Devotion
Refrain
Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
a weary land, a weary land;
my Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
a shelter in a time of storm.
No one can do like Jesus,
not a mumbling word he said;
he went walking down to Lazarus' grave,
and he raised him from the dead. Refrain
When Jesus was on earth,
the flesh was very weak;
he took a towel and girded himself
and he washed his disciples' feet. Refrain
Yonder comes my Savior,
him whom I love so well;
he has the palm of victory
and the keys of death and hell. Refrain
This African American spiritual arose out of a long and painful history. Slaves would sing spirituals as they worked in the fields, but only if their masters would allow it. Bought and sold as property, slaves would sing these spirituals as a message of hope in the painful wilderness of their experience. As you sing this refrain, "Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm," reflect on the experience of the slaves in our country. When all else was lost—somehow they would still sing songs of praise to their savior. They knew that God had not forgotten them and that Jesus is the ultimate liberator. Jesus experienced the pain and humiliation that was so familiar in their own experience, and was now accompanying them on their journey.
Prayer
Jesus, we are in awe that you, as the Son of God, are the liberator of the least of us. Empower us all to seek your justice and liberation for all people. Amen.