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Morning Devotion for the Season of Epiphany
February 28, 2025
Anna Julia Haywood Cooper
Reading: Psalm 10:10-19
The innocent are broken and humbled before them;
the helpless fall before their power.
They say in their heart, "God has forgotten;
he hides his face; he will never notice."
Rise up, O Lord;
lift up your hand, O God;
do not forget the afflicted.
Why should the wicked revile God?
why should they say in their heart, "You do not care"?
Surely, you behold trouble and misery;
you see it and take it into your own hand.
The helpless commit themselves to you,
for you are the helper of orphans.
Break the power of the wicked and evil;
search out their wickedness until you find none.
The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the ungodly shall perish from his land.
The Lord will hear the desire of the humble;
you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
To give justice to the orphan and oppressed,
so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.
Meditation by Jeremy O’Neill
It feels fitting that we remember Anna Julia Haywood Cooper on the final day of Black History Month. An encounter with her biography shows a leader who frequently had to push the institutions she was a part of to treat her fairly. She was often critical of the lack of support offered by the church for her work educating Black students in North Carolina and Washington, D.C.. She served in various educational leadership roles throughout here life and in 1925, at the age of 65, she became the 4th African-American woman to complete a Ph.D., showing that her love of learning and advocacy for the education of Black Americans never ceased.
The Psalm appointed for her commemoration shows us that God is still in charge even when the systems and institutions of our world are hurting or excluding people. Anna Julia Haywood Cooper is remembered not just for her commitments to education and equality but also for her faith. Even when the church itself was oppressive and limiting, Cooper kept her faith that God was ultimately in power.
It’s important not to fall into a trap of thinking that faith automatically results in the
loosening of the chains of injustice, as that doesn’t account for the many faithful people who still live in suffering. It is important not to view faith as transactional, as fortune is not a result of having faith and misfortune is not the result of a lack of faith. And while faith is not a tool, I believe that there can be something therapeutic about knowing that God suffers with us, walks with us, and is there with us through all that we endure.
The Psalm serves as a prayer that God’s righteousness will prevail over evil. This is a common theme in scripture, but too often I feel like the church tolerates or even perpetuates evil in ways that detract from its true mission to serve God and serve God’s people. We are always called to resist evil, and that includes not just resisting the temptation but also standing up to in when we see it in ourselves, in our institutions, or in each other.
Prayer
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Anna Julia Haywood Cooper with the love of learning and the skill of teaching: Enlighten us more and more through the discipline of learning, and deepen our commitment to the education of all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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