DEM BONES GONNA RISE AGAIN

I know it
Indeed I know it

I know it
‘Dem bones are gonna rise again

                 Historic Negro Spiritual

I realize some of you are smiling as you hear me sing these words. Perhaps, you sang ‘Dem Bones growing up; maybe at an overnight camp, around a crackling fire, singing about Adam and Eve and how ‘dem bones are gonna rise again. I sang it back then, and now with many hand motions included.

These days, at the beginning of each semester, I have my students sing that spiritual when we talk about creation stories. First, we listen to creation stories of the original people of the land on and near the places where Loyola Marymount University is situated; the Tongva and the Chumash peoples. As soon as my students hear the words “creation stories,” however, many in the class immediately think about Adam and Eve. They recall the story we read from the biblical book of Genesis for this first Sunday of Lent.

Students ask me a question after singing. ‍

The Lord He thought he’d make a man
‘Dem He bones are gonna rise again
So, He took a little water and took a little sand
‘Dem bones are gonna rise again

I know it, know it,
Indeed I know it brother/sister
I know it,
‘Dem bones are gonna rise again

Students wonder; why does the song, with the Genesis story, say that the bones are going to rise again? What does that have to do with Eve, Adam, the garden, or the snake and God? Together the students and I consider the experience of those whose telling of the story is reflected in the song. Who is the original creating community of that version of the Genesis creation story?  The creators and singers, I report, were enslaved and free African Americans; they are my ancestors and our ancestors, living in death-dealing times. Slave masters and slavery supportive preachers told them that God created Africans and their descendants to be enslaved. Additionally, this logic continued, if the slaves did the “right thing,” if they lived “right,” they would get to heaven.  Of course, the enslaved would continued as servants, even in heaven. Because God created them to be enslaved.

Frederick Douglass railed against this “theology of the land.” He knew it was not the theology of enslaved and free African Americans. Our theology, he asserted, is the “theology of Christ;” a theology that calls people to freedom and insists that we are all created to be free!^[1]

So, African American creative and singing communities put the Genesis creation story together with one from the biblical book of Ezekiel.^[2] In Ezekiel, the Creator proclaims that He/She will blow breath into dry bones. God’s breath will enter them, and they will live!

When I recall the way enslaved and free African Americans put those stories together, I think about us, now, in our times. There are death dealing situations happening. Just as in the time of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, people are being taking off the streets and arrested. In our day people are being deported. I think about the fact that we have got to be able to tell our stories; to do our theology. We need to say, “Yes!” We are all sisters and brothers, made in the image and likeness of God. Yes! Even though the bones are dry, in many different ways, once again God is blowing God’s breath and spirit into us, and these bones are gonna rise again!

Some people may ask, “Why are you doing that?  Preaching, marching and singing?” I reply that when we bring together our experience and what we know we need to do as sisters and brothers, people of God … and when we bring together our “God talk,” our theology, our “faith seeking understanding”… then we know that what we must do is to work for freedom. We know that we must remember who we are. We know that what we do is to pay attention, and we bring someone with us. And of course, always bring a song!

So, on this first Sunday of Lent, we hear the story once again, of God blowing breath into a lump of clay. We think once again of God blowing breath into some dry bones. We know that in the midst of all that is happening, ‘dem bones can rise again!

I know it
Indeed I know it

I know it
‘Dem bones are gonna rise again

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^[1] You can read about Fredrick Douglass’ theology in his autobiography. Narrative
of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Written by Himself: https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/douglass/douglass.html

^[2] Ezekiel 37:1-14.

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