*20
/         "GOD AND THE RURAL POOR"
/  PERHAPS NOTHING IS MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE OUTSIDER
/TO COMPREHEND THAN THE DEEP AND ABIDING FAITH OF BLACK
/SHARECROPPERS AND WHITE TENANT FARMERS, OF MIGRANT
/WORKERS, AND OF THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE OF APPALACHIA.
/  THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITION, NOT TO
/MENTION THE MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, OF THE
/RURAL POOR COMMAND WIDE AND SYMPATHETIC INTEREST FROM
/WELL-EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO ARE TRULY HORRIFIED THAT AMERICA
/CONTINUES TO ALLOW SOME OF ITS PEOPLE TO LIVE IN NEAR-
/PEONAGE.  LIBERALS AND PROGRESSIVES TRY - OFTEN ENOUGH IN
/A SENSITIVE AND FAIR SPIRIT THAT SHUNS CONDESCENSION - TO
/COMPREHEND THE SO-CALLED LIFE-STYLES OF THE RURAL POOR.
/NOR DO WE MERELY TRY TO UNDERSTAND; WE PROUDLY CONSIDER
/OURSELVES SUPPORTERS, WELL-WISHERS, CHAMPIONS OF THE POOR
/AND THE MISERABLE - AMERICA^S VERSION OF FRANTZ FANON^S
/"WRETCHED OF THE EARTH."
/  THE LANGUAGE OF TENANT FARMERS, THE TRAVELING AND
/LIVING HABITS OF MIGRANTS, THE MUSIC PLAYED AND SUNG IN
/THE HOLLOWS - ALL OF THESE WE MAY LOOK UPON WITH DISCERN-
/MENT AND INSIGHT AND (WE HOPE) NOT A LITTLE COMPASSION.
/BUT OUR FORBEARANCE WEARS THIN AT THE CHURCH DOOR. WE ARE
/LIKELY TO THINK: WHAT HARDSHIPS THEY FACE, IN RETURN FOR
/A PROMISE THAT ANOTHER WORLD WILL REDEEM THIS ONES EVILS!
/AND WHAT ENERGY IS WEEK-BY-WEEK CARRIED OFF IN A NOISY,
/SUPERSTITIOUS TIDE OF PRAYERS AND HYMNS, ALL MEANT TO
/MAKE PEOPLE COMPLIANT, SLIGHTLY DAZED, AND RIDICULOUSLY
/HOPEFUL - IN THE FACE OF THEIR AWFUL CIRCUMSTANCES.
/SELDOM DO WE REACT SIMILARLY TO THE DOZENS OF SECULAR
/IDEOLOGIES THAT COMMAND COMPLIANCE, BELIEF AND, NOT
/UNCOMMONLY, REAL ZEALOTRY FROM WELL-EDUCATED AND
/WELL-TO-DO PEOPLE.
/  YET WE MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE FAITH OF "POOR,
/WRETCHED BELIEVERS," AS I ONCE HEARD A SHARECROPPER WOMAN
/DESCRIBE HER FAMILY, IF WE ARE TO AVOID MAKING PEOPLE
/WITH SINCERE OPINIONS AND PASSIONATE BELIEFS INTO OPIATED
/AND DELUDED VICTIMS, OR INTO PHILOSOPHICALLY DUPED AND
/NEUROTICALLY AFFLICTED PATIENTS.
/  GOD LIVES FOR SHARECROPPERS, DIFFICULT THOUGH THAT MAY
/BE FOR SOME OF THEIR DISTANT FRIENDS AND ALLIES TO
/ACCEPT AND BELIEVE.
/  I WILL TRY TO HINT AT - MAYBE THIS IS THE WAY TO PUT
/IT - THE ANIMATED SPIRIT, AS I HAPPENED TO SEE AND HEAR
/AND FEEL THAT SPIRIT COME ALIVE, BECOME AN EVENT.
/  IT IS AN EVENT. SOMETHING HAPPENS, SOMETHING TAKES
/PLACE. IN RURAL CHURCHES ONE IS MOVED AND TRANSPORTED,
/ONE IS ELEVATED AND SUMMONED, ONE USES ARMS AND THE HANDS
/AND THE LEGS, ONE BENDS AND STRAIGHTENS OUT AND TWISTS
/AND TURNS, AND YES, FINALLY YES, "ARRIVES."
