Years ago, I was in a church service in Uganda. The time period was right after dictator Idi Amin was exiled. The country was in shambles. Amin became known as the “Butcher of Uganda” for his brutality. It is believed that some 300,000 people were killed during his presidency.
The people were grieving the loss of many family members that day, and the Scripture reading was from the poignant book, Lamentations 5.
“Happiness has gone out of our lives;Â grief has taken the place of our dances.”
By the end of the worship service, there were tears and wails of lament. Yet, those tears turned into song, and the people began to praise God with their singing and dancing. I am reminded of the beautiful prayer of St. Augustine:
“God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Â Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honor and glory. Amen.”
When our days are long and filled with grief, may we learn to “tune our hearts to brave music.”
God of the Sparrow 🌱 By Kathy Manis Findley 