lamb who said, “Lo, I come.” And such offer being accepted, God would show no mercy. If Jesus is made sin for us, it is unrelieved, unmitigated judgment He must have to sustain. The darkness was the expression of this. God was accepting the offer, and dealing with the Victim accordingly, abating nothing of the demands of righteous.

And then, when the offer has been fulfilled, and the sacrifice rendered, and Jesus has given up His life, when the blood of the Victim has flowed, and all is finished, God by another figure, owns the accomplishment of everything, the fullness of the atonement, and the perfection of the reconciliation. The veil of the temple is rent from the top to the bottom. He sits on the throne, that judges aright, and weighs all claims and their answers, sin and its judgment, peace and its price and its purchase, gives out that wondrous witness of the deep, ineffable satisfaction that He took in the deed that was then perfected in “the place that is called Calvary.”

What a part for the blessed God Himself to take in this great crisis, this greatest of all solemnities, when everything was taking its place for eternity.

And further still. Angels are here also, and heaven, earth, and hall’ sin, also, and death, yea, and the world too.

Angels are here, witnessing these things, and learning new wonders. Christ is seen of them.

Heaven, earth, and hell are here, waiting on this moment; rocks and graves, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sky, bespeaking this.

Sin and death are disposed of, set aside and overthrown; the rent veil and the empty sepulcher publishing these mysteries.

The world learns its judgment in the sealed stone being rolled away, and the keepers of it forced to take the sentence of death in themselves.

Surely we may call this the Great Crisis – the most solemn moment in the history of God’s dealings with His creatures. Wondrous assemblage of actors and of actings; God and Jesus, man and Satan, angels, heaven, earth and hell, sin and death, and the world, all occupy their place, whether of shame or of defeat, and the world, all occupy their place, whether of shame or of judgment, or virtues and of triumphs, of manifestations and of glory. This is the record of each of the evangelists in several way, or according to his own method, under the Spirit. Our speculations can find no place. We have but to take up the lessons which they teach us, lessons for the ascertained and well-understood eternity.

And as I have thus looked a little carefully at the cross, so would I a little further at the empty sepulcher. 

Victorious death, or resurrection from the dead, is the great secret. It was intimated in the very first promise: for the word to the serpent in Genesis 3 told of the death of Christ, and then of His victory; that is, of His victory by dying.

"The Victory That Overcomes"

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Visitor, Officers and Members of the New York Local, and Friends - My Subject to you tonight for a few moments is "The Victory That Overcomes."  As I think of victory I think of that national event that is to be celebrated within the next few days.  I refer to Decoration Day.  And as I think of that my thoughts go back to the days when this land was nothing short of a wilderness, and when the first settlers braved the stormy waves of the Atlantic and left the land of their fathers in order to establish themselves upon a new continent for certain specific reasons.  And as they landed at Plymouth and found themselves confronted with the austerity of nature, with the cruelty of the natives, and with the necessity of gaining for themselves the sustenance of life, we can think of the problems that were theirs.  But here they were by their own choice upon a strange land with the difficulties confronting them.  They left Plymouth, and under the leadership of Roger Williams, they went down to Connecticut and Rhode Island and down to Manhattan, and then another section under the leadership of Lord Baltimore, established themselves in Maryland.  Do you know what caused them to leave the contentment and ease of their native land  It was a desire within them to attain unto a status of religious liberty so that they might be able without disturbance to worship their Sod accord­ing to their own conscience .and the dictates of their will.  It was because of this desire within them that they braved all the obstacles and planted themselves on the soil of the new world.

SELF GOVERNMENT THE BEST

I think of another incident in the onward march of this great republic.  I think of that time in the life of the Colonies when they came to the realization of the fact that the best government is self-government - when they came to realize that they themselves could best take care of themselves.  When they came to the point where they decided that no one outside of the Colonies should have a right to levy taxes on them and have a right to make laws to govern them, and have the right to determine how they were to live; and so they struck for governmental freedom.

In the first instance there was freedom of conscience, religious freedom.  In the second instance, there was civic freedom. And I think of the time when the North clashed swords with the South- when brothers on one side of the land fought with brothers on the other side of the land to the death.  Why was that done?  It was done for the specific purpose of national solidarity.  And these three ideals, my friends, when they grip the imagination and control the will of any people you can rest assured that that people will mount up to the heights sublime and will realize for themselves the things that they are seeking - religious liberty, freedom of conscience, governmental independence to rule ourselves and national solidarity.  These three points I say should strike home and drive home to the hearts and consciences of every downtrodden and oppressed people on the face of Sod's green earth.  It is pleasant to us tonight to recall these episodes in the early life of the first settlers of this nation of ours.

AN ABIDING FAITH

Do you know how they did it? They did it because they had an abiding faith.  When I speak of faith I am not using it as a dead, dormant and moribund theological term.  I am using a term that is pregnant with practical, present day significance and meaning-faith, faith unshaken.  And do you know that it is absolutely impossible to accomplish anything worthwhile without faith?  A youngster comes into the world crying; he comes into the world absolutely without hope because of the fact that hope requires consciousness.  He comes into the world without love because love cannot exist without consciousness; but he comes into the world full of faith.  That is the reason why within a few days he recognizes his parent and realizes the fact that no one can take the place of his parent.  He has faith in his parent and it is that faith that causes him to live.

