It's Me, It's Me, Oh Lord---Standing in the Need of Prayer

The title of my blog, "Standing in the Need of Prayer" is derived from the impact of an interview I heard on "Speaking of Faith" with Joe Carter, one of my favorite musicians. Here's an excerpt from the interview in which he is referring to the experience of the slaves:

"And in the midst of the most horrible pain, some of these powerful individuals lived transcendent, shining lives. They were able to rise above. I mean, they were able to be loving and forgiving in midst of it all.

"Mammy was taking care of master's baby. It was mammy, not master's wife, that was nursing that little baby. Mammy could have poisoned the child. She could have smothered the child. But instead she loved the child like it was her own child. Because there was something in her faith that said, 'You're supposed to be loving. You're supposed to be kind. You're supposed to be forgiving. And there's no excuse if you're not.' You don't find mean-spirited sentiments in the spirituals...They're the most noble sentiments. You find a song like, 'It's me. It's me, oh, Lord, standing in the need of prayer, not my brother, not my sister...It's me, it's me, oh, lord, standing in the need of prayer."

This song and this history serve as powerful examples of faith and responsibility. It is a reminder that we are not always able to change the actions of others, but we always able to take responsiblity for ourselves. As Christians, we are called to pick up our cross, even when it is heavy and painful, and follow Jesus.