Reflections on the Durham Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope

A few weeks ago Duke Memorial went on a “Durham Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope,” with 18 participants. We learned the story of Durham through the lens of our Christian faith, paying particular attention to race and class. We learned about the Stagville Plantation, the Hayti Heritage Center, the Royal Ice Cream Sit-In, El Centro Hispano, Duke Homestead, the West End, and our own church, Duke Memorial. Here is an extended reflection on the pilgrimage experience by one of our speakers, Rev. Keith Daniel, along with some reflections from those in our group:

 

Pilgrimage as Authentic Transformation
by Keith Daniel

Pilgrimage is an ancient practice (Mecca, Jerusalem, Holy Land, Shrine, Sacred Places, the course of life on earth).  Pilgrimages provide a powerful way for contemporary Christians to authentically encounter and be transformed (the telos) by the suffering and hope of others across disparities shaped by culture, privilege, economics, and race. Unlike missionaries or tourists, pilgrims enter a host community as guests dependent on the hospitality of others, and as learners seeking to cultivate attentive presence with those who suffer or have suffered.  Through (1) receiving the hospitality of communities enlivened by hope in the midst of suffering, (2) visiting locations of spiritual and historical significance to the host community, and (3) learning from personal and communal stories of pain and hope, a powerful opportunity is created for authentic reconciliation and for forging new friendships, solidarity and compassion across deep social, cultural and economic divisions.

The Duke Divinity School Centers and Houses have led numerous pilgrimages to various parts of the world.  My first pilgrimage was in 2008 to the incredible city of Durham, NC coordinated through the Office of Black Church Studies (OBCS).  During orientation (former OBCS director) Rev. Marley identified Trevor Hudson as the “God-father of Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope.  Trevor wrestled with the racial disparities during the ‘80s in South Africa.  He heard God say, “Take members of your congregation with you to where their brothers and sisters are suffering.  Go and explore their conditions first-hand.”    We easily fail to appreciate the significance and impact our presence has on the community we are situated in and surrounded by.  So, we go.  We go as listeners, not talkers or preachers.  We go as learners, not teachers.  We go as receivers, not givers…  We go to see the face of Jesus in our neighbors.

When I assumed the role of interim director of the Office of Black Church Studies in August 2012, I looked forward to leading a Durham pilgrimage with students.  Reynolds Chapman, Minister of Adult Discipleship and Witness at Duke Memorial Church, contacted me last fall to collaborate on a pilgrimage experience with members of the Duke Memorial congregation.  I was excited to share the pilgrimage story of the founding of the PathWays Christian community at 1115 W. Chapel Hill St. in Durham West End neighborhood.

In 2005, as the director of Duke University Chapel’s student ministry called PathWays, I led a year-long journey (pilgrimage) with staff and congregation members that launched the renovation of a dilapidated house with a history of drugs and violence.  The house had been boarded up for about two years.  The community invited us into the neighborhood having heard that students would live there and serve in the community.

I enjoy sharing the story of how we came to reside in the West End to caring pilgrims.  Duke Memorial has a heart for the community.  The people are sincere and want to know and understand the history of their neighbors.  I have been honored to preach at Duke Memorial from the perspective of an African American “native son” who has good news to share where not much good news is reported in our media and local paper.

On Saturday, October 12, I met Reynolds and a new group of pilgrims at Lyon Park on Lakewood Avenue.  The group was running a little behind, so I parked and decided to use the time to check on my aunt Carol Ann who grew up in the West End.  She had recently had a mild heart attack.  I told her I was speaking with a church group about the community, and she asked if I was still responsible for the house on West Chapel Hill Street.  She began to share with me about another historic house in the community referring to St. Pauli Murray’s home.  Aunt Carol Ann got wound up about the historic significance and the importance of this history for our youth to know.  Aunt Carol Ann is a proud woman too.  I hated to cut her off, but the Duke Memorial group had arrived and was seated in the picnic shelter waiting for me to speak with them.

Thank you Reynolds and the Duke Memorial family for your listening hearts and your openness to being transformed by the renewing of your minds through the powerful ways Almighty God is moving in the midst of our pain and hope.

Reflections from the Group

“I am so glad I went on the pilgrimage. I really enjoyed the sense of community that was built within our group and with Durham. I think we became much more acquainted with the history that has shaped Durham in the past and how it is being shaped in the present as well. I really enjoyed hearing the stories of those individuals who advocated for justice here. Those we met and conversed with exemplified a  strong love for this community. I am thankful that I now have a deeper understanding of the place I live, and I believe this sort of deeper understanding is calling me toward service. I am excited for my future in Durham and hope to have many more encounters like those on this pilgrimage.”

“I am glad that I attended the pilgrimage because it really helped me to orient myself in the greater Durham community.  It is easy for me to get caught up in school and my own social circle so I appreciated learning and discussing the rich history of Durham with others.  I spent all of last year tutoring at El Centro Hispano without knowing its mission.  I feel that my eyes were opened to the role of individuals and groups in shaping Durham's past as well as Durham's future.  It was also a perfect ‘beginning of fall break’ activity.”

“I am glad that I went on the pilgrimage because I am new to Durham, and it gave me a rich (though necessarily limited) sense of the city's history, and the way that that history has impacted the place that Durham is now.  It was a great gift to be able to process my experience with others through the categories of gift/lament/hope/lens.  I learned a great deal from the other participants in the pilgrimage, and am grateful to have a new lens through which to view Durham as I continue to get to know the city!”

“I'm thankful I went on the pilgrimage, because it exposed me to so many different angles and nooks in the Durham community.  Too often we go from work/school to home without ever exploring the area around us.  This pilgrimage taught me an attitude of reverence and respect for a past that continues to shape the present.”

“I am grateful for the Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope having afforded us the opportunity once more to be pilgrims, people approaching journey in a way which leads inward to a place that is holy.”