Kumbaya

My Mom is a retired music teacher.  Technically though, music teachers don't retire, they just quit so they can get into more treble.  That's really not funny unless you know my Mom who hasn't been in trouble since she was approximately two years old and you also know enough about music to know what the treble clef is.  Also, my Mom has a shirt that reads "Here comes treble" with a picture of a trombone on it.  It makes me laugh when I see her wearing it since it's been 73 years since she was last in trouble.

When I think back on my childhood, I have very few memories that don't have music tied to them somehow.  I remember family gatherings that almost always had singing around the piano involved at some point.  We were doing the Gaither Friend thing around the piano long before Gaithers were.  At night, I fell asleep to the sounds of Mom practicing her trombone.  I knew who Bill Pearce was before I knew there might be a Santa Claus for Pete's sake!

What on Earth does any of that have to do with Kumbaya?

I hated Kumbaya.  I mean I really didn't like that song at all.  Mom made us sing it anyway but I don't ever recall doing it at church.  I think she might have noticed us rolling our eyes and making other faces at each other every time we had to sing it.  If this was after the Reach Out to Jesus fiasco, then she had good reason not to ever have us try this one in public.  That's a story for another post.

One day, I grew up.  It was truly that fast.  One night I was rolling my eyes at my sisters and the next day I said, "Do you guys know what Kumbaya really means?"

"No."  They were kind of snarky about it too, I might add.  Because I really think they thought it wasn't a real song.  I believe they thought Mom might have made up the music after I invented the words.  Their misgivings were not without some merit; I was known to make up words from time to time and Mom was pretty adept at writing music.  It's a stretch of course, but I can see where they might have thought this was some test Mom and I were forcing them to take. 

Alas, neither Mom nor myself can take credit for the song.

Kumbaya, is a Spiritual that was sung by the Gullah people who lived on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia (i.e. think Hilton Head).  The Gullah language is actually Creole, plus English and a lot of words from the languages of west Africa mixed in.  West Africa was the Gullahs' homeland.

Literally, kumbaya means "come by here". 

Someone's laughing Lord, kumbaya.
Someone's crying Lord, kumbaya.
Someone's praying Lord, kumbaya.
Oh, Lord, kumbaya.

When I finally grew up, I figured out that this very simple song, is packed with a really powerful request of a Mighty, Heavenly Father.  Simply put, it's a plea for God to come by, stop by, sit beside me for a spell and listen because I need you to hear something I have to say.  I've gone from rolling my eyes at my Mother's back while singing it, to barely being able to get through it when we play it on the kid's CD.

That's because when God comes by here, lives are transformed, people are forgiven, He hears our prayers and sometimes we grow up and start to see things in a different light, a better light, His light. 

Lord, come by here!  Incline Your ear.  Listen to my prayer.  There's a lot of stuff going on down here.  Someone is hurting.  Someone else is laughing with joy at a blessing you have given them.  Others are sick; physically and spiritually.  People are dying in earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis.  Our country seems to slip further and further away from You with each day that goes by and it seems like freedom is slipping away.  But Lord, come by here, listen, because someone wants to praise You.  Because You are the Creator who holds the Earth in balance, You can heal, You can comfort, true freedom is found only through You and You alone are worthy to be praised.  

Kumbaya, Lord. 

Come by here.

Psalm 17:6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

Psalm 88:2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; 3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

This video isn't the best and unfortunately the end of the song is cut off.  However, the harmonies in this rendition of Kumbaya are outstanding.  (Make sure you go down to the bottom of the page and turn off playlist before you start the video.)