Pilgrim’s Progress: Chapter 3
I have never been on a real Pilgrimage before. I really wanted to go to Charleston. Honestly, I wanted to see family I had not seen in a long time and I wanted to understand Pilgrimage. I would call this sojourn my trip of mini miracles or many revelations and redemptions.
Day 1: To go or not to go. Snow storm left me stuck on my hill and afraid to drive.
Enter Elizabeth’s David with the big truck. I got to go. Miracle.
Day 2: Denmark Vesey memorial. It is in a lovely park, but you have to look for it. Beautiful statue with his story. I couldn’t help thinking if he had been a white revolutionary with a statue, it would have been front and center in the park.
McLeod Plantation: A delightful guide named John led our tour. He introduced himself as Gullah. He told the story of Wealth & slavery quite well. Walking around the slave cabins and the unmarked hidden cemetery made me feel that this was my introduction to the bigger stories.
Mother Emmanuel Church: We met our guide Lee Bennett. He is representative of what is good in humanity. He gave us the history of the church with knowledge, respect, dignity, love and humor. I believe him to be a new friend to our group and shows what forgiveness looks like. The memorial to the nine will be beautiful. The church itself is large with soaring ceiling and a magnificent pipe organ.
Old Slave Mart: A small museum full of the horrors that faced runaways and new arrivals. It is a stark message that says these slaves are not human. Just outside the doors of the museum are shops and boutiques full of expensive items. I round the block and look down. In front of me is a Slave Auction block. Unmarked. No memorial plaque. It was just lying there. I came across 3 on the trip.
Day 3: The “Other” Charleston with Franklin Williams who named his company “Frankly Charleston”. His first question was “Who built Charleston?” But his statement, “All of Charleston is a graveyard” has stayed with me. Franklin was kind and funny, but he didn’t mince words.
African American Museum: New and beautiful. On the waterfront which was smart. I could almost envision the slave ships and hear crying. There was everything from the delight of the Mardi gras costumes and rituals to a room full of the sorrowful stories told by former slaves. As I wandered I happened upon another mini miracle or perhaps redemption. Upon entering a mockup of a Gullah
Praise House, Nancie and I sat watching a film and listening to the Old people singing their hymns. Next to me was a young woman singing along. She knew all the words. I leaned toward her to hear better and she smiled at me and showed me a picture of her great Aunt. A lovely lady. She told me her Auntie just had her 110 th birthday. I tapped Nancie on the shoulder and she was as impressed as I was. The young woman continued to sing and smile and include us. It was like a big hug.
Day 4: Our trip culminated in the most wonderful life affirming experience at the Calvary Episcopal Church. After 2 days of exploring the life altering miseries visited upon the world’s black population by us white folk we were embraced and welcomed by Rev Ricardo Bailey and his congregation as if they were Joseph welcoming those brothers who tried and failed to kill him. I have the image in my head of Rev Bailey directing traffic so Elizabeth could park the van. A perfect sermon assuring that we are all redeemed. The Peace took 15 minutes. We held hands and sang and then we were fed a delicious Southern lunch. A perfect end to a sometimes difficult but very rewarding experience for me. I met living proof that “Fear and Anger are conquered by Love and Forgiveness”.
And then we went to Buckees and came home.
