Oh, FreedomExemplo

In 1965, Amelia Boynton Robinson’s image flashed across media. The first African American woman to run for Congress in Alabama in 1964, the news images revealed her painful campaign for freedom to vote during a pivotal Civil Rights march from Selma to Alabama’s capitol, Montgomery. A day before, marcher Jimmie Lee Jackson had been killed.

Among the singing throng of six hundred marchers crossing the Alabama River’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, Robinson faced state troopers riding over marchers on horseback, swinging weapons. The throng had been singing “Oh, Freedom” and “Come by Here, Lord,” but the images capture what is commemorated as “Bloody Sunday.” President Lyndon B. Johnson responded to that event by signing the 1965 Voting Rights Act, with Amelia a White House guest.

Jesus’s disciple, Peter knew the cost of standing up for the freedom Christ offers to all (John 8:36). Imprisoned, awaiting trial, Peter knew King Herod had just murdered another disciple, James. The diverse body of the church at Antioch prayed earnestly for Peter, who was sleeping double-chained, surrounded by Herod’s soldiers. And in the darkness, God’s shining angel appeared, awoke, and compelled Peter to a miraculous escape.

Amelia Boynton Robinson’s freedom came at a price, and required unwavering faith in the face of painful persecution. Peter’s escape reflected commitment to the spiritual freedom Christ gives us, and that God’s plans prevail in believers’ lives. -Stacy Hawkins Adams