By Timothy Peoples
Have you ever read Langston Hughes’s poem “Let America Be America Again”? The opening stanzas read:
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed —
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
In this poem, Hughes wrestles with the gap between America’s ideals and its reality. He longs for a nation marked by freedom, equality, opportunity and justice, while honestly acknowledging that these promises have not been experienced equally by all people. Speaking from the perspectives of those who have been marginalized and excluded, Hughes challenges systems of oppression and inequality that prevent society from living up to its highest aspirations.
Yet the poem is not ultimately one of despair. It is a poem of hope. Hughes believes that the dream of a just and equitable society is still worth pursuing. He calls people to continue working toward a world where freedom, justice and opportunity are truly available to everyone.
As Christians, we recognize that this world is not our ultimate home. Our citizenship is in God’s kingdom. Yet we are called to embody the values of that kingdom here and now. We do not worship America — or any nation — but we are called to pursue justice, love mercy, seek peace and uphold the dignity of every person. For us, the question is not simply, “What is the American dream?” but rather, “What is God’s dream for the world?”
As we gather for worship today, may our hearts be opened to God’s vision of a world shaped by love, justice, freedom and hope for all people.