All God’s Chillun Got Wings
It is Saturday morning, the 16th of January, 2016. The sun is shining and it feels and looks more like a spring morning than a morning in mid-January. Not surprisingly, I was thinking this morning of Martin Luther King Jr. and the hopeful, loving energy as we gathered many years ago on the National Mall to listen to a variety of speakers including Martin.
I look up and there is Paul, my 12-year-old adopted nephew coming across from his house I have not seen he or his six-year old sister much the past couple of weeks. Luckily I made brownies yesterday.
Me: Good morning Paul. How are you?
Paul: I am fine Uncle Jim. It is really nice. Do you think we could go bike riding later?
Me: I would love that Paul. Here, I made some brownies yesterday. Do you want hot chocolate with those?
Paul: Could I just have a glass of milk, Uncle Jim? It is pretty warm for hot chocolate.
Me: You sure can.
I get out a glass while Paul gets the milk.
Paul: Thanks. I need some help with homework Uncle Jim. Yesterday, my friend Ron’s minister and the choir came to school to talk about what Martin Luther King Jr. meant to them. The minister talked about how often he has gotten stopped by the police and how hard it was for him and his family just because they were black. The choir also sang a song. It was... Oh… Something about wings Uncle Jim.
Me: Oh. Wait a minute. I bet it is a song that the famous singer, Paul Robeson, sang. I have a recording of it. Let’s look. Hopefully I put it back in order except I cannot remember if I organized the CDs by performer or subject. Oh here it is under the R’s. Let’s play it on the CD player in the kitchen.
Soon the rich voice of Paul Robeson is filing the whole house.
ALL GOD'S CHILLUN GOT WINGS
I got a robe, you got a robe
All o' God's chillun got a robe
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my robe
I'm goin' to shout all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n, Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to shout all ovah God's Heab'n
I got-a wings, you got-a wings
All o' God's chillun got-a wings
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my wings
I'm goin' to fly all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n, Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to fly all ovah God's Heab'n
I got a harp, you got a harp
All o' God's chillun got a harp
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to take up my harp
I'm goin' to play all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n , Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to play all ovah God's Heab'n
I got shoes, you got shoes
All o' God's chillun got shoes
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my shoes
I'm goin' to walk all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n , Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to walk all ovah God's Heab'n
Pauil: How come it gives me goose bumps, Uncle Jim?
Me: Well, at least for me, Mr. Robeson has a way of singing which reaches deep into my heart and makes me feel close to him and all of “God’s Chillun.”
Paul: Maybe that is what happens to me, but I do not really understand Uncle Jim.
Me: Well, that makes two of us Paul. At any rate, what is troubling you?
Paul: Who are God’s children Uncle Jim? You always say that we are all special and that God loves us all equally. Yet, you and my mom and dad never get stopped by the police just because they are white. Do you?
Me: No, Paul, I don’t and I know your parents don’t either. Just because God loves us all equally does not mean we humans believe that or act that way.
Paul: What is the point of God if we are smarter than God Uncle Jim?
Me: Well, I do not think we are smarter than God, but I do think that we convinced ourselves that God thinks like us. So, if we learn to be prejudiced, we think God must agree with us. Do you know what I mean about prejudice Paul?
Paul: It means we decide we are better than someone based on color or something doesn’t it, Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, sometimes we think color or amount of money or clothes or how good someone is in school tells us whether someone is worthy of our friendship or whether God loves them.
Paul: Well….. If I study and get good grades that means I deserve more, doesn’t it Uncle Jim?
Me: Paul, what if there were times when me or your mom or your dad were not available to help with homework or what if you had to take care of younger brothers and sisters every night and did not have time to study? What if you were hungry all the time and could not concentrate in school? What if dad or mom were in jail a lot just because they were black?
Paul: Then I might not have good grades and I could not go to college?
Me Yes. Then what sort of job would get?
Paul: Not a very good job?
Me: Probably, although there are always a few people who do well in spite of all that.
