African & Christian
I saw this book a while back at Everyone’s Place African Center on North Avenue. The title of the book immediately repulsed me. Not too long before seeing it, I had just returned from studying in Ghana, West Africa. As some of you know, Ghana was the place of my “awakening”. So to come back to the states and see a book with this title written by a child of Africa really got me pumped up. I feel that the premise of Ms. Tate’s book is totally wrong. I was not a Christian in my mother’s womb. I was African.
Why is it that some people of African descent who are Christian feel as though it’s not okay to celebrate being African in addition to being Christian? It’s almost not okay to talk about being African in church - especially when White people are visiting. Black folk will go out of their way to accommodate other folk even if it means compromising who God created them to be. It’s almost another sign of self-hate. It’s the continuation of the devilish work that White missionaries initiated years ago when going to convert “heathens” on the “dark continent” to a blonde-haired, blue eyed, European Jesus. Those missionaries would love Ms. Tate and her book. They would encourage Africans in America today to disconnect completely from our African heritage and disown everything that has to do with where we came from and who we are.Â
This entry comes as a result of a preaching engagement. I had to preach yesterday at Unity United Methodist Church in West Baltimore. It’s a church that I love because they celebrate being African. They light the Kwanzaa candles every Sunday. They pour libation to the Ancestors every Sunday. They end each prayer with “Ashe, Alleluia, Amen”. They dress in African garb every Sunday. They talk, pray, and sing about Africa every Sunday. I loved it. I felt so much at home. I felt so complete. Finally a church where African people can celebrate their Faith within the context of their sociopolitical and historical reality.Â
If God ever opens the door for me to pastor a church - it will be a church that welcomes everyone, but that worships God in a way that celebrates the authentic being of this preacher and the surrounding community. If me celebrating who God created me to be makes “other” people (Black folk included) uncomfortable then “other” people may need to examine what’s at the root of their discomfort. They may just be surprised at what they uncover.Â
I am unapologetically AFRICAN and unashamedly CHRISTIAN.
Ashe, Alleluia, Amen.
August 30th, 2006 at 5:06 am
Heber, I don’t even know where to begin. So, I’ll just start rambling my position on this matter. By the time I finish, I hope that my thoughts are clear. LOL
I am African, American (I have to tell the truth.), female, and disabled. Each one of these disctinctive characteristics have molded me to be the very unique sister I am. There’s really not a second of the day that my relationship to all of these characteristics do not effect the way in which I view the world. All of my responses are provoked by my identification to each of these groups. When I watch the news, I’m watching with the eyes of all of these characteristics. When I interact with others, all of these characteristics are shining through. Even my disability… It is definitely a characteristic that’s not that positive. But I can’t deny that it shapes and identifies who I am in this place called life.
However, I’m still a pretty aware African sister. I’m down for the cause, always thinking about my people… Most of the time, if I’m rowled up about something, there is usually a racial component.
But at the end of the day, my faith in Jesus Christ has been the motivation/dope/reason why I have chosen to live. Life hasn’t been easy for me. To make my point more clear… Life has really kicked me in the gut a few times.
Having courage to face my trials with determination and strength has come from God. My faith in God is the most important aspect of my living. Truthfully, it is the reason why I live. It’s the reason why I have insisted on never giving up. My faith is my motivation for my smile.
When I was in college, I was persuaded to drop my faith to fully embrace Africa. Yes, that’s the truth… I later realized that my Christian faith does not in any way thin, decrease, or diminish my relationship to Africa and Africans across the world. I embraced Jesus Christ again, never to let him go ever again.
So, in the same regard, I will not allow my Christian faith to disassociate me or cause me to not be concerned about African issues and African people.
I believe it is possible to coexist. I no longer feel guilty for being a African, American, Christian, woman, who is blind. My paradigmatic focus was shaped by each of these experiences.
Yes, you were African when you were in your mama’s tummy. I was too. But you know what… When I leave here, and my flesh tears away from my bones, all of these earthly identifyers will be gone. At least, from an eternity point of view. So, I elect myself as a child of the King before anything else. Trust me, Heber, at the end of the day, all of this earthly stuff was just the path in which we had to travel through this thing called life.
