Black History Month

There are many celebrations during the month of Febrary. One of the celebrations is Black History Month. I have a minor in Black History Studies from Penn State, so this is a topic that is near and dear to me. I know that for many it is not, and I know that, and respect others' opinions. One thing I do love about the African American experience is our variety of expressions. One such expression is the Negro spiritual, which dates back to the time of slavery. This tradition was one of faith, struggle, communication, and a means to protection and freedom. Many times slaves would use these Nergro spirituals (songs) to share information with each other without their masters knowlege, and they were also used to give runaway slaves important information so they would not be captured.

One such Negro spiritaul is "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." It is a simple song, and it is still true today. We live in a world that seems very out of control, stressful, and violent. There are problems all over the globe. We have leaders of govenerment and industry that put their own selfness needs first, and we have people in the media that very seldom tell the truth. It can be very overwhelming at any moment. How is it possible to have faith in such troubled times? The only way is to remember who God is and that he's got everything and everyone in his hands. There is nothing that has happened, is happening, or going to happen that God does not know about. You may ask, "If God knows about it, why does he let bad things happen?" I do not know the answer to that, but I do know that God gives us free will. He allows us to make our own choices, and if we are not obeying him and operating outside of his will for us, we will have more trouble in our lives than we can handle.

We must remember God's promises to us. One of them is the promise of security. John 10:27-29 states, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish. My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

One thing I will recommend, that a pastor recommended to his church, is to include singing during your private prayer time. You can start with "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." You have nothing to worry about, and nothing to fear because there is nothing greater than God and he loves you very much. Slaves knew that so many years ago and the song is still sung today because it is true. As you embrace God, embrace the wonderful gifts that people who have lived before us have given us. They made it through the storms of life and so can we, because we are in God's hands.

The lyrics of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"

He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got the wind and the rain in his hands,
He's got the wind and the rain in his hands,
He's got the wind and the rain in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got the little tiny baby in his hands,
He's got the little tiny baby in his hands,
He's got the little tiny baby in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got you and me in his hands,
He's got you and me in his hands,
He's got you and me in his hands,
He's got the whole world in his hands.

If you have never heard this song, or don't know the melody, please click on the link below. Feel free to change the nouns in the song to make it more meaningful to you.