Saturday, November 23, 2013

New worlds


There are a lot of churches in our neighbourhood. They range from eccentric store fronts to monumental bodies of stone and brick. Sometimes bells ring. Gospel singing shivers the air on Sundays.

This, above, is a big 'un on Malcom X Boulevard. Also known as Lenox Avenue.

And on that wide boulevard's intersection with 125th, outside the 2/3 subway stop, people often stand and preach. Or protest, or proclaim. About the recent shooting of a black woman in Detroit, for example. Shame on you. The other day, as I walked south to shop, it was a group of enormous black men in costumes which looked like the Middle Ages met a biker gang by way of a noir Ku Klux Clan. Big black boots, metal studs, tassels and black Gothic fabric details, a lot of leather and variety of head coverings. There was a sign, Babel-something, and they took it in turns to preach against homosexuality through a loud hailer. They were graphic. They hailed passersby.

I was on the opposite side of the street, four lanes away and it stopped me in my tracks. I'd never heard such a thing. I looked around to see what everybody else was thinking. Nobody was paying much attention.
I walked on.


7 comments:

  1. Wow, what kind of place is this where compassion and love are held under glass and buried deep in the hearts of buildings stabbed into the ground with crosses?
    ~Dawn

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    1. ...did you write this? "..of buildings stabbed into the ground with crosses." I've been thinking about this line for days. It's very effective and very good.

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  2. you should check out youtube for pastor manning's sermons, especially regarding president obama. they are classics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. just to clarify, by "classic" i mean "insane."

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  3. Yes, Marie I did write that, lol but I like that you were thinking it too~ that is quite the kismet moment. I discovered your blog -- I don't even remember how, just blog surfing I guess and am enjoying your posts.
    ~Dawn

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    Replies
    1. I meant after I read your words, I thought about them :-) You have a gift for words.

      Delete

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