Advent: A Revolutionary Perspective

Rev. Monica Jones, Contributing Writer

Theologically and from the perspective of the church’s expression, Advent is seen as a sacred, meditative, and quiet time. It is one for reflecting on the coming of the Christ child and what that means to us. This season, I would like to offer another perspective -- while we reflect on the Christ who was born, let us take a moment to reflect on the Christ who was a revolutionary. For as sacred as he was, Jesus the Christ was truly a social justice-minded messenger.

As this year comes to a close, with all its momentous, critical, and even calamitous occurrences, the Black Church cannot afford to become complacent. We cannot be satisfied with just lighting candles, repeating beautiful litanies, and singing sacred songs while all around us, our beloved community is disintegrating. We have an obligation to go beyond the celebration of Advent as a tradition and use this time to actively think of ways to confront the tragic condition of our world in a revolutionary spirit. When our people are given no way out, and when their right to vote, right to self-actualization, and right to be free of violence and persecution are suppressed, it is a godly calling to address those issues.

Perhaps, this initialized depiction will help us to transform our Advent outlook:

A is for action; take action wherever and however you can to bring about change.

Dis for determination; in the spirit of the old civil rights mantra, “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me around,” stay determined.

Vis for victory; we are more than conquerors, we are victorious through Christ Jesus!

Eis for equity; until every one of us has access to the very same privileges, rights, resources, and freedoms as others, then we must not–we cannot–rest.

N is for necessary; “by any means necessary,” points to doing all that we can within the power that God gives us to make our world a better place.

Tis for teach; we must teach our children and their children to be true revolutionaries, demanding justice and never giving up.

We all hope for a heartwarming, inspirational, and blessed Advent season. Yet, if we ignore the racism, the discrimination, the hunger, the violence, and the hatred that still permeate our community, then perhaps our celebration becomes just another symbolic gesture–one with very little substance. The Reverend Monica C. Jones, Ph.D., is director of Christian Education at Big Bethel in Atlanta, Georgia.

N.J. Church Honors Dozens of Members Who Died During COVID

A New Jersey church held a memorial service Sunday for all of the members of its congregation who passed away while funerals could not be held due to COVID-19.

Members of the Saint James AME Church, which has locations in Newark and South Orange, gathered at the Eagle Rock Reservation Remembrance and Rebirth 9/11 Memorial Site in West Orange.

The ceremony was supposed to include a releasing of lanterns, but it was canceled due to strong winds.

More than 40 of the congregation’s members have passed away between 2020 and 2022 and could not have a proper funeral due to the restrictions the church still has in place.

“COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the way we traditionally do things in our church,” Rev. Dr. Ronald Slaughter said. “Funerals and saying farewell to a loved one is certainly one of the celebrations COVID-19 has impacted. This Sunday Mass Memorial Celebration is our way of comforting the family members and friends of the 40 members who have passed away.” Reprinted from TAPintoNJ.com.