I was an early reader, so I could read the words when I stood
by my grandma in church singing the hymns from the large
Methodist hymnal shared between us. Yes, I could sing the
words, but what did “pavilion in splendor and girded with
praise” mean to a six-year-old? For that matter, what do
they mean to anybody.
2026 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in January 22 – 26, 2026.

