Tonight, I attended a service in honor of Black History Month here at Princeton Theological Seminary.Dr. Yolanda Pierce, a church historian, powerfully stated: “I like to call this month ‘Hidden History Month’ where we celebrate voices we’ve ignored or have silenced.” The implication here, of course, is that it’s not just Black History, it’s American History—a point well made by Dr. Pierce’s colleague, Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University in the Kitchen Table.

The service was phenomenal—the choir helped us all transcend. There were three preachers who delivered a sermon, from among my colleagues. One of the sermons struck me when I heard:

“God is NOT on our side. God is not with the blacks or the whites. God is not with the Asians or the Latinos. God is on the side of justice, love, and mercy. Oh, that WE would be on GOD’S SIDE!”

At the Herencia Lecture Series in September of 2008, Dr. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, a mujerista theologian, made a similar point: “We cannot assume that Christ identifies with our side. We must seek to identify with Christ.”

But we want God on our side. To be justified, stand upright and blameless, and to let all who oppose us know, once and for all, that we are right–that is often our modus operandi.

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (see Micah 6:8)

We must instead do what is required of us. And we must ask the same of those in our government, those in power.

So, whose side are you on?