Do you know that it is absolutely impossible

for the physician to bring healing to the wounded patient- to bring healing to-the body that is subnormal- unless the patient has faith in the science in the art and in the technique of the physician.  It is absolutely impossible for any fundamental accomplishment in the world without the precondition of faith. We have heard from time to time of the necessity of patronizing our own.  We have heard of the necessity of seeing to it that all those of us who have nerve enough to go into the   business world-into the commercial mart- those of us who have faith enough to pin their confidence in the solidarity of people, need to be supported. Do you know it is impossible for us to support them unless we have faith in their integrity, and in their honesty? So faith is a pre­condition to the successful development of any business, any profession, any art, and any science on the face of the earth.  It was because the Pilgrim Fathers had that faith in their integrity, had that faith in their possibilities and in that naive capacity of them­selves that they established this great American Republic.  It is by virtue of the faith that controls us as a people- of that undying determination that is within us that we shall accomplish that which seems impossible.  It is by virtue of that faith that we shall be able to bring to pass that which prophets have declared- that which sages have sung about. "Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God and Princes shall come out of Egypt.” (Applause.)

THE IMPOSSIBLE CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED

If you could only, my brethren, so occupy yourselves with the psychology of faith, we could absolutely remove mountains of difficulties and bring to pass those things which would seem to those who have no faith impossible.  Let me give you in conclusion the real essence of faith to show to you that faith is actually the foundation upon which all life, all hope, all aspiration must rest, I quote the words of England's philosophic poet Browning:

Think not the faith by which the just shall live Is a dead creed, a map correct of heaven, Far less a feeling fond or fugitive-A thoughtless gift withdrawn as soon as given; It is an affirmative and an act That bids eternal truth be present fact. If we have that faith we shall attain unto our govern­mental independence on the continents of Africa; if we have that faith we shall establish ourselves in racial solidarity and go on conquering and to conquer.  "That is the victory that overcometh even our faith," as the Apostle says. (Applause.) *1

The excerpt of the speech by Arnold Hamilton Maloney which is reproduced here was published in the Negro World 12:16 (3Junel922), 7 and was delivered in Liberty Hall, 30 May 1922.

*1 Black Redemption- Churchmen Speak for the Garvey Movement

Burkett, Randall K. c. 1978 (Philadelphia; Temple University Press)

Random Notes

Hari Jones

Hari Jones of the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum delivers the first in a two-part talk about African American intelligence and espionage efforts on behalf of the Union leading up to and through the war. Here in part one, he details the pre-existing networks of people of African descent in the United States, and how those “knowledge circles,” as he calls them, were the foundations for the “Loyal League,” a secret national organization of slaves, servants, and freedmen who contributed to the Union cause, and viewed the Civil War as the ultimate means of ending slavery. The Historical Society of Washington, DC and the International Spy Museum co-hosted this event. - See more at: http://series.c-span.org/History/Events/The-Civil-War-African-American-Espionage/10737443885/#sthash.uX9Cjmgc.dpuf

African American Civil War Memorial & Museum Assistant Director and Curator

The Civil War

African American Espionage – the Knowledge Circle

Washington DC. Historical Society

American Formation led by example

Prince hall – Free African Societies

Himbe – true believers

Absalom jones

Richard Allen   A.M.E.

Gabriel Prosser – 1800 led rebellion in the Richmond area

Gabriel the Angel of Annunciation

Consequences – Let my people free, or else...

Denmark Vesey – A.M.E. lay preacher 1767-1822w

Negus  descendant of Solomon

Speaking Tour – Prince hall travelled with David Walker

Morocco – President John Quincy Adams

“Our redemption is near.”

The International Spy Museum. Org

Jesus Christ

1830 – Walker’s Appeal –justifiable homicide

Whites misguided, misled, to believe that “we” belong to them, “we” are the property of the Holy Ghost.

Immigration – ruse They believed that this is their native country.

Ps. 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

1830 David Walker followed by Maria Stewart

1831 Female Intelligence Society (keeping children in the knowledge of the circle).

Rebellion

Nathanial Turner’s Insurrection, as you call it, was Nat Turner’s Demonstration. He was viewed by the Knowledge Circle as a Patriot.

He was demonstrating the power of God to set the captives free.

“Was not Christ crucified?”

Nat Turner was crucified at Jerusalem, the County Seat.

Message: Turn away from sin, Turn away from sin, Brother, Turn away from sin, Sister, Turn away from sin.

Himbe a Christian liberator. God was his MASSA.

Cassias Gallus forecast the Civil War

Pre-existing network – knowledge circle, non-hierarchical glue. 

Henry Garnet

“Resistance, resistance!”

Martin Delaney

Anna Slafer, the Spy Museum

The Best Kept Secret in America –

Sambo – Brave Warrior could entertain, up to nothing – the codes

Draconian laws of Louisiana

Free people – strategy

Secret locations

Jeff Davis

Robert E. Lee

Negotiating

10^th and 11^th Century History of the Massina – Andalusia

Coptic, Nubian, Christian

Rev. John, Jordan Jordan, Phyllis Wheatley

Before American Captivity

Ideological Glue

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Emperor Theodore of Ethiopia expelled the missionaries during this time,

African Civilization Society

Parting the Red Sea of Blood

Mystic

Faith, nor Religion/semantics

What motivates people?

Fulani – of the Full bey – Freedom

2^nd Son, Sambo, Brave Warrior

Cultural Values

“Father, why have thou forsaken me” was uttered by the captives on the slave ships.

“Father, forgive them.” Was uttered in captivity. They believed it was God’s Appointment

March 1, 2014

2 Timothy 1 Answered Prayers.

"And I heard a voice from the throne saying, "Behold the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son." —Revelation 21: 3-7.

From 1973 a batk I made at a SF Community Arts workshop to 1988 in Denver when I painted image on levi cutoffs

Lord, teach us to pray!

Lord, teach us to pray! Luke