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The Moment Before History in Four Movements

The Moment Before History in Four Movements Created and compiled by poet, singer, and visual artist and maker, Vincent Dion Stringer for the centennial anniversary of African American History and Worship Arts Month at The Open Church of Maryland. Presented February 1, 2026. This is the first installation his four-week series. Special thanks to Jasmine Barnes and Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton for their brilliant creation of the opera She Who Dared. The aria, “When they ask me to stand, will I?”, featuring lyric soprano Jacqueline Echols as Rosa Parks, adds a rich and resonant texture to my homily. What happens just before history is made? This four-movement meditation explores the interior space where choice is born—before action, before witness, before consequence. Through poetry, music, visual art, and silence, we are invited into the unseen moment when a human being decides who they will be. Movement I: Wisdom from Poetry – Inheritance A poetic invocation that names what we carry, what we inherit, and what we must consciously choose to release. Movement II: The Aria – “When They Ask Me to Stand, Will I?” From the opera She Who Dared, Rosa Parks’ internal question is voiced not as history remembered, but as courage forming. Movement III: Deconstruction: You Decide / Reconstruction: In Love We Trust Two original paintings by Vincent Dion Stringer presented in visual dialogue underscored by his original poem The Rebirth of a Nation’s Heart. These paintings render the psychological and spiritual tension of choice—the stillness before movement. Movement IV: Homily - The Space Where Choice is Made A closing visual reflection that asks not what we resist, but what we are willing to rebuild within ourselves. In a time of political division, social unrest, and moral fatigue, this work offers a necessary pause. Rather than reacting to headlines or amplifying fear, it invites reflection on the deeper work required of us in every era: the formation of conscience, the discipline of courage, and the responsibility of choosing our humanity when the stakes are high and the path is unclear. This work is not a retelling of history. It is an invitation to stand inside the moment before it happens—and to consider what kind of human you choose to be when that moment arrives. History changes when a human does. -The Actively Human Campaign