Black Women Have It Going On

A Recap of Monday’s Post
Last week, I shared how a PBS documentary on Robert E. Lee left me perplexed. I watched the whole thing, but I’ll admit—I was half-asleep for part of it. When I heard about Lee and his soldiers praying for God’s protection and victory, I remember thinking, “That’s nice.”

But once I was fully awake, my spirit recoiled. I found myself saying, “Lord, thank You for NOT answering that man’s prayer!” Who in their right mind would want to be in bondage? I can’t imagine Lee himself would have traded places with the people he held. This brings us to a heavy question: Can a home truly be a “sanctuary” if it is maintained by the oppression of others?

The Answer: A Hard “Yes” and a Troubling “Why”
Don’t look shocked! If we are talking about Robert E. Lee and the era of slavery, the answer is yes—a home can feel like a sanctuary even when it’s built on a foundation of pain. Why? Because Lee lived in a time when that cruelty was “normalized.” We hope and pray that faith has the power to liberate a person from such an evil institution, yet we wonder why it didn’t for him.

Chances are, his faith became a pillow rather than a pillar. It was a way for him to sleep at night. He wrote beautiful letters about the “sanctity of the family,” yet he closed his mind to the fact that his own “sanctuary” at Arlington was built by tearing other families apart.

The Holy Spirit and the “Override”
It makes me wonder: was the Holy Spirit on vacation when he accepted Christ, or had he just not truly found God? I lean toward the latter. As a follower of Christ, I know that from the moment I said “Yes,” the Holy Spirit has been a constant, convicting presence.

Perhaps the Spirit was whispering to Lee, but he kept hitting the “override” button to protect his comfort and his status. It’s a dangerous thing to use God’s Word to justify our own darkness.

The Scripture

Amos 5:21, 24 (KJV)
“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies… But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”

The Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come to You today with humble hearts, asking for eyes that see and ears that hear. Lord, deliver us from a “convenient” faith—the kind that allows us to sleep soundly while our neighbors are in pain. We pray that we would never use Your Name to build a sanctuary for ourselves at the expense of someone else’s freedom. Holy Spirit, do not let us override Your guidance. When You speak, give us the courage to listen, even when it costs us our comfort. Let our homes be true sanctuaries of peace, built on the bedrock of Your justice. Amen.