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
Malcolm X was an influence for me to become an Orthodox Christian. Born the son of a preacher, Malcolm Little was disenchanted with the Christianity of his time as he developed into a Harlem street hustler. While in prison, he was drawn to the teachings of the Nation of Islam which preached black separatism. Leaving … More Living an Orthodox Christian African-American Life: A Meaning of Malcolm X
“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
In a recent post on Facebook, I mentioned that “There will be some bumps and bruises in some parishes for black Inquirers.” Over thirty years after a wave of evangelicals converted to Orthodox Christianity under the Antiochians, the hurdle of ethnicity can still be daunting for anyone seeking the faith. Along with that are the … More Living an African-American Orthodox Christian Life: Dealing with “Bumps and Bruises”
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
One of the saddest missed opportunities for the Orthodox Church to evangelize to African-Americans took place after the 1893 World’s Fair. Reverend Daniel Payne, a Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and former president of Wilberforce University, attended the World Parliament of Religions at the Fair where he met heirarchs of the Orthodox Church. … More Saints of Africa: May
Desert Fathers Dispatch 