By Vincent L. Hall
There is nothing like a Black Preacher. No more dynamic, inspirational, and imaginative professional exists in the United States or beyond. The first Black intellects and academicians came from the pulpit and have been coming since.
These brothers and sisters take the Holy Bible and all the figurative and literal stories and make weekly reports to congregations nationwide. They are educated, witty, and critical thinkers serious about their exegetation of the Word of God. Let me offer a few examples.
The late Dr. J. Lee Foster of Dallas’ First Baptist of Hamilton Park, in his eulogy, gave me my first mental picture of heaven: “Brother Johnson has gone to the pearly gates where gold is so cheap, they lay it in the streets!” Lawd, ham mercy!
My former Pastor, a giant on Dallas’ ecumenical and social justice scene, helped me unravel a scripture that I always had problems with. In three places in the synoptic gospels, Matthew, John, and Mark, Jesus says to his disciples, “The poor you will always have with you!”
The Reverend Dr. Zan Wesley Holmes Jr. challenged us not to use scripture to justify poverty and economic injustice. He conjectured that Jesus may have been more prophetic than practical in stating that we would always have poor people.
Dr. Holmes said that we may always have poor people be- cause those of us who “have” won’t share. The rich want to get richer, and the middle class wants to get rich.
It may sound far-fetched, but poverty in America and around the world could be ended tomorrow. There is brilliance in his thesis.
But then there was one “Black preacherism” that I won’t forget as long as I stay Black and pay taxes. An old preacher whose name escapes me waxed eloquently about the “cruiser-weight” championship match between David and Goliath.
He said, “I heard that David chose five smooth stones be- cause he heard that Goliath had four brothers and wanted to be ready for all of them.” Lawd be my rock! The objective of good Black preaching is not just to “wow” you in the moment but to encourage you to study on your own. After hearing this preacher’s logic, who was not degreed or seminary trained, I began researching the issue. Here’s what I learned, and we as Democrats need to heed this lesson.
Some theologians say that David may have chosen five because, biblically, the number is associated with provision, grace, and fullness. David was basically resolved to the reality that only God could secure a victory when he stood against a battle-hardened warrior who stood nine foot nine inches tall and whose armor weighed 150 pounds. Another observer concentrated on the stones themselves.
“These smooth stones would have been the swiftest, most aerodynamic, most accurate, and most easily flung from the sling.”
So, David didn’t just depend on God for the victory, he was strategic before the battle even began.
And guess what? Goliath had four brothers, all giants called “Lords of the Philistines.” Think about that. David only took enough stones for Goliath and his four siblings. That says something about David’s confidence in his aim. He developed the skill sets necessary to fight and win.
That was a roundabout way to get to this week’s political message.
My intent is to inundate you with reasons to vote for Kamala Harris and the entire ticket.
The Harris/Welz ticket is the main event and the marquee bout, but the undercard is just as significant. Trump ain’t Goliath, but “hims thinks him is!”
Just like David, we need to be ready to fight Trump n ‘em!
First and foremost, we need to elect Colin Allred in Texas and send Ted Cruz on a permanent vacation to Cancun or a climate suitable for lizards, snakes, and vipers. We must study the ballot and know as much as possible about every candidate, proposition and amendment.
David faced insurmountable odds, but his victory left a road map for the Democrats in 2024. We have to, as the old Black preacher reminded us, Watch, Fight, and Pray!
Pray to God for his favor. Be strategic in the battle and keep watch of the enemy.
Learn how to fight and be good at it. That’s the only way to defeat Trump n “em!
A long-time Texas Metro News columnist, Dallas native Vincent L. Hall is an author, writer, award-winning writer, and a lifelong Drapetomaniac.
