Redeemer East Side Update

In the history of revivals, spiritual renewal is inextricably tied to social reform. From the end of the gladiatorial games to the abolition of the slave trade to the starting of hospitals, schools and orphanages, the kingdom moves forward through both proclamation and demonstration. In our “Stories of Movement,” we turn our attention to the work of God in the Civil Rights Movement in remarkable year of 1964.

The great civil rights leader Andrew Young recounts an incredible moment from a march in Birmingham, AL on Easter Sunday 1964. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been just been jailed and a march was planned for the afternoon after Easter services. Young describes when they first came face to face with Bull Connor and local law enforcement:

Wyatt Walker and I were leading the march. I can't say we knew what to do. I know I didn’t want to turn the march around … I asked the people to get down on their knees and offer a prayer … Suddenly Rev. Charles Billups … jumped up and hollered, “The Lord is with this movement! Off your knees! We’re going on! … Stunned, Bull Connor yelled, “Stop ‘em, stop e’m!” But none of the police moved a muscle … Even the police dogs that had been growling and straining at their leashes … were now perfectly calm … I saw one fireman, tears in his eyes, just let the hose drop at his feet. Our people marched right between the red fire trucks, singing, “I want Jesus to walk with me.” … [Bull Connor’s] policemen had refused to arrest us, his firemen had refused to hose us, and his dogs had refused to bite us. It was quite a moment to witness. I’ll never forget one old woman … as she passed through, she shouted, “Great God Almighty done parted the Red Sea one mo’ time!”

The more I learn about the African-American experience and the history of the Black church, the more convinced I become that churches of all backgrounds must learn from the powerful witness of our brothers and sisters. As we continue to seek the rise of a gospel movement in New York City, I pray that the Spirit would be forming us to be disciples who bear witness to the kingdom in both word and deed.

Warmly,

Rev. Abraham Cho
East Side Senior Pastor

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Many of our friends who don't identify as Christian have questions about the claims of Christianity. We are encouraging everyone to be more public with their faith and enter into conversations about these questions. From March 7 - April 18, 2019, Tim Keller will lead a series on Thursday evenings — Questioning Christianity — where we hope hundreds of our friends, who don’t yet have a personal faith, will join us to process their doubts and questions about the gospel. To submit questions and to sign up to bring a friend, go to redeemer.com/QC.

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