Songs for the Soul

The School week ended this past week with a chapel service of music.  All kinds of music:  Organ music, African drums, Spirituals, Praise and worship.  My sould was full to the brim when I left that chapel.  Talents I didn't know existed were showcased.  Chill bumps covered my arms, tears welled up in my eyes, I fought a lump in my throat.  All of these symptoms of a joyous moment of awe that I am sitting where I am sitting.  I am at Emory University pursuing my MDIV after 30 years of obstacles leading to this very season.  I am in awe that I have a supportive family and supportive friends who are enabling me to be on this journey.  I am in Awe that in those 30 years of seeking, searching, coming near to giving up, that God never gave up on me but kept calling my name.  "Here I am LORD, send me!  I continue to listen to that still small voice and here is one of the things the still small voice said to me this week.  "Sometimes activism is necessary, Sometimes it is time to cry out to God and to the people for change."  The Israelites were in distress in the Wilderness and they cried out!  This summer I was asked to cry out simply by providing Chaplaincy services to a group of people who were staging a sit in over an issue that was oppresive to them.  I agreed that this was oppressive and change needed to take place.  However, I let fear speak instead of my voice speak.  I turned them down citing my family, possible television exposure, fear of retaliation from my denomination and such as my reason.  Persons I am aquainted with were arrested during this time and I was not there to be the hands and feet of God wrapping them up in love.  This past week at school I attended a meeting of sacred worth, an organization in Candler School of Theology which advocates for the sacred worth of ALL individuals.  On the agenda for this meeting was a vote as to whether or not the group should sign off on a letter requesting that Chick-Fil-A be removed from our campus due to it's financial support of organizations that are aggressive/oppressive to the GLBTQ community.  When this situation first hit the news I was not in support of boycotting Chick-Fil-A.  My belief is that one could interview the CEO of every business that business is conducted with and find some philanthropic endeaveor that is in conflict with ones on morals and values.  Why single out this one?  I had a conversation with my cousin about it later.  She pointed me to an article that alleges that one of the groups supported by Chick-Fil-A, The Family Research Council, was present in Uganda in support of legislation there that would make being GLBT a capitol offense.  While I have not researched the valdity of this claim, I am appaled at myself for not researching more before making a decision on how I would handle this issue in my own life.  So for now, like the children of Israel, I cry out!  Regardless of my beliefs regarding GLBT, I do know that I value the worth of all lives and that murder is not the just answer.  I continue to have conflictual feelings about activism as I tend to be a relationship builder seeking reconcilliation.  However, I will be less quick to judge activism in the future and more diligent about researching issues that others see as worthy of activism.