The Cross
James H. Cone argues that for the African American community, the symbol of the cross takes on a new meaning. After the experience of racial lynchings in the 20th Century, many African Americans understood and interpreted the symbol of the cross in a different way, and, the cross became a metaphor for the suffering of African Americans.
Wound metaphor
Cone writes about the importance of healing the "wounds of racial violence that continue to divide our church and society." These wounds are a metaphor for the suffering and hardships African Americans experienced due to slavery, racism, and segregation. Cone refers to the impact of this as being a "wound," to suggest a sense of pain and to also emphasize the fact that the suffering has not been healed.
Church simile
Cone describes his experiences of going to church growing up, saying that "people shouted, clapped their hands, and stomped their feet as if a powerful, living reality of God's Spirit had transformed them." Here, Cone uses a simile to describe their celebrations and dancing, saying it was if they had been transformed by God.
Volcano simile
Cone refers to the memory of lynching in the African American consciousness, saying that these memories are "so painful that they... try to keep these horrors buried deep down in their consciousness, until, like a dormant volcano, they erupt uncontrollably." Cone uses the image of a volcano in order to emphasize the uncontrollable nature of these emotions and the force and devastating impact they have.
