Lent 2025 Day 2

Sojourner Truth, Abolitionist and Suffragette
Isaiah 1:16-17 | Exodus 5:10-23

Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree in 1797 in Dutch-speaking Ulster County, New York, endured the hardships of slavery from birth. Throughout her early life, she was bought and sold four times, subjected to harsh physical labor and violent punishments. In 1826, she escaped with her infant daughter Sophia to a nearby abolitionist family, the Van Wageners, who bought her freedom for twenty dollars. Demonstrating remarkable courage and determination, she successfully sued for the return of her five-year-old son Peter, who had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama. In 1843, she declared that the Spirit called on her to preach the truth, renaming herself Sojourner Truth.  

Her faith was rooted in the belief that God heard the cries of the oppressed, much like the enslaved Israelites. However, as Pharaoh’s overseers increased the Israelites' burdens, demanding they make bricks without straw, the people groaned under the weight of injustice. Moses, overwhelmed, turns to God and asks:

"O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me? Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people.” — Exodus 5:22-23

There’s a painful honesty in Moses’ words. He accuses God of inaction, questioning why the suffering of the Israelites has only worsened since he answered God's call. It’s a moment of raw frustration — one that resonates deeply with Sojourner Truth’s mission. Sojourner Truth, too, spoke hard truths to those in power, demanding justice for both enslaved people and women, even when it seemed like progress was painfully slow. She cried out against the Pharaohs of her time — slaveholders, unjust laws, and systems that crushed the vulnerable. She embodied the call of Isaiah 1:16-17, urging those who listened to "seek justice, rescue the oppressed." Her famous speech, often referred to as “Ain’t I a Woman?”, confronted the hypocrisy of a society that marginalized both women and Black people, challenging the powerful to reckon with their sin. It's important to note that the most authentic version of this speech was first published in 1851 by Truth's friend, Rev. Marius Robinson, in the Anti-Slavery Bugle, titled “On Woman’s Rights.” This version reflects Sojourner's authentic voice, free from the racist depiction and alterations found in later editions. Like Moses, she did not stay silent when faced with cruelty; instead, she dared to question and push forward, trusting that God was still at work.

Lent is a season of personal repentance and communal reflection. It calls us to confront the ways we participate in or turn a blind eye to injustice. But, like Moses, it also invites us to bring our doubts and frustrations before God — to name the ways it feels like liberation is too far off or justice is too slow. The work of justice often means standing in the tension between hope and heartbreak, trusting that God hears the cries of the oppressed and calls us to keep moving forward.

Reflection:

• Where do you see modern-day “Pharaohs” — systems of oppression — at work in the world today? 
• How might God be calling you to “seek justice” and “rescue the oppressed” this Lent? 

Breath Prayer: Inhale: Teach me to do good… Exhale: …and seek justice.

May this season open our eyes to the cries of the suffering and inspire us, like Sojourner Truth, to walk in God’s liberating truth.

Amen.