Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles from Jarrod Hubbard on misogyny and anti-Blackness in America.
The words of a well-known hymn conveys the message that simply calling on the name of Jesus, the African Jew and son of God, will have the “enemy” running with his tail between his legs:
“In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory.
In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Satan, you have to flee.
Oh, what can ever stand before us when we call on that great name?
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, we have the victory.”
Most of my life, I believed this but now I have some serious questions.
Our dearly departed sister, Sonya Massey, called on that name, doing what many prophets told her to do.
Still, this beautiful black sister was murdered in her home, in a country that prides itself on being a nation built on so-called “Judeo-Christian values.”
The Illinois State Police released a 36-minute video featuring body-camera footage from two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies. The officers responded to Massey’s 911 call shortly after midnight on July 6 after she had reported a potential “prowler” at her Springfield home.
Sean Grayson and the other deputy arrived and began interrogating Massey. They eventually followed her into her home and during their exchange, asked her to turn off the stove, where she was boiling a pot of water.
The deputies then screamed orders for her to put the pot down. This was followed by Massey exclaiming, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson began yelling obscenities at Massey, who replied, “I’m sorry.”
Shots were then fired and Massey was struck dead. Minutes after the shooting, Grayson gave a fraudulent account of the story, suggesting she came after him with the pot of boiling water. Massey is among several Black women, including Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, and others who police have killed in their own homes in recent years.
Massey’s quote, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” has been trending across social media since the release of the video footage. Witnessing her words circulate has filled me with anguish and even more questions to ponder.
Is calling on the name of Jesus enough?
In the Black church tradition, I was taught to believe that by “declaring and decreeing,” “speaking it into existence,” “rebuking in the name of Jesus.” We could also “plead the blood of Jesus” against any opposition and challenging circumstances I faced would end.
But what happens when calling on the name of Jesus isn’t enough? What do we do?
When I shared this on social media, I faced opposition from fellow Black individuals of faith. They questioned, “So we shouldn’t call on Jesus anymore? I understand the frustration, but that doesn’t mean Jesus is any less powerful to save.”
Another remarked, “Jarrod, don’t forget that Jesus also called out to the Father. And yet, still.”
After reading those remarks, I was reminded of when I was engrossed in Walter Wink’s The Powers That Be. In “Prayer and the Powers,” he explores how the “powers that be”—the dominant social, political, and spiritual forces—often obstruct or resist divine influence.
Wink argues that these powers seek to maintain their control and keep God at a distance, limiting the transformative impact of prayer and divine intervention in the world. He emphasizes the need for prayer to confront and challenge these powers, advocating for a transformative engagement that can disrupt their hold and invite divine action.
Intercessors cannot be naive. As we pray, God is aware of our prayer. But institutions are working around the clock to keep them from reaching God and God’s answer from reaching you.
Notice this is the case in Daniel 10:12-15. Daniel found himself in a rut and prayed to God, but Persian angels opposed the angels of the Lord for 21 days before they finally broke through and reached Daniel.
So, should we stop calling on the name of Jesus?
Is his presence and power still in the world today?
To echo a question that Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart continues to pose in her work, do Black Lives Matter to God?
I still believe Jesus is alive and well. I still embrace the words of the hymn writer who says, “He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.”
But I must be honest and tell you, beloved ones, if we want to see the reign of God revealed and preside over the earth, we have to do a lot more than call on the name of Jesus.
This black woman called and rebuked the evil forces she faced in the name of Jesus. Yet still, she was gunned down in her own home.
This tells me that this country isn’t inherently Christian. It reinforces the reality that we live in a world that is anti-black, imperialist, and capitalist. It seeks to get rid of us to preserve the piety of white supremacy.
So, is calling on the name of Jesus enough? Nope, not in an Anti-Black World. Not in a world that has proven time and time again that the agenda is the total eradication of black folks.
No wonder Sonya’s plea didn’t faze the officer.
There is still work to be done. To Be Continued, BELOVED.
Author’s Note: An early version of this article asked the question, “Do Black Lives Matter to God?” without proper attribution to Rev. Naomi Washington-Leaphart’s work and witness. Rev. Washington-Leapheart has taught a class centered on the question for many years. I am deeply indebted to the wisdom she brings to the world.
