The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. ConeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a powerful read. White Christians everywhere can learn much from this book about the power of the Gospel and the meaning of the cross for the African American community. I have a deeper understanding of who Christ is and the depth of His redeeming work on the cross through the ways He has revealed Himself as the suffering servant, the wrongly accused, the One who was not defeated by the hatred and animosity of others. It also gives us profound hope in the midst of despair and hopelessness, hope that cannot be defeated by death and hope that points us toward the eternal.
Cone masterfully weaves scripture and theology with cultural reflections and historical commentary. His work ultimately opens our eyes to view the cross through a different lens, one that confronts us with the racial terrors of lynching and our collective past, while guiding us to a deeper understanding of the Gospel and the ministry of reconciliation that we are called to in Christ.
"God's loving solidarity can transform ugliness - whether Jesus on the cross or a lynched black victim - into beauty, into God's liberating presence."
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