Oh Father, Our Father, Whose Father, Whose Prayers?
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Back in ‘63 16th Street Baptist Church bombing Mother Emanuel AME Church burned then also massacred a century, almost two later seven more churches burned just that week Mount Pleasant Baptist Church St. Mary’s Baptist Church Greater Union Baptist Church these past two weeks plenty of ashes in-between each, flames licking at the steeple, kissing the cross, guess we don’t all share the same jesus smoke fire burning burning burning cinders of society father we need you down here on earth
Hallowed be thy Name.
What is it, who is it we worship in whose name when we chain, drag people from their homes, from their loved ones, away from their whole world throw them into the hold sold placate them with our god while raping them selling away their babies — often our own DNA — still paying centuries later and still we let murderers go free because they look like me
Thy Kingdom come.
Blown to kingdom come, where sobbing fathers and broken mothers bury young daughters in their Sunday best, ripped flesh torn limbs, embedded glass, disemboweled memories, young boys pushed back imprisoned blasted and gassed for anger and pain, lost sisters and brothers, anger and pain no gain endless cycle still no justice the riots continue
Thy will be done in earth,
Fifty-plus years ago four little girls Carole, Cynthia, Addie Mae and Denise dressed in dresses, hair neatly combed, bare knees ready to kneel, barely knocking on puberty’s door, died for our sins with still so much more to learn about life and all these years later still so little known about them, left of them, barely real people if they ever were to some, a sister also a victim missing an eye, still in physical mental pain but told just last year by the mayor of bombingham We don’t do reparation we have no obligation
As it is in heaven.
What pray tell is heaven are there harps and a blaze of glory or only the flames that lick at sinners consume little girls consume church doors consume a country is there truly a difference what in the name of god passes through the pearly gates are angels all pale faced has god forsaken his ebony children what is a god who has favorites where is their god what is a god how do we decide who to worship
Give us this day our daily bread.
It is said that Dylann Roof prayed with his victims shared a bible with them perhaps he took communion with them he saw them he heard them he walked among them he heard nothing he saw nothing he took their daily bread he took their blood and flesh their heart and soul stole the community broke the congregation he gave back bullets he was hollow but for his hate but hey at least they took him alive
And forgive us our trespasses,
Wanting constantly wanting trespassing on our land wanting our work wanting our daughters wanting our votes wanting control wanting wanting wanting too much trespassing next they’ll want to live next door thinking they should have equal rights thinking their lives matter still babies break still churches burn still there is just one god?
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
[Birmingham victim] Cross says she forgives the Klansmen behind the bombing, because that’s what the Sunday School lesson taught that day said to do. Entitled “The Love That Forgives,” it was centered on Matthew 5:43–48, which contains the instruction to love one’s enemies. “I hate what they did but I can separate the hate of the doing from the hate of the person,” Cross explains. “I wasn’t taught to hate. I pray for those who don’t know any better.”*
And lead us not into temptation,
We were horrified — horrified in ’63 horrified nationwide in Alabama Louisiana North South Carolina Tennessee and Kentucky Kennedy said, If these cruel and tragic events can only awaken that city and State — if they can only awaken this entire Nation — to a realization of the folly of racial injustice and hatred and violence, then it is not too late for all concerned to unite in steps toward peaceful progress before more lives are lost. Somewhat less horrified today even state sanctioned killings still the mentally ill burning churches blowing up the house of god
But deliver us from evil.
What is humanity to do when the hate is ingrained in the very DNA of too much of the population how do you change them how do you make them see the invisible how do you make them act even civil see beyond skin look inside treat people as people blow out the matches put down the torches love one another do unto others deliver themselves from the evil within
For thine is the kingdom,
Thine is my kingdom we shall not share it we can be no melting pot we just don’t see how colors can mix just a mixed bag of greed and pain how much pain can people take without breaking still we soldier on
The power, and the glory,
Oh yes hell yes to the power, the glory, white hoods MAGA hats white jesus white sanctity white ownership of history, divine right but no divine mercy
For ever and ever.
…burning down to the ground. Give us this day, our eternal flame this is what Miss Liberty carries our mental and our physical torches, all America Burning Down. Burning. Eternally. Down. Father forgive us for we know not what we do.
Amen.
Little black girls in their Sunday dresses, standing at the altar of humanity.
Since I started writing this piece, the white son of a local deputy was arrested for the three latest church burnings. Although they did the right thing by arresting him, still they talk about “mental health” and question his motives, pointing to his interest in black metal music. Really y’all?! It was a racist hate crime pure and simple, committed by a terrorist. “It has been especially painful because it reminds us of a very dark past of intimidation and fear,” Louisiana’s governor said. Dear governor: with all due respect, this was just last week.
And still one of the three ministers states, “We forgive the people that did it. You can’t harbor hate. Even though this was afflicted on us and has affected us tremendously, financially and emotionally, we have to forgive.”
*16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivors Recall a Day That Changed the Fight for Civil Rights: ‘I Will Never Stop Crying Thinking About It,’ Time Magazine, September 2018
