Jeffery Allen - Rails Under My Back

Amen.

It’s good to see so many of you here today though I know some of you are here for the wrong reason.

Tell them about it!

Though some of you did not journey here to worship in the Lord’s house.

Tell the truth!

You are welcome. Keep coming back. God always got mo room for one more soul.

The congregation laughed long and deep, then laughter diminished, trickled down.

I welcome you.

She could not help thinking, Did the thin young body on the monitor truly house the booming voice? A voice heavy with age and insight. A miracle. The old Cotton Rivers was making himself known through his son’s lungs and mouth.

Yall gon help me preach this morning?

Yes.

Said, yall gon help me preach this morning?

Yes!

Praise the Lord …

She praised him.

We are gathered here today in unique purpose. But let us remember, it is his loving kindness that has allowed us to be here.

That’s right.

Some of yall don’t realize that.

Yes!

I think I should say it again.

Say it!

I say, a lot of yall don’t realize that. The preacher’s voice searched out every corner of the church. Only his loving kindness, brothers and sisters. Some of us forget bout his loving kindness.

Tell it.

Don’t lie.

He woke us up to glad daylight this morning, but some of us forget.

Teach.

He casts rays of pure joy over our problems and pains.

I know he do.

He bore us through the floods, kept us in a high dry place at his side, and still we don’t thank him.

No we don’t.

He fed our souls. He gave us children. He made us music. He gave us dignity. He bought our freedom.

Yes indeedy.

Why is it, brothers and sisters, that we don’t thank him?

Why?

I say, why is it that we don’t thank him?

The congregation waited in silence.

I’ll tell you why.

Tell us.

I said, I’ll tell you why.

Tell us!

Cause we are blind!

You said it.

I say we are blind.

Yes we are.

All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made. But the world knows him not.

Tell it, brother.

It don’t know him.

I said, he is in the world and the world was made by him but the world knows him not!

That’s right, brother!

Did not Eve taste the sweet red skin of the apple?

Yes she did.

Did not Eve taste the sweet red skin of the burning apple?

Yes she did.

Why did she bite of the forbidden fruit?

Why?

What drew her lips to fire?

Tell us.

She thought she was safe in the garden. Did she not see the bloody footprints of the first remorseless soul thief?

No!

Yes, the Snake was in Eden before Adam.

You said it, brother!

Just like today. The Snake is here today.

I see him.

I said just like today!

Yes!

Hiding in the apple like an innocent worm. Isn’t that always how he is? Satan waits in the shadows engineering his horrible plans.

Oh life is sweet!

Engineering his horrible plan to destroy the Lord Christ.

Sin!

So what did Eve do? Eve ate the worm-wet apple. And she knew she had done wrong. Yes, I say she knew she had sinned, for the devil’s spit embittered the sweet waters of life.

Yes it did.

And Death stretched its dark wings over the land. God put Adam out of the garden. I said, Gawd — the boy preacher was humming the words, singing them — evicted Adam from the garden. Gawd looked at him and said, My son, I said, my son-on-on, you shall bear children the rest of your days.

Yes he did.

Bear children the rest of yo natural bawn days.

Yes he did!

And you know what? Brothers and sisters, we are all Adam in that garden.

We know it.

We are all sinners.

Um huh.

I am telling you that we all are sinners, so don’t you ever think you can walk away from sin.

No.

I said, don’t you ever think you can hop free of sin!

No, Lord.

The New Cotton Rivers began to hop around the stage, robe sleeves curved like a double-headed ax. He hopped back to the microphone. After all, how far can an apple fall?

A thunder of clapping hands.

I say, how far can an apple fall?

Preach!

The Lord says, The soul is a charioteer.

That’s right, brother!

Preach.

The soul is a charioteer. See these two muscled arms — the New Cotton Rivers raised his thick curved robe sleeves like threatening scimitars — driving two horses, driving two horses. And you know what, brothers and sisters?

What?

One is ignoble—

Say it.

— and the other noble. I said, one is ignoble and the other righteous!

You said it!

The righteous learn to stay the hands of Satan.

Yes they do.

The righteous know that good and evil square off every moment.

Yes they do.

The righteous will fight for the big prize.

Fight!

Cause the children of light are wiser than the children of the earth.

Yes they are.

And the Lord tells us, Everyman is my name.

Everyman.

Everyman-an-an is my name!

Everyman!

In every breast my father planted the seed of me. A small seed so that you may gender gain and grow to seek salvation.

Tell it!

Don’t lie!

Gain and grow-ow-ow to seek out your Lawd, huh!

Yes!

So place your salvation at the feet of Gawd, huh! Place your salvation at the feet of Gawd. Place your salvation at the feet of the Lord, who can wipe your sins away, huh! Cause your soul-oh-oul dangles over the licking fires of hell, huh! I said your heels-eels-eels pull away from the scorching fingers of hell, huh!

Yes, brother! Yes!

Take him, you wretched for good.

Take him, you starved for food.

Take him, you thirsty for your cooling stream.

Take him for your joyful theme.

Lay your complaints at his bosom.

Put your burdens on his breathing chest.

If you will walk in Grace’s heavenly road, he’ll make you free.

If you walk the righteous path you’ll know

Gawd is the only stability.

That’s right, brother! That’s right!

Because his power brings you power, and your Lord is still the Lord, huh! Give your life to the Lord; give your faith to the Lord; raise your hands-ands-ands to the Lord.

The church exploded in deafening applause. Porsha put both hands firmly on the pew in front of her.

The New Cotton Rivers raised his robe sleeves and dropped silence. His eyes opened terror-wide in farseeing vision.

Moses lifted up a people and tore a nation bawling and bleeding out of Pharaoh’s side.

Yes he did.

What could ole Pharaoh say?

What?

What could ole Pharaoh do?

Nothing!

Cause Moses had fire in his head and a cloud in his mouth, huh! I say, Moses led the pilotage of a whole people, of an entire race, through the quicksands and breakers of spiritual degradation, led them-em-em, huffing and puffing, up to the plane of righteousness, huh! led them-em-em up that mountain salvation-high, huh! high and calculated to heighten the pulse and quicken the brain, huh! led them to cool soul-cleansing clouds, cool to the sweat of a hot brow, for the soul’s-ole-ole’s salvation is hard work which calls for the coolest head, huh! So do not fear Satan, the Prince of the Power of Air, I say do not fear Satan, for God is the true power, Gawd-awd-awd, the sun radiating out the palm of his hand, huh! Gawd-awd-awd lifts all, huh! And know ye that neither the terror that flies by day nor the terror that walks by night shall overtake us.

The congregation rose from their seats, their praising hands blurred with speed, quick dizzy machines. Arms raised and extended like an Olympic diver, head thrown back, face lifted to the heavens, the New Cotton Rivers saw, and seeing, made the world shine. The brightness caused Porsha to shut her eyes for a moment. She felt a power, growing from the nexus of her belly button and radiating bright streams through the entire length of her body.