In Dark Times, Our Institutions Can Offer Hope, Help Us Flourish
Publication Date
10-18-2022
Publication
Religion News Services
Document Type
Article
Abstract
(RNS) — My father died quite unexpectedly at age 53. He’d been remarkably healthy and just passed a stress test for a life insurance policy. And then, one Sunday afternoon in the middle of July, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
During the funeral, the choir stood up after the benediction and had a surprise for my mom, the former choir director. They started to sing the “Hallelujah” chorus. My first thought was: “This isn’t right. I don’t feel like singing hallelujah. I have other choice words in my head right now.”
But then something incredible started to happen, as my brother and sister noted. Almost involuntarily, we all started standing straight up. And then my brother told me he noticed that pretty soon, I was actually on my tiptoes as the choir gave praise to God. The beauty, brought forth by an institution I had no desire to be in at that moment, called me out of myself into the vision of the love and praise of God.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Gregory, "In Dark Times, Our Institutions Can Offer Hope, Help Us Flourish" (2022). Public Intellectual Writing. 7.
https://repository.belmont.edu/gregoryjones_public/7
