Many of the “Masses” of Black People have something that is truly undervalued in this “trust no one but yourself” society. These Lumpens of society, if they are believers in Jesus Christ, actually have something of great value that neither hatred, ridicule, nor cynicism can’t snatch from them. Because its value is buried in their hearts and minds, and this value is our ability to praise God! And inside of that praise is the gift of experiencing the inexplicable, unexplainable, and unspeakable, heartfelt joy of the Lord Jesus Christ!
To onlookers and outsiders looking in, this joy looks like sheer madness and complete stupidity. To the “rational” minded, this joy makes them want to go irrational! This joy forces them to seethe and create the misanthropic hatred that wells up whenever that rational minded one looks upon these “Jesus freaks” time and again relinquishing their rationality for a piece of the peace that makes no sense in the midst of every type and sort of pain.
We black folks seem to be there with this praise, for the most part. But where does this praise song mentality come from and why do so many of us keep going back there? Once and for all, is it stupid of us to keep going THERE? Is it that some of us instinctively know and understand that this world we live in is a fallen world? And that all the atrocities we see and commit, have already been seen and committed by peoples of all races and nationalities before us? And will be seen and committed by peoples of all races and nationalities after we of this era are long dead? And do some of us instinctively know and understand that it is the height of futility to even talk about a fallen world being restored by our own human strength? By our own ideas and ideals about it? Our own mental wrestlings about it when we ourselves contribute to the fallen nature of this world by our own human natures? Thank God that we can ease the pain with praise!
Maybe we black folks are not far off with our praise songs. Let the Wailers and the Soweto Gospel Choir ease your spirits!
Lyrics to One Foundation :
Got to build our love on one foundation;
Got to build our love on one foundation;
Got to build our love on one foundation.There will never be – yeah! – no love at all;
There will never be no love at all.Got to put aside them segregation, yeah!
Got to put aside them organization;
Got to put aside them denomination.
There will – there will never be no love at all;
I mean there will never be no love at all.(Got to build our love) So build our love
(on one foundation) On one foundation;
(Got to build our love) Come, let us build our love
(on one foundation) On one solid foundation.
(Got to build our love) Got to build our love
(on one) on one foundation (foundation),
Or there will never be a single drop of love;
you won’t have no freedom now, yeah!Got to come together
We are birds of a feather;
We got to come together
‘Cause we are birds of a feather;
Got to come together
‘Cause we are birds of a feather;
Or there will never be (Lord, have mercy!) no love at all –
There will never be – yeah, yeah! – no love at all.We also got to realize we are one people, yeah!
Got to realize that we are one people, yeah!
We got to realize we are one people,
Or there will never be no love at all –
There will never, never, never be no love at all.Got to build our love on one foundation;
Got to build our love on one foundation;
Got to build our love on one foundation;
Got to build our love on one foundation.
Why boasteth thyself
Oh, evil men
Playing smart
And not being clever?
I said, you’re working iniquity
To achieve vanity (if a-so a-so)
But the goodness of Jah, Jah
I-dureth for-I-verSo if you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Ready to cut you down (well sharp)
To cut you downThese are the words (oooh ooh ooh, oooh)
Of my master, keep on tellin’ me (ooh ooh ooh)
No weak heart
Shall prosper
eh! And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it, fall in it
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it (… fall in it)If you are the big tree, let me tell you that
We are the small axe, sharp and ready
Ready to cut you down (well sharp)
To cut you down(Ooh ooh ooh, oooh)
(To cut you down)
(Ooh ooh ooh, oooh)
(To cut you down)These are the words
Of my master, tellin’ me that
No weak heart
Shall prosper
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it, uh, bury in it
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall bury in it, uh (… bury in it)If you are the big tree,
we are the small axe
ready to cut you down
to cut you down
Listen to young South Africans sing praise songs from their hearts to the Lord!
Lyrics:
*Thina Simnqobile means, we have overcome the Devil.Hes fleeing away
We have overcome him
We have overcome him
By the blood of the Lamb
We have overcome the Devilnanguyana eyoshona x2
uyabaleke uyabaleka usathane
thina simnqobile usathani x3
ngegazi elemvana
Oh hail, Oh hail Lion of Judah You are the Head of the Church Alpha and Omega The beginning and the end. Oh Great and Mighty God Seated on the Heavenly throne You are the shield of truth holy city/bayete Jerusalem, Jerusalem Lift up your voice and sing Hosanna in the highest Hosanna to the King We salute you my Lord We salute the heavens We salute you my LordBayete – Bayete
U hi ngwenyama ya Kwa-Juda
U hi ntloko ye bandla
Ungu alpha no omega
Isiqalo nesi phethoKulo thixo omkhulu
Ose lulwini
Yena ulikhakha
Khakha le nyaniso
afrospear.wordpress.com 
WOW!!! Beautiful, uplifting, inspiring, thought-provoking and soul building! We should never forget, that we are indeed a spiritual people, regardless of where we reside or whatever we are going through! This post has certainly blessed my upcoming week! Thanks for this Sis. Anna!
Joy…Joy…. My heart is thumping and my spirit is soaring. Thanks for this!
Talking of the Wailers, they touch on that deep place of the Spirit within, that connection with the Most High God which teaches us to connect with each other!
Talking of the SGC, they speak to that beautiful high place of the Spirit within, that compels us to give thanks and praises to the Most High God and experience I AM’s Beauty, in spite of everything and anything that’s going on around you!!!
It’s all food and sustenance for our hungry spirits!
One Love.
“This is part of what’s wrong with you — you do too much singing. Today it’s time to stop singing and start swinging. You can’t sing up on freedom, but you can swing up on some freedom.” AGREE?
“Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your — your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action. ”
“The modern 20th century weapon of neo-imperialism is “dollarism.” The Zionists have mastered the science of dollarism: the ability to come posing as a friend and benefactor, bearing gifts and all other forms of economic aid and offers of technical assistance. Thus, the power and influence of Zionist Israel in many of the newly “independent” African nations has fast-become even more unshakeable than that of the 18th century European colonialists… and this new kind of Zionist colonialism differs only in form and method, but never in motive or objective.”
“They cripple the bird’s wing, and then condemn it for not flying as fast as they.”
Courtesy of MX
Disagreed! LOL! Black people are in no true position to swing up on anything because they aren’t organized well enough to do that. We have no military might behind us in the black freedom fight–maybe the FOI (Fruit of Islam) but not really. So we have to fight covertly.
Singing uplifts a broken spirit, which has no strength to fight for anything. Singing renews a sagging spirit that is on the verge of giving up. A good spiritual or hymn will reinvigorate that spirit to continue on in the fight.
Back in slavery days, many of the “songs” were codes for plans to escape to freedom and to those who facilitated it. Black folks did a lot of singing because it lulled ole massa to sleep in more ways than one.
Singing is more than just entertainment for someone else. Though these songs may be entertaining those who don’t know, they are empowering those who do!
Beautiful. garments, music, everything. I’d like to make my head covering like the women in the middle video.
Aren’t they beautiful?!
YES!
I am going to try today lol. I just don’t have the same vibrant colors as they do…..
I used to wear them all the time years ago. They are folded neatly somewhere in my storage bags. I must get them out. They are beautiful as well as the women they adorn.