The Vox populi and Vox Dei are not always aligned. The democratic ideal of an Aaronic leadership responsive to popular demand often causes God’s anointed to break the Tablets of Covenantal Law in pieces in enraged protestation. But at times, it is exactly the other way around. So, discerning the Vox Dei demands discernment of Time and Season.
Those who confine the concerns of Vox Dei to ethical and ecclesiastic but not economic values, worship doctrines with no transformational power rather than an All knowing God who gives transforming doctrine and praxis to men and nations.
Perhaps a review of Malcolm’s 1964 Ballot or Bullet speech can help locate America to herself, whose pride thus far has resisted every opportunity to reasonably respond to the Freedom Cry of ‘Let My people go’. If it is Divine hardness of heart however that precludes repentance and reparation as an option, then a final cycle or wave of rebuke will utterly break her, never more to rise to her former stature, and so be gifted with the humility which attracts grace- but only to those who have been brought low, not to those who see themselves as mighty.
Anyone with a modicum of political awareness will recognize the starkly repetitious patterns indicating this new wave about to hit. As it was, in the last round, it appears that neither threat of ballot nor bullet registered an acknowledgment of a heavenly mandate. The society clearly prefers to see God incarnate in a glorified gangster-pimp than in a freedom fighter grappling with the burden of the oppressed. It was Malcolm himself that reaped the prophetic bullet just two months out from the year of declaration, 1964 (and the blow has remained in his bloodline for two generations) and one can decide after reviewing his speech how much change if any the ballot brought.
But let’s watch the waves, because if it is the wave of Justice and Truth knocking on America’s door, they will increase till that door breaks and the tide turns. Listen and decide, have we been around this merry go round before?
YeKengalé 