You'll Never Walk Alone

 In recent weeks I keep coming back to the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" originally by Gerry and the Pacemakers but covered countless times by the like so of Elvis and even Marcus Mumford (seriously check that cover out).  The transformative tune was brought to my attention by the documentary "This is Football" on Prime video.  In the film we learn that this unifying modern hymn is the club song of Liverpool (an english football [aka Soccer] club) that unites the fan base at every match.  In a beautiful display of the power of the lyrics, Rwandan victims of their country's genocide, and now orphans, have used this song as a mantra for life and have found love and community around the song and the fandom of the Liverpool squad.

Think of that -- Orphans of a genocide living the truth, "you'll never walk alone".  Love it.

This song so beautifully illustrates the persistence of an ever present community that is always with us when we carry hope in our hearts.  A powerful loving community that expresses to us that even when we are walking through the toughest of seasons and when we feel the most alone -- we are not.  The lyrics are as follows:

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When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm
There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone

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This is a worship song to me.  It expresses the truth that God has given us the Holy Spirit and God has given us one another.  It is meant to be sung in community, together, to others in our community.  It expresses the inhale and exhale nature of our cyclical world.  That the storms pass, golden sky comes BUT doesn't sugarcoat the fact that wind, rain and broken dreams will be with you along the way.  You just need to keep walking.  

The way of the new wine of Jesus is the way of being met in our suffering by the one who has already suffered all the things we could possibly suffer.  Jesus meets us in that and we are not alone.  Our friends, family and chosen family hold our hands, put their arms around our shoulders silently in solidarity all the while not knowing how solve, help or fix anything.  The spirit somehow lifts us up, if only an inch, so we can put our next foot down without having to destroy ourselves with numbing behaviors.  We aren't better but we aren't alone.  Sad things are still true, but we are never alone -- not in this place or on the journey.  

Not feeling anything isn't the answer -- its the opposite.  Feeling and naming our feelings and stumbling through them is the way.  It's the only way and it's the way we have been shown.  Being so distressed in prayer that you sweat drops of blood isn't exactly the same thing as the puritan influenced "don't let anyone tell what is actually going on with you" way of living.  We have confused the culturally accepted way of relating with the way of Jesus.  They aren't the same.  One is just being white.  One is acknowledging our human condition and feeling what we feel even when we can't don anything about it.  

All the powers and principalities in this world that desire influence, power so they can "get ahead" don't care for the treasure that is your life.  Don't give it to them.  Your community cares, your people care (even if your people is only one person), your loving savior Jesus cares and the spirit cares enough to fill you with a hope and peace that can carry you to your next step. 

Peace to you today as you walk and know that you'll never walk alone.