Humanity shares a wealth of experiences. We are the biggest community that exists so our common ground is incommensurable. We can share so many stories and relate immediately. There's a certain beauty in that. What's even more beautiful is that there are thousands, if not millions of other communities to be apart of and share common experiences with. The community that is the black church is one of happiness, annoyance, humor, good spirit and understanding. If you grew up in the black church, these commonalities will be easily relatable:
1. Church never ends when it's supposed to
Every Sunday, the pastor gets on stage and delivers a powerful sermon. And honestly, you're all for it, he's preaching like God is whispering in his ear. But then, when church is supposed to be ending, you can tell that he is no where near finished. He promised to have everyone out on time on multiple occasions. But his promise is not that of God's, as he is still going strong three hours after church was supposed to end. This happens 52 Sundays a year. We all know it and we all continue to go.
2. When church does end and no adult is ready to leave
It could be your mama, your nana, your daddy, it doesn't matter; whoever you rode with to church is not ready to leave church when the time comes. After sitting in the sanctuary anxiously watching for the closing prayer, you still can't manage to get out of there. Mama's talking to every other mama, nana has choir rehearsal, everyone has something to do when it's time to go. So all the kids are left to play with each other. It was kind of like an informal recess. The worst recess because you really just wanted to go home to nap, eat, or play with neighborhood friends.
3. There's always that one congregation singer who wishes they were in the choir
I'm sorry and I mean no shade, but we all know it's true. Praise and Worship begins and the energy slowly rises. Everyone in the congregation starts to feel the music and joins in with the choir. And there's always this one member, who believes they are meant to be on stage with the rest of the choir. While they are singing in your ear, it's as if they're auditioning for the choir, or maybe (you sometimes think) God himself. Their voice is overbearing and their clapping is thunderous. But what can you do? It's all in God's name.
4. Your mom gives you "the look"
You're sitting in church trying to pay attention because you're grown now (or at least you assumed so since you were sitting with the grown ups). You're hanging on to everything being said trying to fully take in the good word and then comes the line. You know, the line that your mom feels describes you perfectly. Your pastor says something like "Our children have lost the sense of obedience." She glances over at you to be sure you know that she fully took in what he said. Or he spouts something like "God will save our youth and lead them away from this sexual, violent immoral music." And your mom is ready to get the pastor's autograph. She is standing and clapping with a fervor that annoys you to your core. But it's normal because he has one of these lines at least a few times a year.
5. Easter is an event
So this day is obviously and without a doubt all about remembering Christ's death and resurrection. But there are some markers separate from this that every black church member recognizes. Everyone and their mama is at church. Members you haven't seen since last Easter, neighbors from all around the neighborhood, even a few of the white kids from your school, everyone is there. It's a full house. And everyone is dressed in nothing but the best. Grandparents have waited all year to stunt on the younger generations with their vibrant suits and standout headwear. Little kids aren't picking at their outfits, but rather walking around relishing in the compliments. The pastor is giving his Sunday best, reminding his flock of the sacrifice and introducing it to those who don't know. There's always food involved, whether it's getting a table for 20 or traditional dishes beck at the house. And the memory of it all is captured with continuous photoshoots throughout the day. It's arguably the best holiday of the year for the black church community.
There are so many more moments we all share as previously or currently being a member of the black church. It is comforting to know that while experiencing God we can also experience each other. It's family.
