Blood Cries Out: A Symphony of Suffering in the Earth's Soil

James 5:3b-6 (NIV)
“...You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”

Genesis 4:9-12 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he [lied and] said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice]. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength [it will resist producing good crops] for you; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast].”

Soil collected from previous lynching sites with the names, places, and dates of those killed. Photo Credit: Equal Justice Initiative’s Community Remembrance Project.

In the symphony of life, sounds serve as the universal language that transcends the boundaries of culture, language, and collective understanding. The cry of a baby, the wail of a mother, the weeping of a widow, the anger of a family affected by unpaid immigrants, the rage of a loved one left behind due to police brutality—these are the sounds, energies, and emotions that emanate from the ground, travel through the body, and emerge from the voicebox of a living soul. Sound carries an energy that shifts time and space.

Yet, amidst these universal sounds, there exist haunting echoes of historical atrocities—lynchings that unleashed unspeakable horrors on innocent lives. The soil is bloodstained and carries a symphony of suffering. As we explore the chilling sounds that emanated from these dark chapters of the past, we must confront the unsettling question: What kind of ears could ignore their cries?

I wonder what sounds were heard at the lynching sites.

What sounds could be heard in 1934 when John Griggs was hanged, shot seventeen times, and his body dragged behind a car through the town for hours, after being accused of "associating with a white woman" in Newton, Texas?

What sounds could be heard in 1904 when Luther Holbert and a Black woman believed to be his wife were captured by a mob and taken to Doddsville, Mississippi, to be lynched before hundreds of white spectators? Both victims were tied to a tree and forced to hold out their hands while members of the mob methodically chopped off their fingers and distributed them as souvenirs. Next, their ears were cut off. Mr. Holbert was then beaten so severely that his skull was fractured, and one of his eyes was left hanging from its socket. Members of the mob used a large corkscrew to bore holes into the victims' bodies and pull out large chunks of "quivering flesh," after which both victims were thrown onto a raging fire and burned. The white men, women, and children present watched the horrific murders while enjoying deviled eggs, lemonade, and whiskey in a picnic-like atmosphere.

What sounds could be heard later that year in Dyersburg, Tennessee when Lation Scott was subjected to a brutal and prolonged lynching after being accused of “criminal assault.” Thousands gathered near a vacant lot across the street from the downtown courthouse and children sat atop their parents’ shoulders to get a better view as Mr. Scott’s clothes and skin were ripped off with knives.

A mob tortured Lation Scott with a hot poker iron, gouging out his eyes, shoving the hot poker down his throat and pressing it all over his body before castrating him and burning him alive over a slow fire. Mr. Scott’s torturous killing lasted more than three hours.

What sounds could be heard on those horrific days?
What kind of ears could ignore their cries?

What sounds can be heard today? Children crying for dead parents to comfort them, amputated limbs, hospital bombings, the earth-shaking as thousands of feet rush to escape death, fleeing for shelter from displacement and genocide. The unsettling noise of uncompensated labor as inmates are forced to work for pennies or immigrants with little to no pay at all. Families shiver as they brave freezing winters and are passed by neighbors on their way to a house of worship.

These vibrations, these sounds, have an impact on those who hear them.

Will you listen?
God says He does.

The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) conducts Community Soil Collection Projects to address the legacy of racial terror lynching. Since 2015, EJI has collaborated with communities nationwide to collect soil from lynching sites. This project offers a tangible opportunity for community members to face the historical impact of racial terror lynchings, memorialize Black victims, and acknowledge the communities affected by such violence. The Legacy Museum in Montgomery features an exhibit showcasing 800 jars of soil collected from lynching sites across the country.

“In this soil, there is the sweat of the enslaved. In the soil there is the blood of victims of racial violence and lynching. There are tears in the soil from all those who labored under the indignation and humiliation of segregation. But in the soil there is also the opportunity for new life, a chance to grow something hopeful and healing for the future.” – Bryan Stevenson, EJI Executive Director

BLOOD-STAINED SOIL: A POETIC PRAYER

I hear a cry—a poignant sound, calling for the restoration of justice. To Earth Mother: Hear my prayer; return unto me that which is rightfully due, a just recompense for the labor of my ancestors. Bless me with equitable housing, provide proper healthcare, and grant fair wages. Let reparations flow like a river. To those who have wronged me: May this holy sentiment, this righteous curse, serve as a warning: "Until you do right by me, everything you think about will crumble!” Witness the blood in the ground and choose right, or shoulder the effects. (Celie, The Color Purple, 1985)

To God, Spirit, our Creator: You are responsive to the wailing—the fragrance of need, the cries of the poor. As we witness the blood in the ground, may our remembrance guide us to just living conditions. The blood in the soil speaks and is alive with its voice saying, "From dust you came, to dust you shall return. What has happened to one has happened to all. Earth Mother returns the fruits of the seeds planted here, and justice will blossom in the soil of our shared existence.”

Selah.

Amid these painful echoes from history and the disconcerting sounds of contemporary struggles, we are compelled to reflect on our collective responsibility. These vibrations, these cries, demand our attention and empathy. God, as the ultimate listener, bears witness to the sounds of suffering and calls upon us to heed the cries of those in distress. The question persists: Will we, too, listen? As we navigate the symphony of existence, may we strive to be attuned to the sounds that echo the shared human experience, fostering a world where empathy drowns out the cacophony of injustice. For in our willingness to listen, we find the seeds of compassion that can lead to transformative change and the harmonious symphony of a more just and humane society.