African Spirit

Last week I had the honour and privilege to go and see the Soweto Gospel Choir perform live at the Robert Blackwood Concert Hall at Monash University, Clayton Campus here in Melbourne.

A week later and all I can say is “WOW!” The name of this tour and album are a true reflection of what you will experience, the African Spirit… Sitting in that concert hall, I forgot where I was. For a few hours, I felt like I was back at home! Back in Zimbabwe. I had almost forgotten what the African Spirit felt like. I connected with God in a unique way as the music, dance and culture saturated my soul and spirit.

The music was divine and I found myself singing along to songs that I knew and loved as well as being touched by the new songs! The sound was angelic and even if you didn’t understand what they were saying, the message definitely came across through the spirit in the music. It was authentically African with no apologies, drawing tears from my eyes as I realised how much I love and miss Africa. The African flavour cannot be duplicated or matched, the life that is in it is just incomparable.

What is the African Spirit? For fear of doing it injustice I will just briefly give a few of my insights. I believe the African Spirit is rejoicing even when circumstance does not give reason to rejoice, it is finding beauty in spite of surrounding ugliness, it is unity and a hope for peace and love. I believe the African Spirit is passionate, intricate and strong and has an unsearchable depth to it! I would even go as far as to, cautiously, say that the African Spirit is a unique impartation or manifestation of the Holy Spirit of God!

The Soweto Gospel Choir made me proud to be African. They made me embrace my heritage and see hope for the continent that has been written off my most of the world! I have not written off Africa! I have a dream to see it unified through the Holy Spirit. I pray God will include me in the spiritual revival that will take place in Africa. The songs of the Soweto Gospel Choir are prophetic and speak to this generation and the ones to come!

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Isn’t it funny how uncertain life is, often you look back and you wonder how you ever got to where you are. The funny thing is that most of the time we never see things coming. At the beginning of this year, while everyone around me was making New Year’s resolutions I sat back thinking how is life going to surprise me this year. My gosh, this year (so far) has been nothing as I expected it to be and i'm sure there are plenty of surprises on the way.

When I look back at last year, it was a year that was riddled with many happy and sad moments that took me by surprise. We have to realise that things in life are always changing, friends come and go, happy and hard times come and go, things that initially bring you joy become a source of pain and situations that once comforted you make you writhe with unease.

Therefore, as I look into the future I wonder what tomorrow brings. Part of it scares me as disappointment is always around the corner, and guess what? You'll never see it coming! One thing realised is that breakthrough is right around the corner too. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that even though things are always changing, God will always be the same. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! Knowing that God is always for me and that His love is unconditional and never changing. Knowing that Jesus has a plan for my life that includes all the hiccups, highs and lows keeps me on top and optimistic.

So, as change comes, all I can say is “Bring it on!”