![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A related spiritual says, “O freedom over me! / An’ befo’ I’d be a slave, / I’d be buried in my grave, / An’ go home to my Lord an’ be free.” At the same time, heaven is a place of deliverance, freedom, and liberation. Spirituals that address heaven often mention judgment and the need to avoid the ways of Satan on this earth. Heaven is the home of the faithful which God has prepared outside of history which God has prepared for his righteous servants” (Cone, 1972, p. Enslaved Africans longed for heaven-“Deep river, my home is over Jordan.” They imagined what heaven would be like-“I’ve got a robe, you’ve got a robe, / All God’s children got a robe.” They were going to celebrate with Jesus in heaven-“I’m gonna sit at the welcome table.” They were vigilant in watching for heaven-“Keep you lamps trimmed and burning, / the time is drawing nigh.”īlack theologian James Cone, citing Benjamin Mays, notes that “heaven, hell, and judgment are central ideas in the black spirituals. ![]() Heaven is a prevalent theme of the spirituals. “I Want to be Ready” (“Walk in Jerusalem”) ![]()
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