Foreign Churches

by Melina De Bona

America is a melting pot of cultures- as you drive down the street you can see people from all over the world. Dark skin, olive skin, strong accents, and exotic restaurants fill the streets of almost any place, but if you pay really close attention, you will notice that there are a variety of churches as well. Most “foreign churches” make an important effort to keep their dearest culture alive.

The most obvious example is that of the “Black Church”. Before the 18th century, few slaves of African roots were able to practice religion. Yet, at the end of the 18th century, and especially after abolition, churches in both the North and the South flourished. Most free slaves used their church as a source of inspiration, education, and a symbol of their amazing persistence.

Black Church

In the present, the Black Church does not go unnoticed. Every Sunday, hundreds of African Americans dressed in their most elegant clothes meet in this empowering parade. As the choir sings gospel music with an extreme potency, the priest walks in, dancing and throwing his arms in the air. The African culture is a musical culture, and African Americans are not afraid to express themselves. During Christmas, many enjoy the play Black Nativity, originally written by Langston Hughes. The play, a retelling of the Nativity Story with an all-black cast, includes many traditional customs of the African culture. Additionally, most black churches, like Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Baptist Church of Washington, celebrate Black History Month to educate its members, and honor the heroes that led them where they are today.

Apart from the African American church I have attended, I have visited a Middle-Eastern church. Purposely located in Lebanon Dr., St. Raymond’s Maronite Catholic Church is one of the most culturally dedicated churches I have experienced. The moment you walk in through the doors, you are encircled by a splendid splash of colors. The warm colored wooden walls and tones of red contrast with the different ranges of blue found in the detailed pictures of the Lebanese saints. The Qurbono, or Mass, is mostly chanted and sang in Aramaic, creating a slow and calming hymn that seems to pacify the people. Inside the hymnbook you can find pictures and descriptions of Lebanon, its saints, and the holy Cedar tree. Also, after the Qurbono, as well as every Wednesday, the members of the church come together and enjoy a buffet of Pita bread, Humus, Falafel, and other traditions of the Lebanese cuisine. The devotion of the people, as well as the welcoming atmosphere unquestionably embraces the culture of the “Paris of the Middle East”.

Middle East Church

Zeina Ziade, a member of the church, admits, “ I love my church because it reminds me of who I am, even when I am far away from home”.

All churches have traditional foods, but have you heard of Peyote? Peyote is a spineless cactus used by ancient North and Mexican Indigenous for communication with the spirit world, as well as for medicine. While Peyote is a hallucinogen, its ingestion is permitted to all Native American Church members under federal jurisdiction. “Peyotism” has become the most widespread religion among Native Americans, and is kept through extremely intriguing rituals preformed in a plane tepee. As the sun sets, Native Americans join around a fire in order to pray and sing along the sound of drums. After the sacramental ingestion of Peyote, each member falls into the deep obscurity of contemplation, where they become one with their god, and create one of the most romantic scenes of all times.

Native American Church

This captivating tradition has been kept alive for thousands of years, and will hopefully live on thanks to the efforts of the Native American Church.

So, if you ever feel like discovering different cultures, I strongly encourage you to visit the many fascinating churches that surround you!

Photos: http://blog.syracuse.com/entertainment/2009/01/090108_blacknativity.jpg ,

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2830346623_50af98319d.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/sunset%20native%20american/jusjazzy/nativeamericansunset.jpg

Tags: american, black, church, churches, culture, east, foreign, middle, native