Sharing heritage can lead to racial reconciliation

Fr. Berry talks to attendees at racial reconciliation conference.

While white supremacists are ranting about heritage not being hate in one breath and blood and soil (genocide) in the next exhalation, Father Moses Berry’s work is bridging the racial divide by preaching forgiveness and grace.

Berry was the guest speaker at St. John the Wonderworker Church on Cherokee Avenue in downtown Atlanta on August 26. Pastor of Unexpected Joy Church in Ash Grove, Missouri, Berry is President and Co-founder of the Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black. He is also curator of The Ozarks African American Heritage Museum.

Berry is the only black orthodox priest in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) whose mission is, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Berry explains the history of the drinking gourd and freedom.

When Berry shares his message on racial reconciliation, he delves into a space that, like the Underground Railroad’s drinking gourd, is pointed towards freedom - spiritual freedom.

“God is with us,” were Berry’s opening remarks before educating attendees on the spirituality of African Americans and the ancient orthodox Christian faith. Mahalia Jackson’s voice set the mood from a DVD slide show, singing “Move on Up a Little Higher.”

“I been climbing over hills and mountains
I'm gonna drink from the Christian fountain
You know all God, God's sons and daughters that mornin'
Will drink that ol' healing water.”

Berry said he was born between the dark and the daylight and wears sunglasses inside not to be cool, but because his eyes are light sensitive. He talked about his ancestors, family members who lived past 100 years old, and blacks he remembers from his childhood. From a three-generational lineage of ministers in the A.M.E. Zion Church, Berry said, “I went on this unending journey to find God until I really learned how to serve the Lord.”

Participant asks about positive messages depicted in black dolls.

He himself knows sharing between the races can happen. He is the recipient of a 85% match kidney from a Serbian, white female donor. “I think God delivered me through that person,” Berry said.

Slave "necklace" or collar

A poignant moment in Berry’s speech occurred when he donned an iron slave collar and held a ball and chain belonging to one of his ancestors. Then there was the display of a telling, 1863 Drunkard’s Quilt used at safe houses on the route to freedom in Canada.

Berry described his own direct knowledge of black heroes (saints) in his town. One was Olivia Murray. Murray, the granddaughter of a slave, Fannie Murray, “embarrassed me in 1950-60’s by walking around town looking like Aunt Jemima.

“I told my mother, ‘Mom, can you do something with her?’” His mother informed him that Murray carried a basket filled with eggs from her chickens, canned goods from vegetables in her garden, and she saved many families from starvation, including theirs.

“We dismiss people on flimsy evidence,” Berry said about our view of others. “We’re ashamed of ourselves…we think white men’s ice water is colder than ours…we have the same contributions to make.” 

"Just look how much time we have wasted on this subject, on racism, when we could have been solving other problems. Hatred of 'others' is a universal problem and is tied to power, not skin color."--- Tomi Johnson

Drunkard's Quilt once displayed outside safe house.

After the presentation, participants were treated to lunch featuring items from Ethiopia (curry Chicken, red spicy lentils, sponge bread), West Africa (meat pie and plantains), and soul food dishes from the United States (chicken livers, collards, watermelon, sweet potato pie).

In a question and answer session, one white male stunt actor asked how blacks can forgive whites after all the atrocities committed during slavery and the present day.

“Don’t judge lawless young people who are confused and lack proper guidance or deliberately refuse guidance. Acknowledge what has happened, and then move forward. Use Christ to set the example. Ask, ‘What would Jesus do?’ Go outside your comfort zone.”

Shared heritage might show hate, but forgiveness follows for those led by Jesus.

Berry said, “It would be shallow to think this is a new or racial problem. Christians should come back to true discipleship. This is a hard thing, to follow Christ - self-denial to the point that it hurts.”

"Don't fret over racism which could drive one crazy. We can never get to the bottom of it."---Fr. Moses Berry

Berry invites others to lean on God's grace and learn how to be an active, real "Christian" in thoughts and deeds.  “The problem is that when we think of our sins, it’s egotistical to try to repay the debt. Repent and try not to sin again,” he concluded.

For more information, contact Berry at abbamoses@yahoo.com. To view conference videos, go to: http://www.saintjohnwonderworker.org/parish-photos-events-1/st-moses-the-black-conference

Photos by Kurk Johnson, Tomi Johnson, and church photographer.