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Leviticus 23:1–8; Psalm 31:9–16; Luke 22:1–13
We Shall Overcome
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday.
Oh, if in our hearts we do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
We’ll walk hand in hand . . .
We shall all have peace . . .
We are not afraid . . .
God is on our side . . .
—Songs of Zion, 127
What makes an impression on my heart when engaging the Spirituals is their dogged faith in God. And from that deep sense of faith, hope rises. The Lenten journey has been long and it can even be exhausting. There have been challenges. There have been trials. There have been ups and downs. Valleys, lonesome valleys, dangerous valleys, vicious valleys. Yet despite the fright of the dark nights of the soul, somehow, someday, we can say, “We shall overcome.” We shall all have peace. We are not afraid. Why? I believe there are two reasons.
First, there is a we not me. We are not alone on this journey. We have companionship and a community on the way. I find it interesting that it’s not “I” shall overcome but “we” shall overcome. I can’t really overcome without you overcoming. It is a collective victory. Second, and most important, we don’t have to be afraid because “God is on our side.” The presence of God brings assurance and hope that we shall overcome someday. This wasn’t new for the leaders of the civil rights movement in the United States of the 1960s; this faith was rooted in the deep spirituality of the enslaved and continues to breathe today. Remember, the life of faith includes “we,” and the “we” is how God wants it to be on the journey. Don’t forget those who helped you overcome and those who need you to help them overcome. And most of all, don’t forget the God who brings us all out in victory!
Prayer for the Day
God, lead us to be on your side so that we shall overcome, not just someday, but every day.
Scripture
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