November 12, Ordinary 32A (Matthew 25:1–13)
The Bible, so often used as enslaved people’s yoke, became their cry for freedom.
Keep yo’ lamps trimmed and a-burnin’,
Keep yo’ lamps trimmed and a-burnin’,
Keep yo’ lamps trimmed and a-burnin’,
The time is drawin’ nigh.
The sound of voices rose from the cotton field, from the tobacco harvest, from the worship gathering spot, from the wooden shanties that made homes. Enslaved people were singing, introducing a nation to what later would be called American Negro spirituals.
