Despite the fact that every minute of this Holy Week really should be devoted to some sort of spiritual and musical preparation, I couldn’t help pausing over my morning cup of tea and reading this article in my newly-arrived issue of the Christian Century:  “Now can we sing?” by William H. Willimon.  I thought that it would be relevant to pause for a moment and share a couple of passages that will keep me going on this walk through this week of service and prayer:

“As darkness fell upon Port-au-Prince afte rthe earth heaved that January night, pele danced in the streets and sang hymns. …The insufferably earnest releases from our church agency presume that the morally attuned mong us, the truly courageous, are the ones with the guts to admit how bad things are in this terribly flawed, fallen world. …

     But those singing-through-their tears Haitians make me wonder”  a truly theological analysis suggests that we may be meant by God for music, destined for joy.”

And….

“As far as I can tell, there’s only one thing we know that the world doesn’t:  we know another story.  In the gloom, on the margins, there are women singing with Wesley and without earthly justification.  Their only rationale is theological.  They have leared the secret about God and can’t help singing.  The God who could have been sovereign chose rather to be love.  Dare we risk defiant delight?  Listen, in Port-au-Prince they are singing:  Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”

Thank you, Rev. Willimon…I needed that today.