I have a very small repertoire of songs I sing to my kiddo – a few easy-to-remember gospel songs that I sometimes feel a bit weird about singing, now that he’s 8 and can total clue into the lyrics, because I actually don’t know how to explain what it means to “go down to the river to pray, and who shall wear the robe and crown“… and I was totally stumped when he asked me what a pilgrim is. I just chose those songs because I can sing them while half-falling asleep, each verse is basically the same verse, changed up with a different family member…

Anyway. Navigating soulful secular child-rearing is a topic for another day. Today, I wanted to share this song, because it feels like one worth committing to memory. I’m on a bit of a Rising Appalachia kick since my friend Dawn shared Resilient with me – it’s become my daily dance party slash theme song.

Obviously, I’m playing it often enough, in the background, on repeat, as I walk, that youtube served me this, and the way the girls introduce it, in concert, (you can check it out here at 51 minutes) was beautiful, and inspired me to share here. In case you need something to hum along to, or sing to your loved ones, without fear of having to explain anything tricky… it really explains itself.

“We want to put this song out as homework for us all, in this current strange divisive time that we found ourselves in, to open your circles up and talk to some people who didn’t vote like you, who don’t look like you, aren’t in your same neighbourhood. We’ve got to get rid of these contrary sides of our country. One on one conversations between people on the ground is what’s going to bring people back together. So here’s to widening up our circles.”

WIDER CIRCLES

We are moving in wider Circles

We are opening our circle

We are moving in wider circles

We are opening our circle

Oh be compass

I’ll be your light house

Speak your words with triumph

And I will watch your mouth

I’ll march with you my sister

To your place of fearing

We’ll dive into those waters

Swim into the clearing

We’ll always keep our heads up

We’ll always sing along

We’ll walk the path of kindness

Know where we belong

And I’ll march with you my brother

To the mountain top

We’ll hold back the dynamite

Make the rumble stop

Oh be a pillar

I’ll be your mockingbird

We’ll sing the rock of ages

Yes we will be heard

Lets form a great salvation

Through harmony and sound

We’ll know the shape of progress 

Like nature, is always round