Time to Be Bigger
I recently saw a social media post that resonated with me more than I thought it would. I wound up playing it over and over again, because the embedded clip truly made my soul vibrate. It was from a group called Umthombo Wokuphila Ministries, and they have a YouTube channel, if you’d like to check them out. All I know is that listening to them took me right back to being a little girl in the church I grew up in, especially on communion Sundays. I remembered how the congregation would take over making the music, so that the choir, pianist, and organist could partake in the ritual. A cappella was how communions were in my home church, and we would sing hymns that I already knew were way old. “Leaning on the Lord’s Side”, “Lay Down Our Lives for the Lord”, “Heaven Belongs to You”, etc. Slow swaying, hand clapping, foot tapping/stomping, humming, and shouting would begin. Well, we typically had one shouter—God bless the dead. For me, though, the manmade percussion was everything! I loved clapping and foot tapping.
Every day of this life, I have enjoyed every age, but I can recall only twice wanting to be bigger: 1) when I was too little to see myself in the bathroom mirror (my mom remedied this by buying a wooden footstool for me) and 2) communion Sundays. On communion Sundays, I wanted to be big enough to tap my feet along with the a cappella songs. Until then, I would clap my hands so hard they hurt, and I would learn the words to every song. It felt important; it felt like a big deal for me to learn the words and feel the songs. It was about being part of the congregation and about being part of the Spirit, which was a very big deal to me. Looking back at this now, the word I would use to describe my actions is intentional. Being big takes intention and these days, it feels like it is time to be bigger.
This year particularly, and although I have seen a few resonating social media posts, in my opinion something feels different. It’s like something cracked open, a mask slipped off, something shook loose, facades broke, revelations were made, revolutions were televised. Something… Whatever portal opened up, it looks like for many, space was made, concerns were validated and as a result, fears were made smaller. People are remembering their power, and I find it an awesome thing to behold! In a time when people are losing their freedoms, fear isn’t taking hold. In fact, quite the opposite is happening. People are breathing deeper, they are seeing farther, and their voices are getting louder. I think people are beginning to believe that they can be bigger. To that end, may this line from an iconic piece of art lead you to know it.
I know there are lots of distractions in the world, but please consider supporting a cause locally or globally. If you don’t have time to give to a cause, donations are always welcomed. Check out these organizations and be sure to Google (or open and use your favorite search engine) to find others: