The Holy Spirit Helps You Mobilize His Ministry to Your World

Have you heard, by chance, of The Singing Revolution?

You might say this revolution had its seeds planted in 1939, when 100,000 Soviet troops rolled into Estonia unopposed, and in the process trampled right over ethnic Estonian rights and identity, land and economy, and more. In order to assimilate their new conquests under Russian dominion, the Soviet overlords outlawed singing. Well, not all singing, but it was definitely illegal to sing any of the historic, cultural, and patriotic songs of the Estonian people. Punishable by prison or worse.

This forced subservience lasted through World War II, into the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Then, in the late 1980s, something began to stir in Estonia. People started singing again—literally.

In 1988, Estonians gathered for a music festival and, spontaneously, a sing-along started among the crowd. Over 300,000 voices joined, and roared, singing songs of patriotic Estonian history. The revolution had begun.

Over the next three years, more “sing-alongs” happened until, emboldened by their singing citizens, in 1991, the Estonian Congress formally declared the will of its musical people and issued a declaration of independence. The Soviets were not happy. They did what came naturally: they sent in tanks. The Russian soldiers were tasked with destroying the radio towers and TV broadcast locations. That way, the military brass figured, they’d nip this revolution in the bud. How could Estonians revolt if no one could hear about it?

When the Russian military arrived at their targets, they weren’t met with bullets and guns—but with songs. “Masses of singing protestors put their bodies between the tanks and the radio towers and TV stations,” one historian recorded, “forcing the Soviets to retreat.”

Confronted by tens of thousands of unified voices, singing at them, they didn’t know what to do. Finally, they just gave up! The tanks drove back to Russia, and history records, “It was through this Singing Revolution that Estonians gained their freedom.”

This, I think, is a beautiful image of the way the Holy Spirit uses His incarnated church to mobilize His ministry to your world.

He starts with one voice, figuratively (or literally!) singing of Jesus—like Paul and Barnabas when they were sent out by the church in Antioch.

That voice is joined by another, then more, and then all are sent out, together, to pursue the work for which He’s called them.

And slowly, but surely, our world is transformed.

Amen!

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