The trip so far has been exactly what I was seeking--learning about the country and its people, all the space between the east and west coast. We left Atlanta on Tuesday, it's Thursday evening, and took our time driving to Savannah. We had a long stop in Macon, Georgia, visited the Harriet Tubman museum (well worth the stop), and then visited the town and its most distinguishing feature--its churches. The Catholic Church was built 200 years ago by the Irish immigrants. It sits on a hill top, but the steeple of the Methodist church next door is a few feet higher. It's difficult to imagine that newly arrived Irish immigrants, who faced their own challenges, could and would built a church that was and is so luxurious--gilted sainted and fittings, stained glass windows from Europe, carved pews, painted domed ceiling. And there are churches everywhere in town, all maintained, at least from an outsider's point of view.
We took the smaller roads from Macon to Savannah which both stretched out the drive by several additional hours, but also took us through many small towns, some only a bend in the road. Wherever we drove however, were more churches, seemingly more churches than people. We didn't see any mega churches but lots of small buildings, Baptist churches under every name from First Baptist to Hallelujah Baptist in Adrian, Georgia. (Never did see a Second Baptist.) There are AME churches, Methodist churches, Baptists of every denomination, non-chain churches, clapboard, brick, stainglass, steepled or not. Today I toured the Savannah First African Baptist Church, built by slaves for slaves.
Please, the observations I'm going to share are simply observations, thoughts about what the churches mean, how they influence the politics, not about agreeing or disagreeing.
I come from a liberal political background, never really spent much or any time with those from the Bible-belt, so this trip is opening my eyes and my mind to how others think, what values they may hold as dear as those I hold. The tour guide at the African Baptist church was a mid-twenties young man who grew up in this church, went to Southern Georgia University, and loves his church, Jesus Christ, living according to God's commandments as he understands them, and has no doubts. I didn't try to argue, share my own viewpoints, just listened and tried to understand.
When you believe God is part of your life, from every fiber of your being, reinforced by your institutions, your family and friends, to the point that there is no question in your mind about God, about pleasing Him, about answering to Him, then you have to defend those beliefs whether they are popular or not, the law of the land or not. I can understand, even though you know that Roe vs Wade is the law of the land, that you believe this is wrong. That homosexuality is wrong, that God and country comes with a set of values that is not open to discussion. That government should be local, not so far away that the law makers don't know us and our values. And I can understand, again, understanding doesn't mean agreeing with, how you could fight abortion, big government, diversity of marriage partners. What is missing on the national scene is more dialogue, more effort to understand where the other (who we so easily label extreme right, or Tea Party). I don't know what understanding and dialogue might look like, I don't know where balance or compromise might happen, but I do know that as a bi-coastal city person, and a majority of voters who live in big northern cities, we don't listen. It's been our way or the road. It's been more and more policies saying God doesn't belong in school, or in courthouses, or in the pledge of allegiance. Some things should be left local, and education, according to the US constitution is a state's right, so that the local values are respected.
Before you jump all over me, stop for a moment and just look around. This country was built with churches and God at the forefront, and who are we to take God away. It seems the more I learn, the more I open to others, the more I observe their institutions, their actions, the less I know for sure and the more I want to find other ways of looking and being.
How did this group of slaves build a church building? Those who were able to labor outside of their slavery, and usually saved their coins until they had enough to purchase their own freedom, instead donated their small savings to build a church so they could worship together as they wanted to worship. Why Baptist? Because slaves were required to take on the religion of your master. This group of slaves, some walking from plantations 10 plus miles away, not only donated their small savings, but came nightly or weekly to contribute their labor as well. The church has been continuously occupied, and remodeled a few times, for over 200 years. The young man, dynamic, energetic, funny, smart, loves this church. He made us all love this church and its proud history--it was on the route of the underground railway helping slaves escape north, hiding them in a secret tunnel beneath the church that ran to the Savannah river, even though helping a fugitive could result in your own death, in the burning of the church.
A group of Jewish settlers came here in 1733 and built a synagogue, continually used since that time. Synagogues thrive here as well as churches, religion is important in this bible belt country. Tomorrow we are visiting the Temple Mikvah Israel.
There has been much to think about during this trip, I'm feeling less sophisticated and less self righteous. I know much less than I knew when the voyage began, but maybe a little more about myself and about Stu. This is good time and I am grateful to have the time and ability to make this trip across country. It's a beautiful land, diverse and contradictory, and welcoming.
October 10, 2013
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