PRIME TIME
September 21
Daybreak is the few moments of rising light and building energy. As the sun rises, and night becomes day, we enter into the traditional monastic period known as “Prime.” If you rise to greet the sun or whenever it is that you rise, that is your Prime Time.
Rev. Matthew offers his early morning reflection below.
It Is That Time and That Place
by the Rev. Dr. Qiyamah Rahman
by the Rev. Dr. Qiyamah Rahman
Now is the time to call on the memories of the ancestors who thought they could not walk another step toward freedom—and yet they did.
It is that time and place to call on the memories of the ancestors who, when the darkness of their lives threatened to take away the hope and light, reached a little deeper and prayed yet another prayer.
It is that time and place to remember those who came through the long night to witness another sunrise.
It is that time and place to remember the oceans of tears shed to deliver us to this time, to remember the bent knees and bowed backs, to remember the fervent voices asking, begging and beseeching for loved ones sold off.
Time to remember their laughter and joy, though they had far less, and little reason for optimism, yet they stayed on the path toward a better day.
Time to hold to the steadfast hands and hearts and prayers of the ancestors that have brought us this far.
Time to make them proud and show them, and ourselves, what we are made of.
Time to show them that their prayers and sacrifices and lives were not in vain and did not go unnoticed, nor have they been forgotten.
Did you not know that this day would come?
Did you not know that we would have to change places?
Did you not know that just as our ancestors were delivered that you would also be delivered?
Have you not seen the greatness and power of the Creative Energy in the Universe called God that moves and has its being through human agency?
Have you not seen God in your neighbors’ faces? In the homeless? In the battered woman? The trafficked child? The undocumented worker? The dispossessed? It is that time and that place to know that it is our turn, that we must leave a legacy for our children. And all the children.
It is that time and that place.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!
For that, let us be eternally grateful.
Amen and Blessed Be.
It is that time and place to call on the memories of the ancestors who, when the darkness of their lives threatened to take away the hope and light, reached a little deeper and prayed yet another prayer.
It is that time and place to remember those who came through the long night to witness another sunrise.
It is that time and place to remember the oceans of tears shed to deliver us to this time, to remember the bent knees and bowed backs, to remember the fervent voices asking, begging and beseeching for loved ones sold off.
Time to remember their laughter and joy, though they had far less, and little reason for optimism, yet they stayed on the path toward a better day.
Time to hold to the steadfast hands and hearts and prayers of the ancestors that have brought us this far.
Time to make them proud and show them, and ourselves, what we are made of.
Time to show them that their prayers and sacrifices and lives were not in vain and did not go unnoticed, nor have they been forgotten.
Did you not know that this day would come?
Did you not know that we would have to change places?
Did you not know that just as our ancestors were delivered that you would also be delivered?
Have you not seen the greatness and power of the Creative Energy in the Universe called God that moves and has its being through human agency?
Have you not seen God in your neighbors’ faces? In the homeless? In the battered woman? The trafficked child? The undocumented worker? The dispossessed? It is that time and that place to know that it is our turn, that we must leave a legacy for our children. And all the children.
It is that time and that place.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!
For that, let us be eternally grateful.
Amen and Blessed Be.
Qiyamah A. Rahman affiliated with Unitarian Universalism in 1992. She was ordained and fellowshipped in 2007 after graduating from Meadville Lombard Theological School the same year. Besides ministry, she is a retired social worker, passionate social justice advocate, and inspired community leader focused on building bridges between individuals across boundaries of faith traditions, culture, sexual orientation, race, ethnicities, countries etc.
Qiyamah relocated to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands in July, 2012 to serve as the minister at the UU Fellowship of St. Croix. After six years on the beautiful island of St. Croix she ventured back to Atlanta to explore ministry in larger congregational settings and to experience a more robust expression of Unitarian Universalism.
Rev. Qiyamah earned her Bachelor's in Education and her Master's in Social Work from the University of Michigan, a Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School, and a Doctorate of Arts at Clark Atlanta University in Africana Women’s Studies.
She has three beautiful children and two grandchildren.
Qiyamah relocated to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands in July, 2012 to serve as the minister at the UU Fellowship of St. Croix. After six years on the beautiful island of St. Croix she ventured back to Atlanta to explore ministry in larger congregational settings and to experience a more robust expression of Unitarian Universalism.
Rev. Qiyamah earned her Bachelor's in Education and her Master's in Social Work from the University of Michigan, a Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School, and a Doctorate of Arts at Clark Atlanta University in Africana Women’s Studies.
She has three beautiful children and two grandchildren.