/  BUT WE AGNOSTIC ASCETICS OR RELIGIOUS PURITANS AREN^T
/USED TO FINDING FAITH "IMPURE" - LUSTY, DRIVEN, SENSUAL,
/PHYSICAL. FOR SALLY, A WOMAN IN MISSISSIPPI, CHURCH IS
/INITIALLY A DESTINATION, A PLACE OVER THERE THAT REQUIRES
/THE PHYSICAL EFFORT OF ATTENDANCE - WHICH MEANS HUNDREDS
/AND HUNDREDS OF STEPS TAKEN. THE PASSION BEHIND ALL THOSE
/STEPS, THE FORCE OF MIND AND HEART THAT MAKES THEM
/POSSIBLE, IS SEEN IN THE EFFORT OF TRAVELING DOWN THE
/APPALACHIAN HOLLOWS, ACROSS THE DELTA MUD, AWAY FROM THE
/MIGRANT LABOR CAMPS TO TOWN, OR SIMPLY TO AN OPEN FIELD,
/THIS TIME NOT SO THAT CROPS WILL BE HARVESTED, BUT SO
/THAT THE LEGS CAN BE BENT, BODIES MADE TO KNEEL - KNEEL
/AS ON WEEKDAYS, BUT NOW FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE.
/  THESE PEOPLE KNOW THE BIBLE, KNOW SOME KIND OF CHURCH,
/KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO PRAY LONG AND HARD. THEY ALSO KNOW
/IN THEIR BONES WHAT OTHERS TALK ABOUT AND SPECULATE UPON:
/THEY KNOW AND LIVE OUT "RESIGNATION" AND "ESTRANGEMENT."
/THEY FEEL A CERTAIN SORENESS OF MIND AND BODY. THEY KNOW
/WHAT IT IS TO FEEL CURSED BY THE REST OF MANKIND. THEY
/KNOW WHAT SELF-DOUBT IS, AND ABANDONMENT. THEY SOMETIMES
/WONDER WHETHER THEY ARE NOT NOW, RIGHT NOW, IN HELL.
/HEAVEN IS TO THEM A CONSTANT VISION - EVEN AS WATER IS TO
/A THIRSTY MAN CROSSING THE DESERT.
/  THE WIFE OF A SHARECROPPER IN ALABAMA MADE THAT LAST
/COMPARISON. SHE REMINDED ME THAT HER LIFE AND CHRIST^S
/ARE NOT UNLIKE, WHICH IS NOT A PRESUMPTUOUS OR BLASPH-
/EMOUS THOUGHT FOR HER TO HAVE, BUT RATHER SOMETHING FOR
/ALL OF US TO WONDER ABOUT AND MAYBE GET NERVOUS OVER.
/  THERE IT IS, FAITH AND DOUBT, UTTER CONVICTION AND
/SKEPTICISM, RESIGNED ACCEPTANCE OF GOD^S WILL AND HIS
/MYSTERIES, AND A GNAWING SUSPICION THAT MAYBE JUSTICE
/MIGHT NEVER BE DONE, HERE OR "UP THERE" OR ANYWHERE.
/  WE HAVE TO TAKE NOTE OF THE TENSION BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE
/SYMPATHIZER (WITH HIS OWN KIND OF FAITH) AND THE
/RECIPIENTS OF THAT SYMPATHY. OFTEN ENOUGH IT IS A KIND OF
/SYMPATHY THAT STUBBORNLY AND EVEN ARROGANTLY DWELLS UPON
/EXTERIORS, UPON THE DREADFUL SURFACES OF LIFE, THE LACK
/OF PLUMBING AND ELECTRICITY AND FURNITURE AND MONEY. I
/CAN ONLY AT THIS POINT BRING UP THE WORDS OF A MIGRANT
/WORKER, SPEAKING OF LOCAL MINISTERS:
/  "THAT MINISTER SHOULD GO AND PRAY FOR US. HE SHOULD
/ASK GOD TO GIVE US WHAT WE DESERVE. HE SHOULD ASK GOD
/TO MAKE HIM A BETTER MINISTER, SO THAT HE^LL BE ABLE TO
/TALK WITH US AND, YOU KNOW, BE MORE A PART OF US - KNOW
/US AND NOT ALWAYS BE GIVING US THOSE LESSONS ON WHAT WE
/SHOULD DO AND HOW WE SHOULD LIVE. HE SHOULD DO SOME
/THINGS, TOO - SO HE CAN BE BETTER AND LIVE BETTER,
/BECAUSE IT^S NOT JUST US THAT HAVE TO CHANGE OUR THINKING
/LIKE HE KEEPS ON TELLING US TO DO. HE SAYS HE WANTS TO
/HELP US, BUT HE DOESN^T REALLY WANT TO SEE THE WORLD AS
/WE DO. MAYBE HE SHOULD DO US A FAVOR AND HEAR US FOR A
/CHANGE, AND THEN GO BACK TO HIS SIDE OF THE FENCE AND ASK
/HIMSELF IF THE PEOPLE OVER THERE HAVE ANYTHING MORE
/IMPORTANT TO SAY."
/ THEN I FELT CLOSE TO THAT MINISTER - AND RIGHTLY WARNED.