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SALT LAKE CITY — They discovered the Lord was on their side.
That's the message Rev. France A. Davis gave to his audience Sunday at the annual Heritage Musical. Africans brought to America as slaves "learned in spite of it all to trust in the Lord."
"Although we were in a new home in a new land, we belonged to God. We had faith in him. We believed in him. And because of him, we were finally able to declare, ‘We have overcome,' " Rev. Davis said.
The night was a celebration, part of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable's Interfaith Month. The audience variously clapped, cheered, stood up and stomped their feet throughout the event.
Heritage Night featured the Young Adult Choir, the Angel Choir and the Pearl of Praise dancers. The evening focused not only on overcoming, but also on salvation.
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A member of the congregation said in his opening prayer, "There are times when we forget where (God has) brought us from. We must remember that others have paid the price in blood.""What we sing about is salvation," the Rev. Davis said. "It's about the good news. Christ has stood by us through all of our trials and temptations. We offer Christ to you."
One member of the Young Adult Choir summed it up at the evening's conclusion.
"We have to know our past so we know where we're going to go in our future," she said.
