Hereafter Hustlin'

Since June, when Jesse L. Williams dropped serious lyrics on the BET Awards stage, I've been trying to find the words to write about Hereafter Hustling a term I got from him. 

In his speech, Williams referred to the hereafter as a hustle and that really resonated with me. Because my faith is not a Timex (it took a licking but did not keep ticking), I had some thoughts. But since I live in a universe full of Christians I thought I'd just hol' meh han' (keep my mouth shut).  Folk would not understand, and I didn't have the energy to fight. My biblical swash-buckling days are pretty much done.

But then........... 

But then, Walter Scott's murderer got a mistrial and his mother stepped up to the microphone to preach a sermon of "Jesus will set this straight" right after the verdict was read. There she was, singing "Oh Rest in the Lord, Wait Patiently for Him (Mendelssohn)" and I could only cringe and squirm and swallow the bile in my throat.

O Rest in the Lord - Elijah (Mendelssohn) - Cheryse McLeod Lewis

Honestly, I weep for us. Have we so lowered the bar for the recognition of our humanity in the world, that the best we can claim is "Jesus gon' get him"? Have we so bought into the religion of those who took us captive - both physically and mentally - that the best we can do is use that very religion as the path to our ultimate victory? Have we so misunderstood God that we really believe that the ONLY place where there will be peace for us is in a pine box or "Heaven"?

Ladies and gents, the Black Kumbaya chorus does not help. It does not advance our cause. While we are yet singing, another will be shot dead and we will be called upon to sing still one more verse.

I appreciate that you are a believer. I appreciate that you can set aside all the times when God chose not to intervene in mankind's affairs (Free Will and all that). I understand. But seriously, the "God is in control" line of reasoning strikes me as dangerous. God may well be in control in Heaven, but who's in control on the ground? Cuz it ain't lookin' much like it's Him.

The theology of "Let go, let God" doesn't work when you're in a car racing down an incline and your brake line has been cut. Letting go is the very last thing you want to do. America's brake line has been cut and we are careening downhill but y’all wanna holler "Jesus take the wheel?!?" Um, k. I guess. Me? I'm grabbing the wheel.