Sing Alleluia and keep walking

“So, brethren, let us sing Alleluia,
not in the enjoyment of
heavenly rest, but to sweeten our toil.
Sing as travelers sing along the road: but keep walking.
Solace your toil by singing– do not yield to idleness.
Sing but keep on walking.
What do I mean by ‘walking’?
I mean, press on from good to better.
The apostle says that there are some who go from bad to worse.
But if you press on, you keep on walking.
Go forward then in virtue, in true faith and right conduct.
Sing up – and keep walking.”

St. Augustine of Hippo in his Sermon 256

The Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton referenced this in her blog today and it spoke to me of our struggles to make a better country. It spoke to me of Episcopalians across the USA trying to hold our church together. It spoke to me, Janet, telling me to keep working as I praise God, and telling me to sing my praises as I work.

I tend to do one or the other. Praises and prayer for me most of the time mean sitting or kneeling in stillness, and those times of stillness do feed and strengthen me. The times when I actively try to keep clean the chalkboard of my mind and just BE with God, not always, not even usually, but occasionally I am so blessed I know that God and I are together in the stillness. I am sure that St. Augustine isn't telling us to give up these times.

But when I work? When I'm shoulder-deep in the planning or execution of a protest or a rally or a march? I know God is with me, God is with me always. I'm always aware of that promise and always secure in knowing God keeps it. And God has always played a part in my impetus. But in the organized chaos? The "how do we work this rented microphone?" and "should we wait for more people?" and "can't we march a little faster?" In that hurry up and wait gait of any protest march I've ever been in? I don't always remember to praise God during those times. Okay, so I rarely remember to praise God in those times. And I rarely even speak God's name in the planning process.

We can make all sorts of excuses. We can blame the other followers of Christ for making our co-workers so antsy about Christians. And we know, a lot of them really ARE leary of those who speak of their religions out loud. We say God or Jesus and part of our crowd starts to fade back into the woodwork. Is it that reason we don't praise God out loud while we work? Because it's expedient considering our damaged friends? I don't know that answer, but I'm resolving to stop using the excuses. Praise God for the weather that seems to always mean "braved the harsh weather" is included in whatever press coverage we receive. Praise God for all the people who see our issues as important enough to come out to support. Praise God to lighten our load, to make the marching seem shorter.

For we must press on from good to better. We hear the phrase "from bad to worse" all the time, let us make "from good to better" our rallying cry. As we devote ourselves to improving what we have, we need to not forget to praise God for what we have. It WILL shorten our path. It WILL lighten our load.

So me and St. Augustine say to you: Sing Alleluia and keep on walking!