To borrow for a moment the terminology of the faith-filled Church of God in Christ, it was a miraculous sight to see downtown St. Louis flooded with tens of thousands of proud and devout African Americans as COGIC overtook the convention center and some 25,000 hotel rooms for its 103rd Holy Convocation. Memphis’ loss was certainly St. Louis’ gain as the largest African-American Protestant denomination held its most important annual gathering outside of its host city of Memphis for the first time.
Anyone who cares about St. Louis, and in particular the black community here, must have a host of thoughts to see this many self-respecting and earnest black people crowd the streets of downtown – many of these thoughts quite distant from the pious contemplations our visitors must be having.
One imagines a downtown St. Louis that is attracting more middle-class African American families, rather than mostly single young white people and empty nesters. We believe in the importance of the continuing revival of downtown as much as anyone, even as we regret to see so much of our resources mainly devoted to attracting demographics that are not representative of this city, which remains roughly half-black.
One imagines a public discourse in this country that devotes the same space and time to middle-class African Americans as it does to the noisy minority of angry white right wingers one is forced to hear about on every single newscast. Indeed, the Republican Party’s cooption of the concepts of social and fiscal conservatism completely shuts out of the picture the black middle class, which may vote Democrat in large numbers, but tends toward deep social conservatism and considerable fiscal conservatism. The black middle class – which one sees in large numbers at the COGIC convocation – shows there can be a sane, compassionate social and fiscal conservatism that still remains vigilant about the well being of those less fortunate.
And here we might circle around and join the COGIC “saints” in thought, as they will think and speak and preach much about Jesus Christ and his teachings while they are here with us. These devout people base their faith on a book, the Holy Bible, that lays out a blueprint for compassionate conservatism. Consider those unforgettable words from the Book of Mathew, when Jesus tells the righteous, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” And, much more pointedly, when he says to the accursed, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
We welcome the COGIC faithful – and the many reflections they inspire – to our wonderful, struggling city.
