Good morning! For those of you I have not had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Sangeetha Kumar, pronouns she/hers, and I have been part of the Abbey for many years. So that morning, when the Right Reverend Debra challenged our congregation to think of songs that give us courage, pump us up, and inspire us, I was helping with communion that morning and inadvertently blurted out, “Eye of the Tiger”! I am not sure why I said that song exactly! I am a huge Queen fan and We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions are my go to pump up songs. Allegedly, our close family friend grew up with Freddie Mercury in India before he moved to England. Then weeks later, Rev. Debra asked me to speak on this song. And I do whatever Rev. Debra asks of me, so I guess here is my why …

It was 1892, I was in elementary school, and a third sequel was being released for the Rocky movies, Sylvester Stallone’s hey-day! An American band, Survivor, created the theme song for this movie known as Eye of the Tiger. Fast forward a decade, my brother and I were getting ready for the high school Friday night games - whether playing in the marching band, running the spirit flag, cheering on my football boyfriend, or just hanging with our pals, we religiously listened to this song before leaving the house. Pumped up and ready to cheer on the Clinton, Iowa River Kings and Queens!

Let me digress for a moment, if you have ever seen this video, it is rife with amazing 80s fashion and hair and is hysterical! It’s hard to see it as a serious fighter theme when there are leather pants and mullets involved! However, let’s instead look at the lyrics and why I am talking about this award-winning song today.

I have known many of you for years and have shared my experience of being a queer Christian for a long time. Well, that seems boring now. There’s lots of us! Happy Pride! I have now embarked on a new journey. I am a Warrior on the road of breast cancer. When I think about what has given me courage - it’s a song that gives people a fighting spirit! It’s ironic that the group’s name is Survivor because that is how I feel daily.

So let’s look at these lyrics:

Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast

You trade your passion for glory

Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past

You must fight just to keep them alive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out on the heat

Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry

They stack the odds still we take to the street

For the kill, with the skill to survive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger

Risin' up, straight to the top

Had the guts, got the glory

Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop

Just a man and his will to survive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night

And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger

This song felt like my journey. To keep going, to persevere, to survive… Just a woman and a will to survive. The thrill of the fight… against my cancer rival. When I was going through radiation, I named my machine Oppenheimer! My geek science brain loved every moment of learning about what my body was going through and what I was experiencing! I embraced each step because I had no control over anything, except how I would embrace MY journey. I remember thinking, I get to CHOOSE how I go through this journey and I choose to do it with gratitude.

The verses I resonated with most were 2 Corinthians, chapter 4:

“We are hard pressed on every side, but no crushed; perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.”

God works through Mystery. We do not always see what is going on or what is to come. Jesus often left people with more questions than answers. Faith is believing in that which can’t be seen but we know is true in our souls. Life is one giant trust fall. I had no idea that my life would change a year ago! I think we are all survivors of some kind and I believe in those survival moments, God shows up in unexpected and very real ways. As you know, it’s ben a windy, wild season here in the Midwest and I love the wind. It always reminds me of the Holy Spirit and how she is moving through the world, like a spiritual tiger. No one can see through the Eye of the Tiger, but the Tiger is always searching, always protecting, always aware, giving us strength to rise up to the challenge of our rival. May we have the courage to be Courageous. Always. Amen.