Beyond the Pews: The Crossroads of Cone’s “Community of Faith”
In the wake of loss, both personal and communal, we find ourselves reflecting on the nature of faith and community. The recent passing of Dr. Barbara J. Holmes, whose work "Joy Unspeakable" continues to unfold new layers of understanding, has sparked a deeper contemplation of spiritual connections for me.
A quote from James Cone, recently shared by my Facebook friend, Ruben Rosario, urges scholars to remain committed to the community of faith. Yet, in the spirit of Cone's own encouragement to critique even established theories, I must ask: What truly constitutes the community of faith?
Perhaps our traditional understanding falls short. Should we extend the borders we’ve created in defining what it means to be a community of faith in unexpected places? Among minimum wage workers fighting for fair treatment, parents resisting the erosion of public education, farmworkers toiling under harsh conditions, or even children who love the adults who hurt them most?
As we ponder these questions, we're led to wonder: Has the conventional community of faith lost its essence, leaving academics searching for its true embodiment? This reflection inspired the following poem, "Two Faces of Faith," which explores the dichotomy between traditional and unconventional expressions of faith in our society. This came to me after reading a section of Barbara Holmes’ “Unspeakable Joy”:
“Two Faces of Faith”
Relishing symbols of a cross,
One community gathers,
While another dons uniforms tattered,
Sunday pews filled with mirror images,
As others meet at dusk by bus stops,
Catering to hollow edifices.
Hymns of war and divine retribution,
Contrast with cries of violated trust,
From board rooms of false absolution.
Me too, they cry from the pews,
Me too, they hold within for a few
More years pass that they forget their savior’s rage
Against the oppressors who dare to raise minimum wage
One community revels in a growing entertainment,
Another community hold within true enlightenment.
Voices speak for causes, risking naught,
While unions form in faith communities,
Everything to lose, but freedom sought.
Cone urged scholars to never forget and stay connected,
Since roots of faith have strayed,
From battles that once intersected.
Beyond literal interpretations we must go,
To wrestle with our worldly significance,
Among workers high and low.
How does one become truly touchable?
Lest we float above on privileged lifts,
Over mountains of bias, untouchable,
Who really gets it?
In this tale of two communities,
We're called to bridge the divide,
And honor our shared humanities
aligned within the Divine.
by Candace Laughinghouse c.2024