By: Joseph Evans, Ph.D,
Changing Our Narrative
In the gospel according to Matthew, we pick upon a part of a parable that Jesus tells:
“But when the King came into look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, “Friend how did you get in here, without a wedding garment?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:11-14).
This parable is an invitation, but we must discern its meaning. We do so by taking notice that its symbols intersect with our present realities. Therefore; we make an attempt to talk about its meaning. We begin a brief exposition of this parable – we follow the action of the verb form.
He saw [that is, the King]; … “Friend how did you get here…” he [that is, the uninvited guest]…was speechless… the king said, “bind and cast him…there will be weeping and gnashing… many called…few chosen.” What strange – what weird arrangements (Dr. Gardner Calvin Taylor would say)! The worldly elites were invited to the King’s son’s wedding but they would not come. Perhaps, they felt themselves to important or they believed that the King was not important and neither was his invitation. But the King is sovereign and therefore; the King responded. He invited the worldly – that is, the gentiles to take their place. We invite you to read (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16). These texts add context to our explanation about the seriousness of gospel; it is an invitation to salvation which is ultimately a symbol and reality of liberation. This message then must be spread throughout the world. Here however; Jesus proclaims the gospel in a parable – it’s a symbol that intersects with our reality.
As new graduates, I want you to be aware of symbols and how each connects the dots of reality. To do so, you must know who you are, and who you will become, – and as you become maturely seasoned, the more you will recognize the connectedness or the intersection between symbols and reality. Juneteenth is a symbol – it’s a time when we reflect on our start toward our earthly liberation! It’s a symbol of how we made it through government sanctioned slavery and our continuing march toward taking our democratic freedom! It began in 1619 and continued into 1863. That was a jubilee year when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The march continued into April 1865, the year that the American Civil War ended. These are symbols that intersect with reality. That war ended but our ancestors did not hear about its end and the defeat of
Mr. Lee and his traitors to the Union until a month later! It’s a symbol. Like our ancestors, we are not free until all have heard about the invitation! This is a symbol – a sign of emancipation; a sign of liberation. But be aware that others understand symbols!
Ronald Reagan began his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Nearly two nearly decades before, which was June 21, 1964, the year that Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner were shot and killed. After their murders, their bodies were thrown into an earthen dam a few miles from the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Philadelphia. When my children were very small, we traveled along highway routes 15, 16 and 21. And where these intersect, I would take them to see the Mount Zion Church in order to help me explain – that there is a price upon their heads. The price, they are black in America. On August 3, 1980, Reagan – a former California governor, who stripped Dr. Angela Davis of her university tenure, chose to speak there in order to announce his intentions to become an occupant of the White House. He made his announcement in a speech seven miles from where the civil rights leaders were murdered. – His theme that day – was to continue Nixon’s Southern strategy which is law and order! The current White House occupant is doing the same with his blatant blind eye turned from police brutality. These were and are symbols that intersect with reality. Again I urge you to discern these intersections between symbols and reality.
In 1921, Tulsa! Black Wall Street, black folks were organized financially and their system was the catalyst for the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC). Their money was guaranteed and their system became an early model for banking insurance policies worldwide. Then the serpent came, The Ku Klux Klan organized strikes against the emerging classes of sophisticated blacks (we keep in mind the 1917 and the 1919 race riots in Detroit and St. Louis – the 1919 riot was called the Red Summer). The Klan attacked blacks over emerging economic strategies and successes which was our continued march toward liberation. Some of them had left the American south during the so called Great Migration (1910-1940) to escape the Klan’s notorious organized lynch mobs. The Great Migration however, it was closer to that which is commonly known as the Trail of Tears (1831-1839). The Native Americans were forced to take these death marches. It was the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee and Seminole nations. They were forced off their lands. – The Great Migration was our trail of tears. These are powerful symbols that intersect with reality.
This graduation ceremony is a symbol. You have done the work. You have sacrificed your time so make the rest of your ministry time count. You have suffered hardships unforetold. You have been shamed. Your school did not provide the support that you deserved. Your graduation is a symbol of sacrifice, suffering and shame but it’s also a symbol of survival and success. You have successfully completed this course –in life. There will be new courses that await you. But your successful graduation is a symbol still. This is a symbol that intersects with reality similar to the aforementioned.
Momentarily, let us speak about reality. You have graduated from a black seminary – you have graduated from the only free standing black ecumenical seminary-consortium in the land. You have graduated from what I would characterize philosophically a black liberation theology institution. Few people have this privilege – fewer people will grasp the identity that you now possess you. This is reality. Now let us add to your reality. You have the arduous task of going into the dangerous fields of ministry with this rarest of gems. You are possessed with a liberation lens of the gospel and a liberation lens of the Lord – himself. You have been deconstructed of a Eurocentric Jesus and you have been reconstructed with Jesus of Nazareth, an Africentric radicalized Lord.
There are many churches that are entangled in a web of self-hatred theology. There are many churches that are either unaware that Juneteenth came or they are afraid to be free. This means that you will have fewer invitations to come to low- hanging fruit causes and gatherings of brothers and sisters. Your orientation is to attach yourselves to high- hanging fruit. Those who gather with you will be smaller in number – That is, your self-esteem smells of death to many and life to a few in numbers and this includes those who are in the fields of ministry. Few invitations will come. Of the few invitations that you will receive, recognize them, take them, and make liberation history!
However, when you receive your invitation from the King – the Master – the Lord- the King – the Savior – the radicalized Jesus of Nazareth – when the invitation comes from the King – the Redeemer – the Liberator – the Justifier – the Sanctifier – the Reconciler – when the invitation comes, you come with the right attire! You come dressed with the insurgent gospel of my Lord! There will be many who have been invited and they will not come but you come! You will need to apply the lesson of the parable, its symbols; its intersections; its realities.
I Charge you; discern the symbols and their intersection with reality. Discernment will help you to take hold of privileges and opportunities that will come but often too long and far apart. And most importantly, you must discern that the symbols and realities reveal that you are a part of Jesus’ parable. In truth, you have become a living parable inside of Jesus’s living parable! Now hear its worth! God sends invitations to many but few are chosen. God wants to send so many to serve His churches and people. But the people are too busy with hidden agendas to discern that the Lord has tried to send them the kinds of people like you who are trained to lead. You will soon discover that many have not heard that Juneteenth has come and that they are free. Your assignment is to teach them. Teach us that immediately, the Lord wants us to be liberated. So when the symbol of the invitation is revealed to you; discern that the symbol indeed is revelation from the Lord and accept the invitation.
“But when the King came into look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, “Friend how did you get in here, without a wedding garment?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:11-14).
Cover Photo: 2016 Degree Program
