As an alto in the Lindsey Wilson College Singers, I get the extraordinary opportunity to travel with some of the best and brightest students of Lindsey Wilson College. While on our recent tour, we performed each evening in a different location, in most cases in a different state, and we grew as a group an unbreakable bond in the process. Upon reflecting on our 2019 tour, there is one word that has been on repeat in my mind: Legacy.
While sitting on a charter bus somewhere between Birmingham, AL, and Memphis, TN, I remember having a long conversation with a fellow Singer about what this tour meant to him. The night before was our reflection ceremony and it proved to be the most emotional one yet. As an incoming Freshman, he was seeing first-hand the shift of leadership that comes with the leaving of graduating Singers each year, and being new, he was feeling the impact of it the most. “What will we do without the seniors?” This was the ringing question in everyone’s mind, yet it hadn’t been verbalized until this moment.
While sitting on a charter bus somewhere between Birmingham, AL, and Memphis, TN, I remember having a long conversation with a fellow Singer about what this tour meant to him. The night before was our reflection ceremony and it proved to be the most emotional one yet. As an incoming Freshman, he was seeing first-hand the shift of leadership that comes with the leaving of graduating Singers each year, and being new, he was feeling the impact of it the most. “What will we do without the seniors?” This was the ringing question in everyone’s mind, yet it hadn’t been verbalized until this moment.
I can’t help but think that this was the same mindset Jesus’ disciples had when they realized he would only be with them for a short time. With this question, I came to the realization of a new idea, and replied, “This is the time, the opportunity, for new leadership to arise and for traditions to be carried on. You are our legacy." I didn’t realize until my words left my mouth just how much they impacted me.
The traditions and skills in music that I have learned in my years of being in this amazing group have been passed down to me from Singers I’ve never even met, and this would be my legacy for those who came after me. From this moment on, I was reflecting on what my own legacy would be when I left the Singers, and ultimately in my own life, the legacy that Christ called me to fill.
Legacy is a word one might think of when they have children, when they write their will, or when they are taking their final breath. In this case, it was a thought from a college student on a tour bus somewhere between Birmingham and Memphis. Yet, regardless of where this realization happens, it’s not a task to be taken lightly. So when we move on to another stage in our life, we need to invest our time and energy into those around us. This is our legacy.
2 Corinthians 3:2, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody."
1 Thessalonians 2:8, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."
Becca Barnes is a Human Services and Counseling major at Lindsey Wilson College. She is a member of the LWC Singers and serves as the assistant to the director of choral ensembles and church relations.
