Yesterday we attended a pre-lenten service at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in St. Joseph. A friend of ours is an active member of the congregation. We met her and her husband for dinner on Saturday evening, and she said that the Lost Boys of the Sudan and visitors from other African countries would be presenting a multi-lingual, African-accented service. We asked if anyone could attend. She said "yes," so we went.
It was really quite wonderful. The service was printed in English, so we were able to know what was being said. The service featured four different languages: English, Dinka, Arabic, and one that I couldn't pronounce and can't remember. The music (harmonizing vocals, accompainied by some percussion instruments that sounded much like maracas and a warm, rich, resonant drum) was fabulous, vibrant and alive. We were touched and blessed by the entire service.
It's absolutely shattering to think that these people can sing and praise God after what they've endured -- and what their country continues to endure. We are a resilient race. What a crime that we bring our worst disasters and our greatest tragedies upon our own kind.
