Black History Month: Sojourner Truth

A Walk of Faith

“Truth is powerful and it prevails” - Sojourner Truth

During Black History Month, we pause to remember some of the great leaders who stood up to injustice and believed in the Imago Dei. We as a church are deeply rooted in the belief that we are all created in the image of God, regardless of the color of our skin. One such leader is a woman who went most of her life by the name of Sojourner Truth, though she was born to the name Isabella in 1797.

In 1826, after her master took back their promise to free her, Sojourner listened to the voice of God and “took her freedom”. She walked to freedom with her infant baby Sophia. This moment was just the beginning of her life long journey as a follower of Christ and abolitionist.

Over the course of her life, she established herself as a powerful speaker who led many to Christ because of her words and testimony. Truth also gave her first of many antislavery speeches in 1844 before the Civil War. After the war, she continued her work to advocate for now freedmen’s and women’s rights.

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16

Sojourner Truth lived out her Imago Dei by speaking up against injustice and telling others about God. We as a church believe that all Christians have a call on their life to do good (Isaiah 1:17) and tell the world about Jesus (Matt. 28:19). Like Sojourner Truth, may we all use our Imago Dei for Missio Dei—God’s mission!