The covenant - James A. Michener [509]
'Problems arose with the rite of communion, many whites not wishing to drink from the same cup that blacks used, but various ways
were devised to get around this, and in general, worship continued to include both white and black. At mission stations especially this was the custom, with whites being invited to attend churches that were primarily black.
'But at the Synod of 1857 pressure was exerted to change this, and a curious solution was proposed. The leaders of our church confirmed that Jesus Christ intended his people to worship as one, and this was to be preferred, "but as a concession to the prejudice and weakness of a few, it is recommended that the church serve one or more tables to the European members after the non-white members have been served." It was further recommended that whereas it would be healthy and in accordance with Gospel for all to worship together, "if the weakness of some requires that the groups be separated, the congregation from the heathen should enjoy its privilege in a separate building and a separate institution."
'So in certain districts separate church organizations were established whose members worshipped in separate church buildings, and in time this custom became universal. It was found that most white church members preferred to worship only with other whites, on the sensible ground that health could thus be protected and the dangers of miscegenation avoided.
'As a result of such pressures, a policy developed of having separate church buildings and church organizations for each of the various racial groups, and this lent strength to the Christian movement, for the Coloured and Bantu now had churches of their own which they could operate according to their own tastes, yet all were united in the brotherhood of Christ.'
He said much more, of course, in this historical lecture, but he left the impression that the Christian church was one and undivided, that the Coloured and Bantu preferred to have their own church off to one side, and that the present division of the church into its various components was something ordained by God, approved by Jesus, and eminently workable in a plural society. He certainly did not apologize, and would have been astounded had anyone asked him to do so.
'That man is an asset to any community,' Coenraad van Doorn said when he assembled his family and Detleef at Trianon. 'He speaks with a clarity one seldom hears.'
'He told me things I didn't know,' Clara said. She looked as if she had been crying, and Detleef asked what had happened.
Her mother answered, 'The awful deaths in Europe. Clara has many friends there, you know.'
Detleef said, 'I didn't know there were very many Afrikaners fighting in that silly war.'
'There are,' Clara snapped, 'and it's not silly.'
'Any men we have there are certainly fighting on the wrong side. Germany's bound to win, and a good thing, too.'
Mr. van Doorn intervened to quash a difficult subject: 'I wonder what Brongersma will tell us next time?'
'He said in passing that it would deal with the New Testament,' Clara's brother said.
'Good. None of us know that section of the Bible well enough.'
'The Old Testament is sufficient, really,' Detleef said, and again the atmosphere chilled, but when it came time for him to say goodnight, Clara volunteered to walk with him to the car, took his hand and squeezed it. 'You mustn't be so contentious, Detleef. A living room isn't a rugby field.'
'But if a man has beliefs . . .'
'All men have beliefs. And sometimes they adhere to theirs as firmly as you do to yours.'
'But if theirs are wrong . . .'
'You feel obligated to correct them?'
'Of course.'
To his astonishment she leaned over and kissed him. 'I'm glad you're strong, Detleef. You're going to need it.'
He was trembling, and clutched her hand. 'I don't want to be obstinate, but . . . well . . . even Reverend Brongersma can be wrong sometimes.'
'For example?'
'Well, I felt he was apologetic about the way our church separates into white, Coloured, black. But that's what