Devon Dick
RECENTLY, THERE was an ambitious attempt at the Harvard Divinity School to get a dialogue going between Christians and Rastafarians and to have them perform on the same stage. The idea was that of a professor of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and visiting lecturer of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, Dr. William Spencer.
Spencer, who co-authored with his wife Aida The Prayer Life of Jesus prayed about this idea and he got executive director of Boston Theological Institute, Dr Rodney Peterson, to play a leading role. In addition, he had Garvey researcher Kevin Aylmer chair the planning committee and disc jockey Pam Spencer as secretary to turn the dream into reality.
At that conference, Judy Mowatt, former member of the I-Threes, the back-up for the late Honourable Bob Marley, addressed the gathering and related her conversion to Christianity experience. She said that when she listened to a tape in which His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie denied that he was God and affirmed that he was a follower of Christ then she started to ask questions which led to her returning to her childhood Christian faith. She, a gospel singer for the last eight years, proclaimed that she is having the happiest time of her life now that she is a Christian.
DIVINITY
Denroy Morgan, father of the famed Morgan Heritage group, responded by saying that Jesus did not claim that he was God. He then proclaimed his belief in the divinity of Haile Selassie. He also admitted that Rastafarians made the mistake of saying that, 'God is Black'. God has no colour.
One sensed that though they are differences over the issue of divinity of Jesus and Selassie there was respect and a desire to co-operate for the better of Jamaica and the human race.
Later that evening, the gospel reggae concert held at the 2,000-seater Tremont Temple Baptist Church, the first integrated church in the USA, was headlined by Morgan Heritage, Judy Mowatt, Abijah, Crown Jam and an instrumental group from Canada. From that platform, praises were offered to Jesus and Selassie. This academic idea of Americans reminds Jamaicans of the Cultural Clash of seven years ago organised by the visionary Pastor Al Miller of Fellowship Tabernacle. He was criticised for the idea of having a concert, which headlined Lt. Stitchie, Papa San, Tony Rebel, and Grace Thrillers etc. He was trying to encourage moral values and conscious lyrics. Since then Papa San and Lt. Stitchie have become Christians. How could he mix non-Christians and Christians?
You see, as Dr. Omar Davies pointed out in his paper 'The Wailers-Giving Thanks and Praise', "...the same idiom was, and is utilised to give thanks and praise to the Almighty, without finding it necessary to separate audiences or the music into 'secular' and 'spiritual'".
This characteristic is particularly appealing to me. Unfortunately, this is not so in the Christian music business. But now an overseas Christian group has staged what could be termed 'Cultural Clash II'. A prophet is usually without honour in his own country but soon, by the grace of these Americans, Al Miller's idea will become acceptable.
SPIRITUAL NATURE
At the same conference the legacy of Bob Marley was explored with Fikisha Cumbo analysing the spiritual nature of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Alan Walters of the University of Massachusetts looked at the convergence of Rasta and Reggae. Ethno-musicologist Kevin Aylmer reflected on the spirituality and prophecy in the odyssey of Marcus Garvey while, not surprisingly, William Spencer, author of Dread Jesus examined 'What is stopping Rasta-Christian Unity/Inity? A look at the Barriers and Bridges'.
Americans Julia and Robert Roskind, who also spoke at the conference, have initiated a movement in Jamaica, which seeks to promote 'One Love' among all peoples. They believe that unconditional love could heal Jamaica and the world. He is encouraging Jamaicans beginning with the youths to be the first country to heal itself by individuals healing their personal relationships through love and forgiveness. He challenges all to "forgive as many people as you can, as soon as you can, as much as you can". They have dedicated their lives to encourage Jamaicans to engage in 'One Love' by the time of Bob Marley's 60th birthday in 2005.
Robert believes in the divinity of Haile Selassie, the divinity of Mohammed and the divinity of Jesus. Between January and February of this year, he organised 12 concerts entitled, 'The Gathering of the Healers' at which Abijah, Luciano, Tony Rebel and Delroy Morgan performed. Next month starting on May 17, and with the sponsorship of the JHTA, they will be having concerts in Negril, Ocho Rios and Kingston.
Many groups and many cultural expressions are trying to bring healing to the nation and perhaps it might be an alliance between Christians and Rastafarians, using the medium of reggae, that will succeed.
The Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church.
