Kamala Harris receives prayer, likened to biblical Esther during worship at Ga. megachurch
Megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, urged his congregants to go out and vote if they hadn’t already after likening Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, to the biblical Esther who became queen of Persia and rescued her people from a murderous plot to annihilate them.
With Harris, who celebrated her 60th birthday on Sunday, sitting not far from his pulpit, Bryant preached from Esther 4:14 and pushed the conspiracy theory that The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 is a plot to destroy minority communities.
“In the words of Marvin Gaye, you can't throw up both of your hands. We've got to do something now, ladies and gentlemen. In ancient Scripture, we find an occasion where they were plotting to destroy all the minorities because they wouldn't break,” Bryant said.
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“They came up with a strategy on how it is that they could destroy minorities, and they crafted an agenda called 0025. And in Project 0025 here's what it is that we find in scriptures that they wanted to fire every person who did not agree with dictatorship. They wanted to end the independence of the Department of Justice,” he claimed.
He further pointed to the think-tank's proposal to dismantle the Department of Education, limit abortion, including the reversal of the FDA's approval of abortion pills, and make the tax code more favorable to businesses.
“They wanted to dismantle Medicare and Medicaid and wanted to stop Social Security, and they wanted to stop the cancelation of student loans, and they did not know what they were going to be able to do,” Bryant claimed.
Like Esther, Bryant suggested that Harris was called by God to lead at this time and urged black men to support her.
“Something is wrong with brothers who don't know how to support a sister. It was a sister that raised you; it was a sister that taught you how to read. It was a sister that taught you how to bathe yourself. It was a sister that raised you when other people were not around,” the megachurch pastor told his congregants as the women of his church exulted. “It takes a real man to support a real woman. And I'm so glad I got some real men in this building who are not intimidated by educated women, are not intimidated by articulate women, who are not intimidated by women who are anointed to lead.”
Bryant later extolled Harris as a modern-day Esther.
“Can I just preach to the vice president?” he asked as the congregants applauded. “Who knew that 60 years ago today, you were born to be president? You were born to lead a nation. You were born to change the trajectory of democracy. Who knows? But you were born for such a time as this.”
Bryant then accused state election officials of trying to disenfranchise voters with just two weeks to go before the presidential election on Nov. 5.
“No matter what they try, they cannot stop what is getting ready to happen. They can try to purge the roles. They can make it illegal for you to bring water and bring chairs to our seniors. They can move the polling stations. They can try to hand count the ballots. But they didn't know we are already on the midnight train in Georgia,” he declared. “Over 1 million people have already participated in early voting in Georgia.”
He also appeared to reference a song by Sean "Diddy" Combs in his message.
“I know he's in jail. I know I shouldn't quote him, but I thought I told you that ‘we can't stop,’” Bryant said. “If God has anointed us to flip the state once, we can do it again, because if God be for us, who can be against? This is an idea that cannot be stopped.”
Bryant urged his congregants to go to the polls after church and then prayed that God would assign 100,000 angels to protect Harris.
“I wish at the end of my life, the only thing they can find wrong with me is how I laugh,” Bryant said as Harris smiled before he pronounced his blessing on her.
“Lord, in the name of Jesus, I pray a hedge, fence of protection around your daughter — no hurt, harm or danger. I pray that you'll assign 100,000 angels to cover her head,” the megachurch pastor prayed.
“Thank you, dear Lord, that You have given her this moment to defy the odds in front of the entire world. Now God, not for her name, but we promise. We [are] going to give you all of the victory, not by might, not by power, but only by your Spirit.”
In her message to the church, Harris highlighted the parable of the Good Samaritan as she noted that the nation is at a crossroads.
“Each of us has an opportunity to make a difference in this moment. Our country is at a crossroads, and where we go from here is up to us, as Americans, and as people of faith. And now we ask a question. We face this question: what kind of country do we want to live in? A country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, compassion and justice?” she asked.
“Let us answer not just through our words, but through our action and with our votes when we come across our brothers and sisters in need,” Harris said.
“Let us, as the Good Samaritan did, see in the face of a stranger, a neighbor. And let us recognize that when we shine the light in moments of darkness, it will guide our feet into the path of peace. And let us remember that while weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning.”
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