“If you forgive
others their sins, your Father will also forgive you. " ~ Matthew
6:15
Hope was in the air a half-century
ago, coming off the “March on Washington” in late August of 1963. Momentum was
rising… unfortunately on BOTH sides.
At Birmingham’s 16th Street
Baptist Church, the city’s oldest and largest black church, preparations were
underway for Youth Sunday. A tradition in Baptist churches, young people would lead
the worship service. The boys sported dark pants and white shirts, and the
girls wore white dresses and carefully primped for this special day.
Shortly before the service began,
Klansmen detonated 19 sticks of dynamite under the church’s staircase. The
explosion ripped through the ladies' lounge, reducing the church to rubble,
mangling cars in the parking lot, and echoing through the community as if it
were the anguished cry of God. The horrific blast even blew Jesus’ face off a
stained-glass window.
Barehanded, workers dug deep
into the rubble until the lifeless bodies of four young girls were discovered. (Note: In the resulting unrest, two black teenagers
were also gunned down later that day.)
Ironically, Youth Sunday’s theme
was “Love That Forgives.” The Sunday School lesson (Genesis 45:4-15), was
to focus on how Joseph forgave his brothers after they sold him into slavery.
Pastor Cross’ Sermon was going
to be from Luke 23:34 where, from the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those
crucifying him. It was never delivered, but here is the written text of a portion
of it:
“In order to be forgiven, we
must forgive. Forgiveness sets both the captor and the captive free. The Word
of God clearly states that if we do not forgive others their trespasses, He
cannot forgive us our trespasses.
Today, let us purpose in our
heart to forgive those who have hurt or harmed us as we set them free so that
we may move forward to fulfill the call that God has on our lives.”
In the aftermath of that fateful
day on September 15, 1963, the city and our nation took a hard look at itself
in order to reckon with the unconscionable effects of hate and racism.
Outrage over the death of the
four young girls helped build increased support behind the continuing struggle
to end segregation - support that would help lead to the passage of both the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In that important
sense, the bombing’s impact was exactly the opposite of what its perpetrators
had intended.
Dear Lord, thank You for loving and
forgiving me. Help me to build and rebuild my friendships by forgiving others
and accepting forgiveness. I am Your child. We are all Your children. Amen ~
The Children’s Sermon Prayer 1963
