The ship was taking on water from the storm at an alarming rate and the possibility of the vessel broaching became eminent.  Over five hundred passengers plus the crew had little hope for survival from the raging sea.   The Captain fearing the worst stood alone on the deck crying out for “GOD have mercy” on his ship and the six hundred plus souls on board.  Survive they did and  later that night in his cabin the Captain entered in the ships log the events along with the accounting of his total surrender to the fate of Providence. The rest of his life he would observed the May 10 as the day he became subject to a higher power.

I can hear the questions now: “Where’s he going?” Well here is my objective.  Our lives and our passions are intertwined with History and the makers of History.  Our Captain continued operating his vessel for seven more years, however there was a difference.  There was a noticeable change in his attitude.  You see those five Hundred plus passengers were Slaves from Africa being delivered to the new land of America.  Five Hundred souls jammed into a space that would uncomfortably fit less that one hundred. They were stripped of clothing and laid side by side and head to foot with the next person like a vast carpet woven out of human bodies. On these voyages aside from the misery and crying he would hear a Humming and Chanting from the slaves.  Just a simple five note chant.  Rhythmic and full of emotion that seared its’ way into his soul never to leave him in his lifetime.

Eventually our Captain took on different life’s work of Preaching.  I won’t go into this very deeply except to note the  significant accomplishments of this man’s life in writing hymns.  One Hymn written was “Amazing Grace” set to the melody that was driven into his soul by those men and women he delivered into slavery.  I’m searching for words here that will resonate what the emotions were as the slaves hummed or chanted this Melody that our Captain felt as he penned words “once I was lost but now I am found”  A state of despair, chanting and humming this five note melody to give their souls hope that their future will be better.  When we hear this same melody with the words penned by a Slave Ship Captain, our minds and hearts stir with I would like to believe the same emotions as those slaves stuffed in those horrible wretched vessels.  There is a better day coming and we will sing and rejoice again.  When you go to a library and look up the Hymn “Amazing Grace” , you will see our Slave Ship Captain, John Newton as the author of the text.  However you will also see the Author of the  Melody as “Unknown“  The history does not warrant with certainty about the  Unknown being an African chant but it is known that John Newton more than once talked of it.

Now what is this “Only on the Black Keys” stuff?   The Melody that the slaves hummed was in what Musicians know as a “Pentatonic Scale“.  Five notes per octave played only on the Black Keys.  The African culture of the slaves had no knowledge of Music and the written form of it, yet their songs and chants were very much in line with all of Europe and the white culture.  The Negro slaves in American continued to express their Spiritual life in songs we call “Negro Spirituals“,  which again are in the “Pentatonic Scale” or “Only on the Black Keys“.

I just love to learn about History.  The more I understand it, the more I see us as a people and not as individuals.  Our Culture is a melding of many, ( e pluribus unum) and now when  I hear or sing “Amazing Grace”  I see the suffering of Slaves and the Fear of “Captain John Newton” enriching my life through their lives.

I’ve been researching this week articles for background information to use in my next Post.  The title looks like it might be “Only the Black Keys”, but that may change.  So today to give myself more time to sort things out, I went into the Archives and am re-posting this piece I wrote last March.  Apologies to Val Wilcox,  Bill Hartman and others who have already read this article.

The “Little Pager that Could” declares not only our dependence upon GOD, but also on those who claim HIS Name. The narrator of this is Roger Bennett who subsequently passed away shortly after this event from his own battle with Leukemia.

“The Little Pager that Could” by Roger Bennett

“I’ve just come back from my latest consultation at M.D. Anderson. Labs at 7:30 am, Dr. Lenihan (cardio) at 8:30 then Dr. Keating and Co.(leukemia) at 11:30 am. As you can deduce I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms today. I have this theory that a cancer patient can spot another cancer patient. Of course it’s easy at a Cancer Center like MDA, but it’s interesting to watch.

When the new patient comes into the room, there is an immediate sizing up that takes place. I do it as well. You look for the tell tale signs. Any obvious lines or ports in the veins, complexion variations or hair loss. It’s not an uncomfortable thing it is just the way it is. I don’t think there’s any more honest place in the world than a cancer waiting room. The conversations that take place are no frills and always contain terms that the average healthy person is unfamiliar with. CBC, neutrophils, aspiration, and a host of other things that might not be discussed so openly in another place are right out in the open in the waiting room.

One of the other rituals that take place is identifying the patient. Many times this is not a problem in that the patient is obviously sick and companion is there for support. However, there are patients like myself that look healthy on the outside and are accompanied by a healthy companion. You can see it in the eyes as the two people are judged and the decision made. Sometimes you’re right and sometimes not.

I was wrong today. I wasn’t feeling quite up to par this morning and in one of the waiting rooms I fell asleep. The room was empty except for Debbie and myself when I dozed off. But soon a quiet conversation roused me. I heard talk about pain management etc. I woke to see a very young mother and what looked to be her father in the room with us. I quietly listened to Debbie talk with them. I made my choice…It was the Dad that was sick and the daughter was his caregiver. She looked so healthy and vital. I was wrong. This young women, a mother of two small kids was the patient. She has a rare form of bone cancer and is in for the fight of her life. It broke my heart. During our talk I kept hearing a vibrating sound like a cell phone’s alarm. Every few minutes, sometimes more than one a minute this little pager would make its noisy announcement. I thought, “Boy she’s a busy lady”. Then she told me the story of the pager.

It seems her prayer group at church gave her the pager and every time anyone at church prayed for her, they would page her just to remind her of their love and support! She didn’t have to talk to anyone. No one wanted a call back. This was just to encourage her that her friends had not forgotten her! I got cold chills every time that little pager vibrated! And I could see that she found strength with every vibration! What a great idea and what a picture of grace.

I know first hand the power of prayer and how important it is to your spiritual health. And I saw first hand the power of reminders today in the face of this beautiful young cancer patient. Her friends were remembering her and that reminded her that God remembers too!

It doesn’t have to be a pager. A little card will do the trick. Sometimes a voice mail is better than a phone call. It depends on the day, but sometimes when you’re sick, it helps just to listen and not have to talk. Whatever form you choose…let your sick friend know that you are remembering them.”

For those who may be like me,  the Kleenex below is for you.