Because of the cross,
Angie
August 30th, 2006 at 7:36 am
Heber,
You eally seem to be going further and further afield. I am a descendant of Africa as well. But I consider myself a Christian first. Paul pretty well summed it up. I am neither Jew nor Greek (I don’t think I’m making much of an exegetical stretch here to say that would also apply to Afircan, Spanish, German, etc.). But we (Christians - not just people who make Christian noises) are ONE IN CHRIST. I am a new Creation. Old things have passed away. I am a bond servant of Christ. I put thing s of this world second to Him who saved me.
In other words, I am a Christian first and a (fill in the blank) second.
I hate to say it, but it’s almost as if you have turned to a totally social Gospel and turned away from the crux of Christianity. No, you shouldn’t become so heavenly minded you are no earthly good. But putting anything before Christ (including your identity in him) goes against all that it means to be a Christian.
Remember, the Bible says you can’t have two masters. You will either obey one or the other. If Jesus Christ is not first, well, that’s a problem. I really think you need to re-examine your stand as a Christian.
By the way - if you are going to insist on an over-important tie to Africa, why do you identify the continent and not a specific tribe or nation? The Hutu do not consider themselves a part of the Brotherhood of Africa. Heck, the Norther Nigerians don’t consider themselves the brothers of the Southern Nigerians. If you are going to be consistent with the idea of Mother Africa, shouldn’t you be limiting yourself to a specific tribe or people within the continent.
I have often said that I will call myself African American the instant we start calling Rudy Giuliani a European American. African is not a culture any more than refering to a European covers Italians, Spaniards, Germans, French and the Croats.
Melvin
August 30th, 2006 at 7:38 am
By the way, I like your new site.
September 1st, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Angie,
Thank you for your thoughtful rambling…LOL. It was very thought provoking particularly the “when we leave here and our flesh leaves our bones” part. That was a good point.
I would only re-emphasis that I, in no way, wish to demean or subjugate my Faith making it second to my cultural heritage. Quite the contrary - my prayer is to celebrate my relationship with God and connection to Jesus of Nazareth while fully embracing the avenue by which The Divine allowed me to enter this journey called Life.
That’s why this post was called African & Christian and not African THEN Christian.
You pose some problems for me as it relates to the line where you said: “So, I elect myself as a child of the King before anything else.” I agree with that statement. I am a child of God before anything else. However, I don’t equate being a child of God with being a Christian. In other words, Christianity is a religion - a man made body of beliefs, theological pressupositions, doctrines, creeds, and traditions that provide behavioral guidance to its adherents. Followers of Christianity choose it and understand it as the way to connect with God. You, like many other people on the planet, chose it. You did not choose to be African. Some would even say that you did not choose to be a child of God - before God formed you in the belly God knew you - formed you - shaped you. Under this premise you had no choice to be a child of God and you had no choice to be African. God made those decisions for you. You did, however, choose your Faith.
I’m rambling now
But that gives further insight into why I celebrate being African and also - as you highlighted in your comments - I celebrate being a child of God. You force me to reconsider the title of this post - I would have to rename it “Child of God, Afrikan, then Christian” or something like that.
September 1st, 2006 at 2:21 pm
My buddy Melvin. Ok, let me try to respond to your points.
As far as the Christian part in your first paragraph, i cannot agree with you, I am not a Christian first. Feel free to read my response to Angie to get a feel for my thoughts on Christianity and self-identity. Furthermore, as a Believer in Jesus, I study him, attempt to live like him, and extrapolate as much as possible from his life to apply it to our post-modern context. No where in the text does Jesus command anybody to be Christian. The people of Antioch can be credited for creating that label for the first century disciples. (Acts 11:26)
You say I appear to have turned totally to a social Gospel and away from the crux of Christianity. I would be interested in hearing what you believe that crux to be.
Finally, I would love to identify with a specific people group and/or region in Africa, however, as you well know, records citing where enslaved Africans were captured and where they were ultimately sold were not kept with great diligence by the functionaries of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. God knows I would love to know where on the Mother Continent my family line came from, but the absence of those documents prevent me from getting further than Ayden, North Carolina (patrilineal side) and Kilmonick, Virginia (matrilineal side). I have become aware of a DNA process that can point to a region where it is likely that my people came from, but I need to save the three hundred some dollars up first before undergoing this process. In the meantime, I embrace the entire continent and even when I do find out where my family line was likely from, I’ll still claim the continent, celebrate its children, and honor it as the birthplace of humanity.
P.S. - your website inspired me to move to Wordpress.