Practical Virtues

by Flake, Floyd H.; Flake, M. Elaine McCollins

• ISBN13: 9780060090609
• ISBN10: 006009060X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-08-14
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

This is an inspiring collection of hymns, poems, and spiritual exercises thatprovides a moral compass for the modern Black family.

Author Biography

Reverend Floyd H. Flake is the senior pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica, Queens, and is the president of Wilberforce University in Ohio. He is also the founder of the Allen Christian School, which he established with his wife The Reverend M. Elaine McCollins Flake is the co-pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral. They live in Old Westbury, New York, with their four children

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xi
Courage	p. 1
"Vashti"	p. 3
from Days of Grace	p. 8
from Biography of an American Bondman, by His Daughter, Josephine Brown	p. 13
"Harriet Tubman"	p. 17
from Warriors Don't Cry	p. 19
from Rosa Parks: My Story	p. 26
"If We Must Die"	p. 29
"Ar'n't I a Woman?"	p. 31
"Coping: A Letter to a Child in a Difficult Time"	p. 33
Diligence	p. 37
from Up from Slavery	p. 40
"The Seedling"	p. 42
"Mother to Son"	p. 44
"The Ant Story"	p. 46
from Laughing in the Dark	p. 47
"A Black Man Talks of Reaping"	p. 50
from What the Negro Wants	p. 52
"The Black Runner"	p. 58
from An Oral History with Miss Oseola McCarty	p. 59
from A Colored Woman in a White World	p. 63
Faith	p. 65
from Gifted Hands	p. 67
from God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man	p. 76
"Guide My Feet"	p. 79
"People Who Could Fly"	p. 81
from In the Spirit	p. 85
"There Is a Balm in Gilead"	p. 88
"The Woman with an Issue of Blood"	p. 89
from Quicksand	p. 91
"Stand by Me"	p. 98
"how i got ovah II/It Is Deep II"	p. 100
Forbearance	p. 103
from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings	p. 105
from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl	p. 110
"Strong Men"	p. 115
from Coming of Age in Mississippi	p. 119
"Jesus Before the High Priest"	p. 125
"Sympathy"	p. 127
"Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho"	p. 129
from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written by Himself	p. 130
"Keep Your Eyes on the Prize"	p. 138
Forgiveness	p. 141
"Amazing Grace"	p. 143
"The Partners"	p. 146
from Every Good-Bye Ain't Gone	p. 157
"After the Storm"	p. 164
"The Unforgiving Slave"	p. 166
Honesty	p. 169
from Up from Slavery	p. 170
"Jack in the Pot"	p. 173
from The Lady, the Melody, and the Word	p. 190
"Mama's Missionary Money"	p. 193
"The River Demon"	p. 201
Love	p. 207
"My Dungeon Shook"	p. 209
"How the Slaves Helped Each Other"	p. 214
from Kinship	p. 218
"Black Baby"	p. 223
I Corinthians 13	p. 225
from Along This Way	p. 228
from The Life Experience and Gospel Labors of the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen	p. 233
"Aunt Zurletha"	p. 235
"Those Winter Sundays"	p. 242
Loyalty	p. 245
"The Ibo Landing Story," as told to Marian Barnes	p. 247
from My American Journey	p. 249
from Sarah Phillipps	p. 255
Ruth and Naomi	p. 260
from The Lesson of Tolerance	p. 263
from A Lesson Before Dying	p. 268
"Jubilee Thanksgiving Address"	p. 276
Prudence	p. 281
from The Street	p. 283
"An Hymn to the Evening"	p. 288
"We Real Cool"	p. 290
from Speaking Truth to Power	p. 292
from The Prisoner's Wife	p. 295
from In Search of Satisfaction	p. 298
from Unafraid of the Dark	p. 300
from Taps for a Jim Crow Army	p. 302
Responsibility	p. 305
from Black Ice	p. 307
"Frederick Douglass"	p. 311
from If I Had a Hammer	p. 313
from An American Story	p. 319
"Parable of the Talents"	p. 321
"Self-Reliance"	p. 323
Service	p. 329
from Having Our Say	p. 332
"I Sit and Sew"	p. 336
from Black Women in White America	p. 338
"If I Can Help Somebody as I Pass Along"	p. 343
"Salt, Sauce, and Spice, Onion Leaves, Pepper, and Drippings"	p. 344
from The Measure of Our Success	p. 348
"Go Work in My Vineyard"	p. 350
from An Oral History with Miss Oseola McCarty	p. 353
Trustworthiness	p. 357
"Mammie's Form at the Post Office"	p. 359
"The Pocketbook Game"	p. 364
"The Clay Pots"	p. 367
"Sanctuary"	p. 369
Jonathan and David	p. 376
"Letter to Frederick Douglass"	p. 380
Acknowledgments and Sources	p. 383
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

A firmness of spirit and strength of the soul, Courage is the state of mind that enables you to face difficulty or danger with confidence in spite of fear.

