Imagine a man who has been the Pastor of a Protestant denomination for over 15 years secretly studying Orthodox Christianity and practicing a prayer rule. He’s highly regarded by the community and peers in the ministry for his character and teaching and preaching ability. Yet he comes to a point where he can no longer … More Lessons of St. Moses: Embracing Humility
Referring back to the movie Moses the Black; I’m thinking about the main character’s grandmother. I’ll assume she was an Orthodox Christian, although I don’t know too many Churches in an inner city. The hero hadn’t had the time nor put in the effort to be fully catechized and brought into the faith. Yet, his … More Lessons of St. Moses: The Good Seed
I was born not long before Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. Despite the riots in Detroit and Watts, there seemed to be a hope that human brotherhood and the beloved society would end racism and racial injustice. Somewhere between April 4th, 1968 and the mass incarceration of low level black drug offenders in the Regan, … More Seeking a Greater Restoration
Noah cursed his grandson, Canaan, because Ham exposed his father’s nakedness while he was drunk. For thousands of years, accidental and intentional misinterpretations of scripture placed the curse on all descendants of Ham, especially the various peoples of Africa and that brown and black skin was a symbol of the curse. Yet, God made a … More Saints of Africa: December
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 My wife asked me why I liked the stories of Orthodox saints so much. This verse from John’s Gospel is my answer in a nutshell. I have heard all sorts of talk about black Africans during the biblical and early Christian periods. … More Saints of Africa: November
There is an African proverb that is growing into a rather scary prophecy; “If you don’t know your past, you don’t know your future.” This frightens me for the future of Christianity as a whole and the black church in particular. Many ancient roots of the faith are deeply grounded on our mother continent. Traditional … More Saints of Africa: October
It is important for all Christians in general and African Americans in particular to be familiar with the saints of Africa. When we are unknowing and unwilling to share the history of blacks as a people of the faith among others of different lands sharing the universal belief in Jesus Christ, there is room for … More Saints of Africa: September
Perhaps every African American Orthodox Christian has August 28th circled on a calendar. It is the feast day of Abba Moses the Black. He is also known as the “Ethiopian” (due to his very dark “burnt” complexion), “Robber” (he was a former gang leader and thief), and “Strong” (mostly by Copts referring to a story … More Saints of Africa: August
“‘But you, when you pray, go into your room and pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly’” Matthew 6:6 “‘Go sit in your cell and your cell will teach you everything’” Moses #6, Sayings of the Desert Fathers Prayer is a … More Saints of Africa: July
“You can go right back to the very beginning of Christianity, Catholicism, the genesis of Christianity as we know it to be presently constituted, was conceived in Africa – by those whom the Christian church calls ‘The Desert Fathers.’” from the Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 368. There is a tendency among many in the … More Saints of Africa: June
Desert Fathers Dispatch 