Reading the Bible from the Underside

The Bible becomes real when read through the weight of suffering. It is not a distant book but a living document when approached from the underside of history. The God revealed in its pages sides with the oppressed, not the powerful. Liberation is not postponed. It is demanded in the present. The stories of escape, survival, and justice are not metaphors—they are declarations. Spirituals give shape to this reading, where dignity is reclaimed and hope is insisted upon. These songs are theology, not performance. They express a direct relationship with God rooted in lived experience. God is near, active, and just. The struggle is not abandoned or ignored. It is held, honored, and transformed by a fierce spiritual trust.

May the God who hears the cries of the oppressed
walk with us in truth, justice, and unwavering dignity.

(inspired by Alexia Salvatierra and Brandon Wrencher, Buried Seeds)