Soul Matters

February’s Soul Matters theme (one day early): What does it mean to be a people of perseverance?

One of the ideas in this month’s Soul Matters materials is that perseverance is more than just bucking up, digging deep, and pushing on. Michael Moore offers another aspect of perseverance with a personal anecdote from his high school days: “Sometimes in band or choir, music requires players or singers to hold a note longer than they actually can hold a note. In those cases, we were taught to mindfully stagger when we took a breath so the sound appeared uninterrupted. Everyone got to breathe, and the music stayed strong and vibrant…So let’s remember the advice of music: Take a breath. The rest of the chorus will sing. The rest of the band will play. Rejoin so others can breathe. Together, we can sustain a very long, beautiful song for a very, very long time. You don’t have to do it all, but you must add your voice to the song.”

Where else in our lives does this kind of cooperative support allow everyone to persevere