Experiencing the Lion's Den (posted for Virginia)

         

Is it easier to find God in the midst of oppression?  James Cone seems to think that this is true, or at least that Black Theology is evidence that this may be true.  He discusses the differences in Black and White Theology and its development in terms of the historical differences associated with these two ethnicities.  Black theology is based on liberation, and this is seen throughout the worship, religious writings, and sermons of predominantly Black religious groups.   When African Americans were brought to America, it was in chains and bondage, with little hope of freedom.  Because of this, they held fast to the liberating parables and stories found in the Word of God.  Much of Black theology is communicated through storytelling because they are relatable and more capturing than the more mundane sermons heard in White theology.  Liberation theology is passionate and intense because the desire for freedom is so familiar to those who are in bondage or enslavement.  A wonderful example of this religious freedom being portrayed through a story is the dance group: Alvin Ailey.  This group is so dedicated and talented that they become like a preacher when they tell their stories.  They passionately express oppression and liberation to the audience with strong God – like figures and religious hymns or chants telling the story behind them.  I think the most powerful dance on this clip is the duet.  The man is supposed to represent a Christ figure and the woman is Israel or any culture or people in bondage.  Throughout the dance, the relationship between them is a beautiful and clear depiction of dependence as well as liberation.  The woman clearly bears a burden in the beginning that the man lifts off her with ease.  She then feels dependence upon him and no matter how many times she falls, he continues to lift her back up and set her on firm ground.  He is also guiding her in her directions: when she falters or begins to wander he sets her back on the right path.  This is so prevalent in both Black and White Christian theology because we see Christ lifting us, the fallen, out of our bondage of sin.  No matter how many times we fall back into sin, God will accept us back and set us back on the path of his will.   So, is it easier to find God in the midst of oppression?  I think it is.  I think that the oppressed group may have shifted from African Americans to children in the sex trade or abused and abandoned children, but I may be mistaken: I am sure that Black oppression continues to remain an issue in areas around the world.  White theology seems to have become jaded by the stories in the Bible, there are times in my life, at least when I wish I could read Daniel in the Lion’s Den and yearn for that protection and deliverance from danger, but I have never had a Lion’s Den experience so, to me, it is just a nice story.  

Other clips from Revelations: here and here.