Lord, help us to give thanks and be grateful to you in all times and give you praise for all things. Amen.
I thank God for blessing me to see another day. But in the midst of my joy, I’m sad. I’m sad, and my heart is broken because of what’s going on in my hometown as well as black communities across America. As I heard a pastor say one Sunday, for us (Black folks), these are the worst of times– and the best of times. This thought came from a novel by author Charles Dickens entitled: A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The book is a historical fictional political commentary.
These are the worst of times because young black males are killing each other on a daily basis, but then these are the best of times because we are making advances in medical technology and living much longer. There is a sister in my neighborhood who is 103 years old, who takes care of herself and is still the head cook at her church and an adviser to the Usher Board.
These are the worst of times because too many of our children are still dropping out of school, and those who are still there are being miseducated, but these are the best of times because there are some of us who are graduating not only with advanced degrees but are at the top of the class. We are superintendents and the heads of major companies.
These are the worst of times because many of us are still living below the poverty level and go to bed hungry every night, but it’s the best of times because we do have our multi-millionaires in the business and entertainment world.
These are the worst of times because of the injustices we find ourselves in when we go to the courts, but these are the best of times because we have more black judges and lawyers in this country than ever before.
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