Last Sunday, October 19, Hinde Street marked Black History Month with a special sermon by Sam Walker. While the celebration of Black History Month has its roots in the effort to recognise the presence and achievements of Black Americans, Sam focuses on highlighting the contributions of Black individuals to the life and history of the church, thus illustrating their significance in God’s redemptive plan.
One poignant example is raised by Sam in reference to the birth of Jesus when the attempt by King Herod to kill the newborn in the manger was twarthed by an angel who said to Joseph: “Arise, take the young child, his mother, and flee to Egypt.” As Sam puts it, “When Herod sought to kill Jesus, God guided him to Africa for safety.” In addition, Sam tells us about Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26-39, and Niger and Lucius of Cyrene, who just a few examples of the stories about Black people in the Bible.
Following the service, we were also treated to Black heritage snacks and soft drinks, provided by some of our congregation. These snacks included plantain chips and Supermalt (a soft drink). We hope to be able to share snacks from different parts of our shared community heritage all year round!
With this sermon and in all our ways of celebrating Black History Month this October, Sam urges us to ‘open our hearts and minds to our shared responsibility to pursue justice, gain insight, and show respect and honour to one another through actions that make the world a better place.’
You can find a transcript of Sam’s inspiring sermon by clicking here!