“My great great grandmother, Amanda, was Presbyterian, but we were given the freedom to search our own conscience. Some family members became Methodist some Lutherans. Many of my cousins became Baptist mainly through marriages.”
I felt a need to introduce a little history at that point, and said, “You remember the circuit riders? In the era in which my great great grandmother lived these riders was Baptist, Presbyterians, or Methodist. Most times the religion of the slave owner was the religion practiced by the slaves on plantations, at least when the slave owners were present. The slave owners of my ancestors were Presbyterians.”
“This is very interesting,” my instructor admitted with anticipation.
I continued. “My grandmother introduced me to many not-so mainstream religions such as Holiness, and Evangelism. When I finished high school, I choose the path of my father and became a Catholic. In my youth there weren’t too many black Catholics.”
My instructor asked, “So who influenced you to become a Catholic instead of a Presbyterian, Methodist, or Baptist.”
“It was a personal choice. When I moved to Chicago, I went to a Catholic college where I took a class in Christology. It was there it dawned on me that Jesus was really a Jew. I began to explore Jesus’ faith in depth. I visited a conservative Jewish Synagogue, but the people weren’t welcoming or friendly. Then one day during a soul-searching walk along Hyde Park’s beach, I come upon a Temple that had open doors. I set up an appointment to speak with the Rabbi. The congregants welcomed me warmly, and I felt a connection with them. I’ve been associated with them for 30 years now.”
“So what does this have to do with your grandmother being Cherokee?”
“My great great grandmother’s heritage was Native American. Many of the customs and practices of my grandmother were very similar to the practices of Judaism. First, there is the belief in one God. Second, there was a sacred ceremony where the celebration involved the beliefs that the Great Spirit walked on earth, and who’s name was mentioned on this holy day. The joining-together, or covenant, made between two Natives depicted our relationship with God while a heavenly host of special songs were sung. It is at this time of renewing the body and the mind with the Great Sprit is deliberated. In Judaism, this would be similar to the High Holy Days. Tales also speak of a house that the people assembled and dissembled as they travelled. This house contained holy items for their ceremonies. My grandmother kept a menorah in her kitchen. At Christmas time, candles were burning in the window next to a Christmas tree. When she died, one of the times I took was a broach with the Star of David embossed.
The Cherokee is a matriarch society. My grandmother was the matriarch. If my great great grandmother had been a black woman with no Cherokee influence, my life would have been more towards the African practices. This is not to say that we didn’t practice Christianity in the vein of the black church. It only speaks of the embed beliefs that guided us as a religious people. Also, Africans brought their religion with them from the old country, and was practiced in secret. It’s was a melting pot of religious beliefs.”
After walking for an hour, we stretched and thanked each other for the knowledgeable conversation. For me I learned a new route to walk. For my instructor it was a question of religion. The day had started out doubtful, spiked with uncertainty. Yet the hope for a beautiful day prevailed. As I headed for my car, I noticed the building that outlined the Chicago skyline, and in the water was a seagull perched on a piece of wood. As I drove home, it became a day I confirmed for myself why I am a Jew. But, mostly it was good day because not only did I give, I also received.
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About Me
- Ayna's Collections
- New to the writing world, I live with my husband of twenty years in Chicago, Illinois. I have been retired from the work force for fifteen years doing small jobs to earn money and keep constructively busy. I love to garden and have been painting and drawing all of my life. Although challenged with the English language, I found comfort when writing came into my life in the form of rhyming verses. Poetry was an outlet for emotions I needed to express, and because I am dyslexic, this form was easy for me. Later, after 17 years of research, I wrote and published my first book called People of Difference, which is a paternal genealogy study. It was after writing People of Difference that I decide to try my hand at actually writing a short fictional novel. In 1983, I wrote and published Moments of Feelings – a fictional story about a young girl starting life on her own. I received so much pleasure from writing Moments of Feelings that I decided to learn the trade of writing. Although I haven’t written a lot of poetry since I’ve started my ‘late in life endeavor,’ I am hoping the world will keep me on my toes in developing the skills of writing.