Shumayela

Shumayela ivangeli!
Malihambe ivangeli!

Share the good news!
Come, let us talk the gospel truth!
Come, let us walk the gospel truth!
Come let us sing the gospel truth!

This is one of the first songs of Africa I ever experienced in Africa. Crammed into a small van with Fjedur and some members of the "local music committee" of the Lutheran Church in Zululand we climbed the beautiful hills of Natal. And inside the van rose the music. We started singing "Shumayela", a simple four part song that the congregation had sung the night before on our opening concert of our tour in 1978. And the song, short as it was, would never stop. And I mean never. As the hills rolled into infinity around us so did the music. It gave me a first glimpse of an African perspective of time. Or rather of eternity. Where we would have stopped after singing a couple of "verses", our friends from the music committee just carried on. Why quit when winning? Why deny yourself the joy when it is there for the taking? Why be satisfied with time when you can have eternity?

This song will never stop. Share the good news. Eternity is there for the taking.