Go tell it on the mountain - James Baldwin [26]
And the Lord, as He had promised to the two or three first gathered together, sent others; and these brought others and created a church. From this parent branch, if the Lord blessed, other branches might grow and a mighty work be begun throughout the city and throughout the land. In the history of the Temple the Lord has raised up evangelists and teachers and prophets, and called them out into the field to do His work; to do up and down the land carrying the gospel, or to raise other temples—in Philadelphia, Georgia, Boston, or Brooklyn. Wherever the Lord led, they followed. Every now and again one of them came home to testify of the wonders the Lord had worked through him, or her. And sometimes on a special Sunday they all visited one of the nearest churches of the Brotherhood.
There had been a time, before John was born, when his father had also been in the field; but now, having to earn for his family their daily bread, it was seldom that he was able to travel further away than Philadelphia, and then only for a very short time. His father no longer, as he had once done, led great revival meetings, his name printed large on placards that advertised the coming of a man of God. His father had once had a mighty reputation; but all this, it seemed, had changed since he had left the South. Perhaps he ought now to have a church of his own—John wondered if his father wanted that; he ought, perhaps, to be leading, as Father James now led, a great flock to the Kingdom. But his father was only a caretaker in the house of God. He was responsible for the replacement of burnt-out light bulbs, and for the cleanliness of the church, and the care of the Bibles, and the hymn-books, and the placards on the walls. On Friday night he conducted the Young Ministers’ Service and preached with them. Rarely did he bring the message on a Sunday morning; only if there was no one else to speak was his father called upon. He was a kind of fill-in speaker, a holy handyman.
Yet he was treated, so far as John could see, with great respect. No one, none of the saints in any case, had ever reproached or rebuked his father, or suggested that that his life was anything but spotless. Nevertheless, this man, God’s minister, had struck John’s mother, and John had wanted to kill him—and wanted to kill him still.
John has swept one side of the church and the chairs were still piled in the space before the altar when there was a knocking at the door. When he opened the door he saw that it was Elisha, come to help him.
‘Praise the Lord,’ said Elisha, standing on the doorstep, grinning.
‘Praise the Lord,’ said John. This was the greeting always used among the saints.
Bother Elisha came in, slamming the door behind him and stamping his feet. He had probably just come from a basket-ball court; his forehead was polished with recent sweat and his hair stood up. He was wearing his green woolen sweater, on which was stamped the letter of his high school, and his shirt was open at the throat.
‘You ain’t cold like that? John asked, staring at him.
‘No, little brother, I ain’t cold. You reckon everybody’s frail like you?’
‘It ain’t only the little ones gets carried to the graveyard,’ John said. He felt unaccustomedly bold and lighthearted; the arrival of Elisha had caused his mood to change.
Elisha, who had started down the aisle towards the back room, turned to stare at John with astonishment and menace. ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘I see you fixing to be sassy with Brother Elisha to-night—I’m going to have to give you a little correction. You just wait till I wash my hands.’
‘Ain’t no need to wash your hands if you come here to work. Just take hold of that mop and put some soap and water in the bucket.’
‘Lord,’ said Elisha, running water