Waitin’ for the Mornin’

The last song in my choir's Lenten cantata was entitled, “Waitin’ for the Mornin’.” The final song had a different vibe. The previous songs told the story of the last week of Jesus’ life. They spoke of things that happened and the pain, fear and sadness of them. In the final song, each vocal part overlapped the next with the words “ … waitin’ for the mornin’ when the sun is gonna rise, gonna rise up!”

In it, we sang with anticipation and hope for what was yet to be. If you are a Christian or not, if you are spiritual but not religious, if you feel burnt out or abused by organized religion or are rightly cynical about how some do not practice what they preach, I imagine that that on this day Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, we are all in some way “ … waitin’ for the mornin’ when the sun is gonna rise.”

Like many songs before it, this one acknowledges the situations of darkness that abound. “Though the shadows of pain and death try to shroud my soul in hopelessness.” And in the next verse, it says, “when my joy and strength are almost gone.” And finally, “when darkness tries to overcome.” You don’t need me to further illustrate the realities of which these verses speak. They are with us daily on the news, in our personal lives and in the lives of those we love.

Instead, I want to point you to the daily reminder we who are fortunate enough to live near the ocean receive when the sun breaks through the clouds and appears over the horizon.

Sunrise north of North Beach Park
Photo by John Hart

Like nature around us, of which we are a part, we have a built-in resilience from the energy that created us. It empowers us to begin again and again and again. When our strength is low and hope fades, we can renew each other’s flame by believing in and acting toward the good, standing up for each other and advocating in ways big and small for the rights and dignity of each person.

Western Protestantism has often been reduced in scope to apply only to personal salvation. We forget we are part of a much larger Judeo-Christian heritage. Passover and Easter are often celebrated at or near the same time. They are the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. We cannot allow them to be stripped of their political and universal significance. They are holidays celebrating liberation of the oppressed, the dawning of justice for the marginalized and the triumph of love. Both celebrations have their roots in situations of domination by empires. There will always be Egypt. There will always be Rome. These celebrations remind us that these systems do not have the last word. Their powers are not the whole picture. They are not ultimately in charge, nor do they own or control all they seek to have dominion over.

When, despite the opposition of governments, a U.S. senator goes to El Salvador and meets with a wrongly detained and deported person and confirms to all he is alive, we can hold on and keep waitin’ for the mornin’.

When a teacher in Idaho refuses to take down her classroom sign that affirms, “Everyone is welcome here” and a local print shop gets thousands of orders for T-shirts with the same saying on it from all over the country and the world, we can keep waitin’ for the mornin’.

When those who carefully tend wounded sea turtles take them back to the ocean when they are well and watch them bravely swim out over the waves, we can hold on and keep waitin’ for the mornin’.

When someone who is not accustomed to public speaking garners their courage to speak for justice for those who are marginalized before an official body, we can hold on and keep waitin’ for the mornin’.

When the National Cathedral commits to holding an interfaith prayer service before the inauguration no matter who wins an election and the Episcopal Bishop preaches at the service and asks for mercy for the marginalized and then Congress tries to censure her but the Bill just sits in committee, we can hold on and keep waitin’ for the mornin’.

When we refuse to accept that empathy is the weakness of our civilization despite what the richest person in the world says, we can keep waitin’ for the mornin’.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that “ … darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.” As you mark this weekend however you celebrate or not, be one of those who continues to look for the dawning of the light and keep waitin’ for the mornin’ because the sun IS gonna rise, rise up.

(Waitin’ for the Mornin’, words and music by Pepper Choplin.)