Black Death: A Reflection on the Cross and the Lynching Tree
Illustration by Charles Cullen. Frontispiece to Countee Cullen’s The Black Christ and Other Poems, 1929.
On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old African American man, was shot seven times by police…
Within hours, my timeline was flooded once again with collective black lament, varying think pieces, and graphic video footage of the attempted murder. Shortly, without skipping a beat, we were also accosted by the same old "Blue Lives "sympathizers - insensitive, cold-hearted people who actively choose to ignore historical evidence and work tirelessly to justify the erasure of black lives.
Believe me when I say… I WAS BEYOND TIRED.
Then, five days later our beloved Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman died. I could not believe that God allowed the death of another beloved black man…
As I reflect on the various images and realities of how insignificant black death has been for many people this year, I also cannot help but wonder: is this all that is meant for black life? Between our roles as modern-day gladiators on every major sports team and being used as target practice, it can be difficult to know (or see) how black people are supposed to see God or "find purpose" in all of this.
Today, I want to share a few thoughts and ideas that are kind of helping me…
An Intro to Cone and Black Liberation…
During my time in graduate school, I had the opportunity to study liberation theology. Needless to say, my life and experiences drew me to James Cone and his contributions to Black Liberation Theology…
Black liberation theology is a Christian theology that identifies with the goals of the oppressed and seeks to interpret the divine character of their struggle for liberation. It draws upon sources that include the black experience, black history, black culture, revelation, scripture, and tradition to challenge the structures that inhibit the flourishing of black life.
Although there are several critiques of black liberation theology, including its proximity to Marxist ideology, Cone's work is powerful and has always spoken to me because he unapologetically highlights the problem of "White American theology." In his book, A Black Theology of Liberation, Cone notes that, historically, White American theology has been a theology of the oppressor because it often seeks to cosign the genocide and enslavement of non-white lives in the name of "patriotism." Instead of challenging injustice and speaking truth to power, it often aligns itself to the agenda of racism by using white Jesus to endorse the dehumanization of black (and brown) bodies while using scripture to encourage non-violence. CC All Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, MAGA, and Build the Wall…
In spite of this reality, I love Cone because he used his book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, to not only introduce the idea of a black God but to also use Jesus’s death on the cross as a way to restore black dignity. As I read and watched Cone use the image of the cross to answer the question, "how can one reconcile the gospel message of liberation with the reality of black oppression?" I slowly found myself in a place where I not only felt seen but could also experience a small feeling of hope.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree…
For Cone, his main argument was this: [although many may try to argue against it], the lynching tree and the cross on Golgotha are one and the same, especially when we consider how the cross and lynching trees were used historically. As he reflects on the governmental systems of Rome and the United States, Cone argues that both the cross and the lynching tree were used as tools to maintain "order" and imperialistic power. He notes that, during the height of its empire, Roman crucifixions served as a "public service announcement." These deaths served as a warning to avoid conduct or speech inciting any form of rebelling against Roman power and authority. The US used lynching trees to do the same.
To quote Cone:
“As Jesus was an innocent victim of mob hysteria and Roman imperial violence, many African Americans were innocent victims of white mobs, thirsting for blood in the name of God and in defense of segregation, white supremacy, and the purity of the Anglo-Saxon race. Both the cross and the lynching tree were symbols of terror, instruments of torture and execution, reserved primarily for slaves, criminals, and insurrectionists—the lowest of the low in society. Both Jesus and blacks were publicly humiliated, subjected to the utmost indignity and cruelty. They were stripped, in order to be deprived of dignity, then paraded, mocked and whipped, pierced, derided and spat upon, tortured for hours in the presence of jeering crowds for popular entertainment.” - Cone, pp. 42-43.
In other words, although we don’t often feel or see it, Jesus understands the struggle of the black community because he literally lived it! As I read Cone’s work, I am reminded of Hebrews 4:14-16, which says:
"Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help."
So, now, the million-dollar question is: how do these reflections apply to the concept of black suffering?
I can only offer one response: In Jesus, we have hope. This hope may wane or morph into despair from time to time, but his death signifies that Black death will not have the final word. THANK YOU, JESUS! Through faith, we have the promise of a better, new life. We also have the promise that, in due time, God will punish those who not only used his name in vain but also use it as a means to justify pure evil.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” - 2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV
At this point, I understand if you read this post and still have doubts about whether or not God gives a shit, especially after this year. But, today, I am both encouraged and thankful for the work of Cone. I don’t know if or how I’d still be a Christian without him.
Rest In Power, King…
Sources:
Cone, James H. A Black Theology of Liberation. Orbis Books, 2010. Kindle Edition.
Cone, James H. The Cross and the Lynching Tree. Orbis Books, 2011. Kindle Edition.