The wake is over. George Floyd’s homegoing service was carried by every major outlet around the world. From PBS to CNN to FOX to the BBC and beyond, the world had wall to wall coverage of a four hour funeral for a black man whose name was unknown to all but a few people just two weeks ago. So, what did all those viewers see and hear?
Co-pastor Mia Wright welcomed us in to The Fountain of Praise church in Houston for “a home-going celebration of brother George Floyd’s life.” What does that mean? Did the world catch that? What does it mean to go home when we die? It is a reference to the reality that this world is not our home. Heaven is.
Did you notice people were dressed in white? Did you wonder why? (see Daniel 7:9, Luke 9:29, Revelation 3:4-5, 18, 4:4, 6:11, 7:9, 13, 19:14)
Lines were read from several Psalms – 121, 91, 46 and 24 – giving assurance of God’s presence and power and help in times of trouble.
And yes, the spoken words were many – and there was lots of politics – but there was also gospel music that rang true and loud and long. Jesus was exalted and honest hymns were sung to a faithful God.
The choir sang – consider how unique that is today. The Gospel in Andrae Crouch’s “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” filled the church – and spread across the world as the service was streamed. People who are living in doubt and feel powerless heard these words:
It soothes my doubts and calms my fears and it dries all my tears / The blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power. “What blood is this that has such power,” they may have asked. And if they did, they heard the answer in the intonation of the name of Jesus.
If you listened live with knowledge of the Bible’s themes and overarching redemptive narrative, you heard those strains throughout Rev. Al Sharpton’s eulogy. But if you read the mainstream media’s reporting, you miss all that. Tragic.
But Sharpton wasn’t the only speaker to weave faith-based and faith-filled content into his message. And again, there was the music.
Remember, the WORLD heard this, experienced this, is now considering this…
Michael Tolds singing My Soul Has been Anchored in the Lord.
and this…
Yes, there was politics and political speech but there was also Gospel – sung and read and spoken.
There was the public declaration that we need a Savior. True Truth. Now and always. True Truth.
Oh, and did I mention, the Gospel was declared in the singing of the faith?