Paul? Martin Luther King Jr. did well in school. We also had a film about Sonia Sotomayor. She was very poor, had to take care of her brother, and still got good grades and now is a judge or something.
Me: Yes, she is an United States Supreme Court judge and her brother is a doctor. She somehow knew that she was smart and loved and she also has a really good brain. I do not know why she did so well and other kids in a similar situation did not do so well.
Paul: Maybe God loved her more.
Me: I do not believe that Paul. I think God loved all the neighbors in the apartment building just as much. Certainly something made a difference but, I am not sure what it was. I do think that there was a different history with the family in Puerto Rico than with some black families or even some other South American families. I do know that if someone told me day after day that I was going to fail that I would find it difficult to keep trying.
Paul: I would not let anyone tell me I could not so something.
Me: I believe you Paul and that makes me proud of you, but I also know that many people have told you how special you are since you were born. You also have a very good brain and are physically in really good shape.
Paul: I guess I am pretty lucky Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, I think I, your sister, mom and dad and their parents are all pretty lucky. Do you think we have some responsibility to say something when someone says something negative about someone because of color or race, or religion?
Paul: Someone in class said we should not let any Muslims in school. I said that was wrong – that we have Muslim friends who are really good people.
Me: That is great Paul. I am very proud of you. So what do you think? Are we all God’s children or are only some of us God’s children?
Paul: I guess we are all God’s children. What should we do Uncle Jim?
Me: How about you go with me to the Quaker church on Monday where people from different races and groups are going to talk about what we can do to make it better for all of us. We could ask your parents if it is okay.
Paul: Wil there be other kids my age there?
Me: I am not sure, but I hope so. I think it would be good if you shared your concerns with the other people there.
Paul: Okay. When can we go bike riding Uncle Jim?
Me: How about you ask your parents if it is okay?
Paul: Okay. Thanks Uncle Jim.
Written January 16, 2016
It is Saturday morning, the 16th of January, 2016. The sun is shining and it feels and looks more like a spring morning than a morning in mid-January. Not surprisingly, I was thinking this morning of Martin Luther King Jr. and the hopeful, loving energy as we gathered many years ago on the National Mall to listen to a variety of speakers including Martin.
I look up and there is Paul, my 12-year-old adopted nephew coming across from his house I have not seen he or his six-year old sister much the past couple of weeks. Luckily I made brownies yesterday.
Me: Good morning Paul. How are you?
Paul: I am fine Uncle Jim. It is really nice. Do you think we could go bike riding later?
Me: I would love that Paul. Here, I made some brownies yesterday. Do you want hot chocolate with those?
Paul: Could I just have a glass of milk, Uncle Jim? It is pretty warm for hot chocolate.
Me: You sure can.
I get out a glass while Paul gets the milk.
Paul: Thanks. I need some help with homework Uncle Jim. Yesterday, my friend Ron’s minister and the choir came to school to talk about what Martin Luther King Jr. meant to them. The minister talked about how often he has gotten stopped by the police and how hard it was for him and his family just because they were black. The choir also sang a song. It was... Oh… Something about wings Uncle Jim.
Me: Oh. Wait a minute. I bet it is a song that the famous singer, Paul Robeson, sang. I have a recording of it. Let’s look. Hopefully I put it back in order except I cannot remember if I organized the CDs by performer or subject. Oh here it is under the R’s. Let’s play it on the CD player in the kitchen.
Soon the rich voice of Paul Robeson is filing the whole house.
ALL GOD'S CHILLUN GOT WINGS
I got a robe, you got a robe
All o' God's chillun got a robe
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my robe
I'm goin' to shout all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n, Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to shout all ovah God's Heab'n
I got-a wings, you got-a wings
All o' God's chillun got-a wings
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my wings
I'm goin' to fly all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n, Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to fly all ovah God's Heab'n
I got a harp, you got a harp
All o' God's chillun got a harp
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to take up my harp
I'm goin' to play all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n , Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to play all ovah God's Heab'n
I got shoes, you got shoes
All o' God's chillun got shoes
When I get to heab'n I'm goin' to put on my shoes
I'm goin' to walk all ovah God's Heab'n
Heab'n , Heab'n
Ev'rybody talkin' 'bout heab'n ain't goin' dere
Heab'n, Heab'n
I'm goin' to walk all ovah God's Heab'n
Pauil: How come it gives me goose bumps, Uncle Jim?
