Yesterday, I sang the middle portion of Psalm 22 during my private devotion. After my devotion ended, I realized how suited this psalm is for African Americans to sing. Most of the psalm is a lament in which David believes that the Lord has forsaken him during a dark period in his life. This psalm points to God's abandonment of his Son on the cross and the suffering the Lord endured at the hands of sinful men. The Spirit sung with clarity even denoting that Christ's hands and feet would be pierced.
Why do I believe this psalm is particularly suited for African Americans? First, when African Americans sing this psalm they sing with their Savior. There is a communion with the suffering of Christ in singing this psalm. Second, as a lament primarily it speaks to the historic existence of African Americans. Having endured slavery, legal segregation, and even now as African Americans face racism of all sorts we have warrant for singing laments.
The Church in general has moved away from singing laments. The assumption is that we must sing all joyful songs under the New Covenant. Wrong; everything in the Christian life is not joy even though we must count it all joy. There are times when we feel abandoned by God and everyone else. This is the time to take up Psalm 22; it's commanded even for New Covenant believers.
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