Holy Holler!

October 23, 2021

Today, while writing I tuned to the Marvin Gaye station streaming on Pandora. Marvin, the trailblazing singer, songwriter and performer, broke conventional boundaries in the 70s at Tamla Motown by excelling in all three genres.

As I listen to his music today, I have given him another title, that of prophet.  His album What’s Going On is timeless. What’s Happening then continues to happen now.

Marvin embodied the prophetical characteristics of provocation and proclamation. Prophetical language rebukes, examines, and solicits a call to action. Gaye’s voice hearkened partial fulfillment of events in its current context and foreshadowed events to come. He used his platform to plead with hard headed, stubborn people to change their ways–in love.

Listen to the voice of Marvin and other contemporary prophets. 

Wholy, holy, Marvin Gaye, 1971

“Ah, wholy holy, come together… we can rock the world’s foundation… we’ll holler love, love, love across the nation, we proclaim love, our salvation.”

Rise Up, Andra Day, 2015

“When the silence isn’t quiet and it feels like its getting hard to breathe. And I know you feel like dying, but I promise we’ll take the world to its feet, and move mountains…, all we need is hope, and for that we have each other…and we will rise, we’ll rise up…”

Speak Now, Leslie Odom Jr., 2021

“Listen, listen while the storm in your heart is raging. Listen, listen, listen, to the echoes of martyrs praying… to the message of hope in the whispers of ghosts…I swear we’ll never find a way to where we’re going, all alone…Speak now.”

Paul Murray (1910-1985) said that “Hope is a weary throat.” 

Still, we gotta keep hollering!