Snapshot: The Revival

Photo by Rox Campbell

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Snapshot: The Revival

by Rox Campbell
Southern Cultures, Vol. 26, No. 1: Documentary Moment

“From where I stood, I saw the spirit their bodies had conjured: that was the moment I wanted.”

We were in a crowded church. I couldn’t see much until I let the crying, stomping, and chanting guide me. As the believers rocked side to side, their skirts and robes blended with the powerful sounds filling the room. I followed the path leading to the circle around the casket and stopped at its edge, so as not to disrupt the formation. From where I stood, I saw the spirit their bodies had conjured: that was the moment I wanted.