Jan. 25--DURHAM -- Gospel great Shirley Caesar brought her world-class voice and a message about divine destiny to a hand-clapping audience Sunday night at the 75th annual meeting of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People.
The sanctuary at Union Baptist Church on North Roxboro Street literally trembled as the choir belted out gospel tunes with passion and joy.
But it was also a serious evening, as Durham County Chief District Judge Elaine
Bushfan swore in the Committee's officers, including chairwoman Lavonia Allison.
Allison called on the crowd to hold elected officials accountable for what they have and haven't done. She also announced an initiative to test people for HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- in churches, emphasizing that the results will be confidential.
Caesar cited the importance of unity within the committee.
"You see, there's a difference in unity and union," she said. "You put a cat and dog together and you've got a union, but you don't have unity, because the cat's going to jump on the dog or the dog is going to jump on the cat.
"But when you have unity with the brothers and the sisters, then you can get the job done. And I believe if, as a committee of people, we will stand together to make sure that black people are treated right, we can get the job done."
But Caesar, a Durham native who has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, focused most of her comments on the tragedy of unrealized potential.
"Destiny is calling, and it has you right in its view," she said. "At age 12, I knew God had plans for my life. But what's always troubled me is why so many people feel unfulfilled in their lives, merely going to a job every day that you literally hate.
"If you are not moving toward your God-given destiny," she said, "there's no way you're ever going to find happiness and contentment. And I can't think of anything more tragic than to come to the end of your life on this earth and realize you haven't really lived. There was so much more that God had planned for your life, but you settled for mediocrity."
Caesar said the wealthiest places on earth, ironically, are cemeteries, "because lying in those cold graves are all kinds of dreams and desires that were never fulfilled. Buried. Buried. Buried. The books that will never be written, businesses that will never be opened and relationships that will never be formed."
She urged the audience not to let that happen to them.
"When I die, I'm going to be good and dead, so I'm going to take advantage of my time now," she said. "I'm not going to bury my treasure."
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