Me: Well, at least for me, Mr. Robeson has a way of singing which reaches deep into my heart and makes me feel close to him and all of “God’s Chillun.”
Paul: Maybe that is what happens to me, but I do not really understand Uncle Jim.
Me: Well, that makes two of us Paul. At any rate, what is troubling you?
Paul: Who are God’s children Uncle Jim? You always say that we are all special and that God loves us all equally. Yet, you and my mom and dad never get stopped by the police just because they are white. Do you?
Me: No, Paul, I don’t and I know your parents don’t either. Just because God loves us all equally does not mean we humans believe that or act that way.
Paul: What is the point of God if we are smarter than God Uncle Jim?
Me: Well, I do not think we are smarter than God, but I do think that we convinced ourselves that God thinks like us. So, if we learn to be prejudiced, we think God must agree with us. Do you know what I mean about prejudice Paul?
Paul: It means we decide we are better than someone based on color or something doesn’t it, Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, sometimes we think color or amount of money or clothes or how good someone is in school tells us whether someone is worthy of our friendship or whether God loves them.
Paul: Well….. If I study and get good grades that means I deserve more, doesn’t it Uncle Jim?
Me: Paul, what if there were times when me or your mom or your dad were not available to help with homework or what if you had to take care of younger brothers and sisters every night and did not have time to study? What if you were hungry all the time and could not concentrate in school? What if dad or mom were in jail a lot just because they were black?
Paul: Then I might not have good grades and I could not go to college?
Me Yes. Then what sort of job would get?
Paul: Not a very good job?
Me: Probably, although there are always a few people who do well in spite of all that.
Paul? Martin Luther King Jr. did well in school. We also had a film about Sonia Sotomayor. She was very poor, had to take care of her brother, and still got good grades and now is a judge or something.
Me: Yes, she is an United States Supreme Court judge and her brother is a doctor. She somehow knew that she was smart and loved and she also has a really good brain. I do not know why she did so well and other kids in a similar situation did not do so well.
Paul: Maybe God loved her more.
Me: I do not believe that Paul. I think God loved all the neighbors in the apartment building just as much. Certainly something made a difference but, I am not sure what it was. I do think that there was a different history with the family in Puerto Rico than with some black families or even some other South American families. I do know that if someone told me day after day that I was going to fail that I would find it difficult to keep trying.
Paul: I would not let anyone tell me I could not so something.
Me: I believe you Paul and that makes me proud of you, but I also know that many people have told you how special you are since you were born. You also have a very good brain and are physically in really good shape.
Paul: I guess I am pretty lucky Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, I think I, your sister, mom and dad and their parents are all pretty lucky. Do you think we have some responsibility to say something when someone says something negative about someone because of color or race, or religion?
Paul: Someone in class said we should not let any Muslims in school. I said that was wrong – that we have Muslim friends who are really good people.
Me: That is great Paul. I am very proud of you. So what do you think? Are we all God’s children or are only some of us God’s children?
Paul: I guess we are all God’s children. What should we do Uncle Jim?
Me: How about you go with me to the Quaker church on Monday where people from different races and groups are going to talk about what we can do to make it better for all of us. We could ask your parents if it is okay.
Paul: Wil there be other kids my age there?
Me: I am not sure, but I hope so. I think it would be good if you shared your concerns with the other people there.
Paul: Okay. When can we go bike riding Uncle Jim?
Me: How about you ask your parents if it is okay?
Paul: Okay. Thanks Uncle Jim.
Written January 16, 2016
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