Be One

I was able to watch the "Be One" celebration over the weekend for our church.  It was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of allowing all worthy men to be ordained to the priesthood.  And it was particularly celebrating the event of black men being able to receive the priesthood.  I cannot begin to describe how inspiring this program was!

I am so grateful for how much the African American culture has brought to our church, and watching this program made me realize how much I truly have to learn from their stories.  Black American pioneer stories as well as Black African pioneer stories.  When I use the word pioneer, I mean new to the gospel, not necessarily people who walked the plains (although there were a few accounts of blacks who walked the plains as well.) It is truly amazing to me how much they have gone through with racism, prejudice and segregation and yet their stories tell of only strength, persistence, and faith in the one true God.  The stories of the hardships that were shared during the program gave me renewed strength in facing my own hardships in life.

And wow was that music powerful! I still cannot get over it.  (I watched it today actually).  And that opening song by the choir brought me to tears immediately and I just cried throughout the rest of the program.  Gospel music is so so powerful.  Reverent music can bring the spirit as well, but I have to be honest.  I feel it much more strongly when people are raising their voices in grand amens, praising the Lord with all that they have.  That's what inspires me.  And that's what the African American community has brought to our church.  And I only hope to see more of it!

I just have to share the lyrics of the opening song they sang, "More than I Can Bear." Because those words were just so so beautiful and touched me so deeply.

I've gone through the fire

And I've been through the flood

I've been broken into pieces

Seen lightning flashing from above

But through it all, I remember

That he loves me

And he cares

And he'll never put more on me

Than I can Bear

...

His Word said he won't

I Believe It

I received it

I claim it

It's mine

(my deliverance)

It's mine

(My healing)

It's mine

(my joy)

No He'll never put more on me

Than I can Bear

Powerful stuff. Now imagine listening to it with a huge choir of powerful voices, giving it all they've got.  Mind. Blown.  (Look it up on you tube, seriously). The African American community has gone through so so much in American history and the history of the world.  And yet through it all, they have so much strength to offer and they are such an example of faith to me.  And they still go through so much.  Seeing the meshing of their culture with our church culture was so so cool.  And I'm just happy this program was put on and that I got to be a part of it (in the viewing it from my couch sort of way.) 

I'm so glad we have opportunities to learn from each other. And that through sharing our differences and our experiences with each other, we can truly work towards becoming one.  We can all do better with our own prejudices and to do that we must be willing to learn from one another and "Be One," as the title of the program suggests.  I know hearing different experiences of Black members of our church through this program has inspired me in so many ways.  I want to be better and to do all that I can to become one with all of my brothers and sisters of the world.