The Great Emancipator

Last night Charlie and I went to GOSPEL MEETS SYMPHONY at EJ Thomas. The packed out 16th annual event was in honor of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, coming up February 12. And you thought I was old! :-) Charlie and I have long been collectors of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia, and huge admirers of his courage and integrity. We are huge music lovers, and so the night was guaranteed to be a great success just with those ingredients . But, we got there and got to sit with John and Bonnie (John's the great sax player at Cornerstone) and our friend from church Barb Salak had a solo (way to go, Barb!) All good stuff! The greatest of all was hearing and watching the true symphony woven from two kinds of music--classical and gospel--and the harmony of African-American and caucasian musicians worshiping together.

Every now and then something happens to show me how little I still know. After THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER was sung and we were seated, majestic notes began and a wave of people began standing again. I didn't know why, but when everyone else was standing, I figured I would , too, and find out why later. I googled it and found out. The beautiful song for which we stood was called LIFT YOUR VOICES, and has been known as THE NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM. It was oringinally written in 1899 by James Weldon Johnson for a celebration of Lincoln's birth. The inspiring words lift me. Thank God--we aren't where we ought to be, we aren't where we will be, but PRAISE GOD! We aren't where we were!:

Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod,Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,God of our silent tears,Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light,Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, Our God, where we met Thee;
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,May we forever stand.
True to our GOD,True to our native land.

Amen. Let it be so.