A gift of Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty came at a time when the glory of God’s light was needed.
At church, we recite that “only what we do for God will last.” However, I know that what we do for others will last, as well. When it is done in the spirit of service to God, practicing kindness to others can be natural, normal and effortless.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, when Mennonite Mission Network personnel only saw each other in little Zoom boxes on computer screens, we still found ways to celebrate Black History Month. A Mission Network colleague and her husband traveled more than 40 miles through winter storm conditions from Goshen, Indiana, to South Bend, Indiana, to deliver a book called
Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty to me. I had never seen or heard of this book, which was skillfully written by a husband-and-wife team made up of
Regis and Kahran Bethencourt. They share storytelling and imaginative lifestyle photographs of children who proclaim to be future world leaders.
My favorite story was told by Phoenix, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) student from Georgia. She was motivated by her “desire to learn new things” (p. 199). I don’t want to give away too many of the treasures held within its pages, in hopes that you find time to enjoy this beautiful book, with its magical photos that reveal the future of Black culture.
Despite the dangerous road conditions in February 2021, my friends braved the weather to deliver this gift. That unexpected knock at my door communicated kindness, which had also been shared in preceding years and has continued since that time. Their visit was right on time and showed me the sincerity of their contribution to cultivating and celebrating diversity. Since its arrival in my home, Glory, has remained in my sitting room, in a place that welcomes prayer and invites rich conversations about the natural beauty of African skin, art and hair. Glory offers profound statements that describe a promising future for each person featured in the book. Glory allows me to humbly boast about the beauty of God’s creation through Black culture and fills me with hope.
Perhaps part of the reason that I am so deeply touched by this expression of kindness, even two years after it occurred, is because the gift of Glory, not only reveals the heart of these friends but a magical feeling beyond the book — a sense of shared values. Biblically, this reminds me of the light spoken of in John 1:9 that is given to us through Jesus,
“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (NIV). I’m sure there are many stories of this couple’s acts of kindness to others. However, on this day, they delivered a “spirit of light” to me, at a time when it was deeply needed.
Celebrating Black American and African history certainly has meaning beyond what can be considered in one month, a time frame that cannot possibly hold all the accomplishments from the past and all the imagining work for a better future. Glory helps dispel the harms of the past and helps introduce the beauty of Black existence. This gift suggests a spirit that honors God’s creation of Blackness and the possibility of living out God’s purpose in a way that reflects the magic of Blackness, embracing it daily and unapologetically. While this act of kindness was expressed as a service rendered to God, it is a reminder of how we can make a difference outside of the church pews — if we are willing to travel dangerous roads to share the gift God has given us through culture.