Every day we live, we exercise courage. From the moment we wake in the morning to the minute we lie down to sleep at night, we must be courageous. Courage is a spirit within that compels us to face dangerous and difficult situations rather than withdrawing into ourselves. It is knowing that we are capable of achieving successes in spite of the odds against us. Courage is not the absence of fear; rather, it is acting or speaking despite our fear.

On Sunday mornings, when I stand before my congregation, it can be daunting to think that thousands of men, women, and children are listening to what I have to say. I know the power of words and I know that it is my responsibility to speak with integrity and conviction, so I must maintain confidence and composure when I deliver my sermons. It is not always easy to take controversial or nontraditional positions with sermon content, but I cannot allow fear to rule me. To the contrary, I must rule fear.

Our history as African Americans is marked by the necessity and determination to maintain courage in the midst of abuse and mistreatment, oppression and persecution. The words of Claude McKay echo in our souls: "If we must die, let it not be like hogs / Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot." Countless black men and women have demonstrated remarkable courage in the face of considerable obstacles.

From Harriet Tubman to Martin Luther King, Jr., our ancestors have stood in the face of injustice and boldly challenged the world to acknowledge its inadequacies and remedy its wrongs. We will never forget the courage of our past, for it is what shapes the prosperity of our present and offers hope for the future.

Of course, there is much more yet to be done, and there are many more obstacles to overcome. As a people, we have come far, but we have much farther to go. Courage is the legacy of our history. It is not a remnant of our past but a heritage that has been handed down to us. The bravery of our ancestors must inspire us to live courageously.

Although we cannot all be Harriet Tubmans or Martin Luther Kings in terms of notoriety or public acclaim, we can appropriate their dauntless spirits. The desire to make a difference in this world and to have a positive impact on the lives of others should motivate us to dream big dreams. And our faith in God should give us the courage to turn our dreams into realities, for often our own fear is the only thing preventing us from attaining greatness and success.

In times of fear or vacillation, I often recall the words God spoke to Joshua, commanding him to deliver the Israelites from the wilderness: "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9).

Like the Israelites, we live beneath God's watchful protection. We need never fear when we know that God is with us. Our faith gives us courage. As we are guided by God, we are further bolstered by the love of our friends and family members. We must not be ashamed to embrace the support of others.

Finally, we must release the power within us - the power that fuels courage. Courage is a strength of the heart. As African Americans, we know too well that things are not always fair or just, but we cannot forever blame the world for our misfortunes. Success is not granted but earned; it is gained through taking positive action and not waiting for someone else to do for us what we can do for ourselves. We all have the ability to find happiness, but we must start the search with courage.

Frances E.W.Harper

The Book of Esther relates incidents in the lives of two queens, Esther and Vashti, both of whom are courageous in the face of oppression, but in strikingly different ways. While Esther's story is reported in more detail in the scriptures, I am especially drawn to the story of the Persian queen, Vashti, the lesser-sung heroine in the Book of Esther. As interpreted by Frances E. W. Harper in "Vashti," a poem published in 1857 in Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects, the queen is a model of both moral integrity and courage.

Vashti

She leaned her head upon her hand

And heard the King's decree--

"My lords are feasting in my halls;

Bid Vashti come to me.

"I've shown the treasures of my house,

My costly jewels rare,

But with the glory of her eyes

No rubies can compare.

"Adorn'd and crown'd I'd have her come,

With all her queenly grace,

And, 'mid my lords and mighty men,

Unveil her lovely face.

"Each gem that sparkles in my crown,

Or glitters on my throne,

Grows poor and pale when she appears,

My beautiful, my own!"

All waiting stood the chamberlains

To hear the Queen's reply.

They saw her cheek grow deathly pale,

But light flash'd to her eye:

"Go, tell the King," she proudly said,

"That I am Persia's Queen,

And by his crowds of merry men

I never will be seen.

"I'll take the crown from off my head

And tread it 'neath my feet,

Before their rude and careless gaze

My shrinking eyes shall meet.

"A queen unveil'd before the crowd!--

Upon each lip my name!--

Why, Persia's women all would blush

And weep for Vashti's shame!

"Go back!" she cried, and waved her hand,

And grief was in her eye:

"Go, tell the King," she sadly said,

"That I would rather die."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Practical Virtues by Floyd Flake Copyright © 2003 by Floyd Flake
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.