By Michele McGrath of Long Beach, California USA

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God... Suddenly…the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

The news that day was dominated by a mass shooting, an oil spill threatening an entire ecosystem, a damaging flood attributed to climate change, and stories of political corruption. In other words, sadly, it was a day much like any other day.

But that particular day, everything seemed to weigh extra heavily on my soul, and I felt a sense of hopelessness that things would ever really change for the better. I just couldn’t see the way forward. Imagine how much more hopeless the situation of Paul and Silas must have appeared to the other prisoners in the jail that dark night. But Paul and Silas had hope in the gospel that accompanied them in the most difficult times. So…they sang!

So…I sang. I went to church with a heavy heart that Sunday, but I sang songs of praise and confession, proclamation and commitment. With the sacred community gathered there, my heart lifted, the chains appeared less permanent, the situation less bleak, the future hopeful because of the God who makes a way when there is no way.

Isn’t it amazing that singing together is a communal spiritual practice that shakes the foundations, opens the doors, and unfastens the chains? I remember the role sacred singing played in the U.S. civil rights movement and realize this scriptural story is so true it happens over and over again.

So, when you find yourself in the midnight moments of life, imprisoned in hopelessness, remember that singing together is a gift that restores hope and forms us for redemptive action in Christ’s name. Let’s sing!

Prayer Phrase

“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Deepening Roots

A tree with superficial roots will wither during drought, or severe storms may uproot it. A tree whose roots go deep is stable and draws from deep waters. Imagine yourself as a tree by a river or stream. Sense your roots extending deep into the earth in search of God’s Spirit. Reflect or pray about what you hope to find as your spirit searches for deeper identity in God.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.