“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and
narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.
Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by
vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
~ Mark Twain
from Innocents
Abroad
This
is a story of how I began to let go of some prejudices that I had been carrying
around for a while. Having traveled and lived in other parts of the world, I
can say that Mark Twain was right about travel being fatal to prejudice.
Sometimes a journey to the other side of the world can open one’s eyes; at
other times, all it takes is a trip across town.
First
Came the Music
For
most of my life I did not think very highly of Primitive Baptists. I was raised Southern Baptist in a household
that valued education. I didn’t know any
Primitive Baptists when I was growing up; I just heard stories about those “Hard Shell
Baptists,” or “foot-washing Baptists.” They were typically not interested in
higher education. I remember my father, a seminary educated pastor, jokingly
saying that the Primitive Baptists had no seminaries because “they believe that
if the Lord wants an educated pastor, He’ll call one.”
My
attitude did a complete 180 a few years ago when I attended my first National
Sacred Harp Convention. I was absolutely blown away by the experience. As the
ones who kept Sacred Harp music alive down through the years, I saw that the
Primitive Baptists had something very important to bring to the table. I wrote about it on my blog in 2011 and again in 2013. There is a growing interest in
preserving the music, with Sacred Harp organizations being formed in places
like Chicago, New York, Ireland, and Poland. The music really does a number on
me. One year, I took an Episcopal priest friend to the Sacred Harp Convention with
me who later described it as “a wondersome and transformative experience.”
This
is how I described my first encounter with Sacred Harp singing:
I was captivated,
stirred on the inside, tears threatening to well up – and no words had been
sung yet. It was that bracing harmony of pure notes filling the sunlit space.
The sound reminded me of the Bulgarian women’s folk singing that has attracted
many listeners since the 1990 recording, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares. There
was a similar directness and exuberance, a hearty primitive and uplifting –
even startling – vocal effect. Yet these were regular folks, local people from
Alabama and others traveling from points near and far who were producing that
fantastic harmony. The visceral effect was also similar to being in the
presence of bagpipes as they are played. It grabs your attention and stirs you
on the inside.
In
that first blog post, I went on to explain that:
Sacred Harp came to this
country by way of the early English settlers. It was first established in New
England before the American Revolution, but gradually died out in that part of
the country. For years it was kept alive in the hills of Appalachia,
particularly among the Primitive Baptists. Nowadays it continues to be
preserved by Sacred Harp gatherings and conventions.
I
became aware on that day of a particular treasure that had been preserved
through the years by the Primitive Baptists. They were no longer some unknown
oddity removed from my experience. They were conveyers of a sacred tradition
that until that day I had not been privy to. Standing within that undeniable experience,
I had to sift through and re-think years of uninformed prejudice.
Then
Came the Book
There
was this other thing I grew up hearing about those “Hard Shell” Primitive
Baptists: they didn’t believe in missionary work because their Calvinist
theology led them to believe that God has already decided who goes to Heaven
and who goes to Hell. In the Old South, some Baptist Churches called themselves
“Missionary Baptist” as one way to distinguish themselves from their Calvinist
Primitive Baptist cousins. A few years ago, friend who is an expert in Appalachian
culture and history, and who also happens to me a Unitarian Universalist
minister, told me about a fascinating book, In
the Hands of a Happy God, by Howard Dorcan. The subtitle of the book is The “No-Hellers” of Central Appalachia,
and it chronicles the development of a universalist strand of Primitive
Baptists. I was intrigued by the notion
because I like the idea of Universalist theology – which is something that the
Southern Baptists of my childhood were quite leery of. I was especially
intrigued that a group of Primitive Baptists managed to arrive at such a positive
outlook that most Christian denominations cannot bring themselves to believe to
this day.
The
title of Dorcan’s book intentionally contrasts the Primitive Baptist Universalists
with that famous Calvinist New England Congregationalist preacher, Jonathan
Edwards, who is best known for his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry
God.” In the Hands of a Happy God is part history, part sociology, and
in a way a detective story. Dorcan writes about his work in tracing the
development of the Primitive Baptist Universalist churches. He mentions that
the churches were so similar in organization, and they simply call themselves
Primitive Baptists, that he at first was not aware of their theological
distinctions until further discussions with their elders. Moreover, in the Primitive Baptist tradition, there is very little "written record" of theological beliefs. The PBUs see God as a
happy God because he figured out a way to redeem all of humanity. They may be
the only Calvinists in the world who can say, “Yes, God has already decided who
is going to heaven – and it’s EVERYBODY!”
Dorcan’s
book let me see that even among these stern Calvinists who have no formal
schools of theology and no centralized institutional structure, there can be a
dynamic debate and exploration of ideas. Furthermore, they can shatter their
own stereotypes to arrive at a happy and optimistic world view. It was just one
more reason for me to gain a new appreciation for Primitive Baptists and to let
go of some of my preconceived notions.
And
Then There Is the Food
One
of the traditions of Sacred Harp singing is that everyone shares a big potluck
dinner, or “covered dish” dinner as they used to say down South. You may have
heard the expression, “All Day Singing and Dinner on the Ground.” This has its
roots in the Sacred Harp tradition. Periodically, a church would designate a day
set aside for singing – no preaching or formal worship service – just singing. At
these gatherings people would bring their prepared dishes from home and there
was always a time of fellowship when everyone would sit and eat together. The
National Sacred Harp Convention continues that tradition with a pot luck meal
served in the middle of each day of their annual gathering. They always invite
all visitors to join them in the meal. One of the best ways to see beyond
differences and into the shared humanity of another is to share a meal
together. Joy and commonality can always be found around food.
If
you want to get to know a group of people, spend some time singing with them;
spend some time eating with them. It will not make you agree with everything
they say, but it will help you to see that agreement in every detail is not
really the point. Sharing life in all of its joys and sorrows, accepting people
of other traditions, listening to other points of view – all of these things
can contribute to a fuller life and a greater understanding of your neighbor.
Next time you get a chance to travel, especially if it means singing with
someone else or eating with someone else, make the journey, even if it is only across
town.
_____________________
Photos:
Upper:Salem Primitive Baptist Church in Adel, Georgia
Credit: Michael Rivera
Lower: Church potluck
Credit: Nehrams2020
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