I visited a new church today. I was the youngest person in the congregation. A very dear friend of mine, Charles daCosta invited to this Methodist church. He forewarned me that the church is small and he was not only the youngest person at this church but also, the only black person in that church. But, he also said that he has not been made so welcome in any other church that he has visited since he moved to Savannah as he was in this little Methodist church on the corner of Waters Ave and 55th street. He also added that there is this sweet spirit about the preacher and that the preacher’s message was very uncluttered and simple – God is love and we are to love as He does.
The preacher’s message was indeed very simple but profound. He started off with a prayer from the Book of Deuteronomy, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One”. And, he proceeded to go to the New Testament in the book of Mark with Jesus reciting the same prayer from Deuteronomy and adding, “And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these”.
Interestingly, the very first prayer I learned in Hebrew school as a child was “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One”. Yeah, that was cool. I don’t remember how to recite this prayer in Hebrew any longer but I still recite that prayer daily. Its amazing how things stick with you from childhood. I cannot start my day without that simple prayer.
I like this church! There is hardly anyone in the congregation and, most of those there seem to be nearer to the end of their lives than in the middle where I am but I like it. I like old people. There is so much to learn from them. They are cool and slow moving. Older people are beaming with wisdom and, wisdom is something that our society seems to lack greatly. And, contrary to popular belief, they don’t smell like cabbage.
The people I met at Whitefield United Methodist Church are sweet old souls. I truly dug this preacher’s message. I felt that this guy truly gets it…he understands what it is to be Christian -share God with people through sincere and genuine love for people.
It some times seems to me that being a Christian is about cramming your beliefs down some one else’s throat and putting another notch on your belt for some one else you lead to Christ. To me, Christianity is about forgiveness, acceptance, turning over a new leaf, caring for the needs of others. Christianity to me, is about sincere and genuine love. What’s that saying by Jesus…”Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Yeah, that’s it.
I felt accepted by all in this church even with my suede leather-looking shirt and my blue jean wearing self. Interesting that an African man, a Ghanaian, and a hispanic Jew can go to a small church made up of elderly white people deep in the heart of the South in Georgia and feel so welcomed and fitted in. That’s totally cool. I like it.
I’ll be there next Sunday. Maybe, you should come to…?
love, peace and wise old peeps,
dh
11/08/2009